{"id":8237,"date":"2026-09-08T21:43:38","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T21:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/?p=8237"},"modified":"2026-09-08T21:44:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T21:44:32","slug":"david-goliath-and-drones-the-new-map-of-geo-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/ai-technology-and-innovation\/david-goliath-and-drones-the-new-map-of-geo-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"David, Goliath, and Drones: The New Map of Geo-Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div\n\tid=\"tl-fpb-1\"\n\tstyle=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/09\/Disruptors-S11-WEB-BANNER-Drones2.png?quality=80&amp;w=4096);background-position:50% 50%;background-size:cover;min-height:500px\" class=\"tl-featured-post-banner wp-block-rbc-thought-leadership-blocks-featured-post-banner\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"tl-featured-post-banner__gradient\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;right:0;bottom:0;z-index:0;pointer-events:none;\"><\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"tl-featured-post-banner__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"tl-pill tl-pill--banner\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/ai-technology-and-innovation\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tAI, Technology and Innovation\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"tl-featured-post-banner__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"tl-featured-post-banner__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/ai-technology-and-innovation\/david-goliath-and-drones-the-new-map-of-geo-technology\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDavid, Goliath, and Drones: The New Map of Geo-Technology\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"tl-featured-post-banner__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t\tIn the latest episode of Disruptors, Noah Smith explains how geo-technology, supply chains, and allied scale are reshaping global competition and Canada\u2019s economic opportunities.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-block  pos-rel\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<div style=\"width:100%;height:200px\" class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-iframe mar-b-hlf mob-mar-b-hlf\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.simplecast.com\/bd06af1f-f6b1-46e5-a841-edb8a249531d??dark=false\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" style=\"border:none\" title=\"Iframe Embed\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"mar-t-hlf mob-mar-t-hlf wp-block-paragraph\">Listen on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/ca\/podcast\/disruptors\/id1332711400?i=1000788429097\" target=\"_blank\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-7feeff9d\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"link click\" data-dig-label=\"Apple Podcasts\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/36F4Vl06sCgU1K4ozN7Ch8?si=dh5bQ96dRm2JzBrmeLEINA&amp;utm_source=copy-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-7feeff9d\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"link click\" data-dig-label=\"Spotify\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Spotify<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/rbc-disruptors.simplecast.com\/episodes\/from-ottawa-to-orbit-two-views-on-canadas-big-day\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Simplecast<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For years, the mandate of <em>Disruptors<\/em> was simple: explore how technology is changing everything. But in 2026, a deeper dynamic is taking center stage\u2014how <strong>geo-technology<\/strong> (the merger of scale, power, and innovation) is redrawing the global economic map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this episode, host John Stackhouse is joined by economist, writer, and <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=https:\/\/www.noahpinion.zone\/\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-7feeff9d\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"link click\" data-dig-label=\"Noahpinion\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Noahpinion<\/a><\/em> creator Noah Smith for a candid look at global competition. Smith breaks down why modern power is no longer defined strictly by large military platforms, but by control over the physical supply chains that fuel modern technology\u2014specifically the &#8220;Electric Tech Stack&#8221; of lithium-ion batteries, rare earth permanent magnets, and power electronics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The conversation explores why Western industrial policy must shift from traditional growth toward strategic preservation, how AI is complementing human labor rather than eliminating it, and why middle powers like Canada, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and India must collaborate to achieve &#8220;allied scale.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Canadian business leaders and policymakers, this episode offers a clear diagnostic on how external pressures can serve as a catalyst for national cohesion, industrial capacity, and global trade partnerships.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-block  pos-rel\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<h4 id=\"h-faqs\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-rbc-bright-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d57d1e068f2bcd43b4ddd55866125416\">FAQs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-collapsible-accordion accordion\" id=\"&quot;accordionSet1\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-collapsible-panel\"><div class=\"accordion-panel\"><button id=\"accordion-title528edcfe\" class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#accordion528edcfe\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordionSet1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-528edcfe\" aria-controls=\"accordion528edcfe\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"collapsible closed\" data-dig-label=\"&lt;strong&gt;Who is the guest in this episode?&lt;\/strong&gt;\" action-closed=\"collapsible closed\" action-opened=\"collapsible open\"><div><strong>Who is the guest in this episode?<\/strong><\/div><\/button><div class=\"collapse-content collapse\" id=\"accordion528edcfe\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title528edcfe\"><div class=\"collapse-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Smith is an economist, former Bloomberg Opinion columnist, finance professor, and the creator of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=https:\/\/www.noahpinion.zone\/\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-7feeff9d\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"link click\" data-dig-label=\"Noahpinion\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Noahpinion<\/a><\/em>, one of the world&#8217;s most widely read economics and technology newsletters.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-collapsible-panel\"><div class=\"accordion-panel\"><button id=\"accordion-title4ea0d1e4\" class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#accordion4ea0d1e4\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordionSet1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-4ea0d1e4\" aria-controls=\"accordion4ea0d1e4\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"collapsible closed\" data-dig-label=\"&lt;strong&gt;What is &quot;geo-technology&quot;?&lt;\/strong&gt;\" action-closed=\"collapsible closed\" action-opened=\"collapsible open\"><div><strong>What is &#8220;geo-technology&#8221;?<\/strong><\/div><\/button><div class=\"collapse-content collapse\" id=\"accordion4ea0d1e4\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title4ea0d1e4\"><div class=\"collapse-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As defined by host John Stackhouse, geo-technology is the merger of scale, power, and technological innovation with the strategic intent to create dominance, shaping a new global race among nation-states and tech giants.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-collapsible-panel\"><div class=\"accordion-panel\"><button id=\"accordion-title1e6d704b\" class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#accordion1e6d704b\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordionSet1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-1e6d704b\" aria-controls=\"accordion1e6d704b\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"collapsible closed\" data-dig-label=\"W&lt;strong&gt;What is the &quot;Electric Tech Stack&quot;?&lt;\/strong&gt;\" action-closed=\"collapsible closed\" action-opened=\"collapsible open\"><div>W<strong>What is the &#8220;Electric Tech Stack&#8221;?<\/strong><\/div><\/button><div class=\"collapse-content collapse\" id=\"accordion1e6d704b\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title1e6d704b\"><div class=\"collapse-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Coined by Noah Smith, the Electric Tech Stack refers to three foundational hardware components underlying modern physical technologies: lithium-ion batteries, rare earth permanent magnet motors, and power electronics. These inputs power everything from commercial smartphones and electric vehicles to military drones and robotics.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-collapsible-panel\"><div class=\"accordion-panel\"><button id=\"accordion-title1c70446c\" class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#accordion1c70446c\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordionSet1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-1c70446c\" aria-controls=\"accordion1c70446c\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"collapsible closed\" data-dig-label=\"&lt;strong&gt;Why does &quot;Allied Scale&quot; matter for Canada?&lt;\/strong&gt;\" action-closed=\"collapsible closed\" action-opened=\"collapsible open\"><div><strong>Why does &#8220;Allied Scale&#8221; matter for Canada?<\/strong><\/div><\/button><div class=\"collapse-content collapse\" id=\"accordion1c70446c\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-title1c70446c\"><div class=\"collapse-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Allied scale refers to strategic cooperation among non-hegemonic middle powers\u2014including Canada, European nations, Japan, South Korea, and India. By coordinating trade, defense procurement, and regulations, these nations can aggregate enough industrial and supply chain scale to maintain technological independence.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-collapsible-panel\"><div class=\"accordion-panel\"><button id=\"accordion-titlea53bc262\" class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#accordiona53bc262\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordionSet1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-a53bc262\" aria-controls=\"accordiona53bc262\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" data-dig-action=\"collapsible closed\" data-dig-label=\"&lt;strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where can I stream RBC Disruptors?&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;\" action-closed=\"collapsible closed\" action-opened=\"collapsible open\"><div><strong><strong>Where can I stream RBC Disruptors?<\/strong><\/strong><\/div><\/button><div class=\"collapse-content collapse\" id=\"accordiona53bc262\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-titlea53bc262\"><div class=\"collapse-inner\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can stream all episodes on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/ca\/podcast\/disruptors\/id1332711400?i=1000788429097\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-7feeff9d\" data-dig-label=\"Apple Podcasts\" data-dig-action=\"link click\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/36F4Vl06sCgU1K4ozN7Ch8?si=dh5bQ96dRm2JzBrmeLEINA&amp;utm_source=copy-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-dig-id=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation-8237-7feeff9d\" data-dig-label=\"Spotify\" data-dig-action=\"link click\" data-dig-category=\"LP-AI,TechnologyandInnovation\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Spotify<\/a> or read transcripts and research reports directly on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/thoughtleadership\">rbc.com\/thoughtleadership<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<style class=\"advgb-styles-renderer\">@media (min-width:782px){#tl-fpb-1 .tl-featured-post-banner__gradient{background:linear-gradient(135deg, #070707, #00356300 100%);opacity:1;}}@media (max-width:781px){#tl-fpb-1{background-image:url(https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2026\/09\/Disruptors-S11-WEB-BANNER-Drones2.png?quality=80&w=4096)!important;background-position:50% 50%!important;background-size:cover!important;min-height:400px!important;}#tl-fpb-1 .tl-featured-post-banner__gradient{background:linear-gradient(45deg, #070707, #00356300 100%);opacity:1;}}<\/style>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the latest episode of Disruptors, Noah Smith explains how geo-technology, supply chains, and allied scale are reshaping global competition and Canada\u2019s economic opportunities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":8337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"disable_focal_point":false,"featured_image_focal_point":{"x":0.52,"y":0.52},"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[125],"tags":[],"rbc_tl_platform":[131],"rbc_tl_newsletter":[],"rbc_tl_content_type":[132],"rbc_tl_author":[179],"class_list":["post-8237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai-technology-and-innovation","rbc_tl_platform-disruptors","rbc_tl_content_type-podcast","rbc_tl_author-rbc-thought-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - 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