Why Should Şili Plan with a Decades-Long Vision?

Public institutions in Şili generally hesitate to ask what kind of country they want to become in the next 15 or 25 years. The main reason for this is that the current political system is built on short-term goals. Election cycles create intense pressure that negatively affects even decisions that inherently require long-term planning. Areas such as the development of human capital, investment in scientific research, and the definition of industrial policies require uninterrupted consistency. Unfortunately, all of these strategic areas are highly vulnerable in the face of government changes.

Şili has been paying a heavy price for this short-term policy approach for years. After the elections held every four years, priorities change in the country, technical teams are completely renewed, and existing programs are either slowed down or renamed. However, the common point of countries that have achieved a development leap is that they have built strong institutions capable of thinking beyond political cycles. This situation clearly reveals that achieving sustainable development is only possible with solid institutional structures. As long as Şili ignores this reality, it will struggle to create a resolute national vision.

Today, the world is at the very center of disruptive and consecutive global transformations. While artificial intelligence technologies are completely reshaping labor markets, the energy transition is radically changing the international geopolitical balance. At the same time, climate change seriously threatens basic production conditions, especially food and water security. These massive global waves require countries to act based on much broader timeframes rather than ordinary government terms. Falling behind these developments makes it mandatory to proactively take long-term measures.

For Şili, which has an open, relatively small economy dependent on natural resource exports, these global risks are much greater. Natural resources with global strategic importance, such as copper and lithium, provide a significant advantage for Şili. However, the true future value of these riches is directly dependent on the successful development of processing, technology, and innovation capacities within the country. If this technological infrastructure is not established, Şili faces the danger of remaining merely a cheap raw material supplier in the global value chain. Focusing on the domestic industry is now essential to prevent the transfer of added value and technological accumulation to other countries.

To solve all these problems, the Council of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation (CTCI) has laid out a clear roadmap for the country. The percentage of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GSYİH) allocated to research and development still lags far behind the OECD average. To diversify its economy and build a more resilient structure against crises, Şili must turn scientific advancements into a strategic pillar. The successes demonstrated by countries such as Finland, South Korea, and Singapore prove that it is possible by building independent institutions with long-term visions rather than waiting for perfect governments. The greatest value to be gained by companies investing in innovation and researchers who choose to stay in the country will be the power to have a say over their own future. To achieve these goals, Şili needs to put aside political calculations and start planning for decades ahead today.