Part 45: Economic technologies of the region ca. 2940

RCSPS Report: Analysis of Economic Capabilities in Regional Powers

Any analysis of economic capabilities in the region must begin with the recognition that the Republican economy is undoubtedly the most powerful and most efficient economy in the region. Economic freedom and widespread deployment of advanced technology result in extremely high productivity per capita, and Republican population is higher than that of any other regional power save the Nations. That said, an understanding of the capabilities of the competitors to the Republic may assist in development of rational foreign policy by Republican policy-makers.

The Nations have a complex clan-based society with relatively little economic mobility; their societal structure notably stifles innovation, but decentralisation of military building amongst the Lords means that they are capable of rapidly deploying military vessels as needed. Sakkra stamina and endurance makes them relatively productive in their agricultural sector. Advanced capabilities in industrial waste management match Republican standards, and a widespread consumer positronics industry has helped improve motivation and contentment amongst the general population. Given the very large Sakkra population, the overall size of their economy is likewise large, although their relative lack of productivity means that it is smaller than the Republican economy.

Klackon have the next highest population, with relatively powerful agricultural and heavy industrial sectors due to Klackon dedication to productivity. Unfortunately for them, the relatively low-technology nature of Klackon agriculture and heavy industry means that Republican sectors with a modern, Puppeteer-enabled industrial base and the agricultural sector on Nieuw Vlaanderen have a productivity per worker in these sectors that is still higher. They have developed the infrastructure for a modern technology sector, and it appears that that capture of Union of Peace worlds may have provided an influx of usable weapons technology to the Klackon. Tachyon pulse communications ensure coordination within Klackon space has relatively short lag times. Both modern medical technology and ecological engineering methods are available to the Klackon, and Republican scientists have not yet replicated Klackon gravity correctional facilities.

The Unified State has a military-dominated command economy with the malinvestment and loss of productivity that implies. All resources appear to have been dedicated to military projects, and their economic structure remains extremely primitive and inefficient. Nonetheless, their economic structure is well-optimised for maintaining very large military deployments, despite its other inefficiencies, and their access to tachyon pulse communications helps ensure efficient military coordination.

The Star Empire's economy is relatively sophisticated and efficient, with ecological engineering expertise, advanced economic analysis tools for firms and a legal climate allowing their free use, a civilian positronics industry, and advanced waste management technologies.

The syndicalist system under the Council of Enlightened Matrons has been generally poor for innovation, although a highly expert system of guilds has arisen to supply equipment to the military guilds. Republican medical technology has improved their state of the art, but otherwise their overall economic advancement and strength is limited by poor market organisation, poor technological capabilities, and small population.

The economy of the Commonwealth of the Compact is efficiently-structured and highly meritocratic, although their system is somewhat less efficient at scientific innovation than that of the United Republic. Foreign trade, light industry, and entrepreneurship are efficient and powerful, although they lack the formal economic analytic tools of the United Republic or the Star Empire. They enjoy access to microbial soil enrichment boosting agricultural yields, tachyon pulse communications, and basic chemical waste processing, but otherwise lag behind Republican standards in infrastructure.

No power with which the United Republic currently has contact has any equivalent to Puppeteer, ATLASBUILT AIs, new Republican educational standards, the new Republican agricultural genetics methods, or even the basic foundations of modern Republican industry. We can expect the United Republic to remain economically dominant well into the future.