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<p>In an era of geopolitical realignment and multipolar economic competition, the BRICS coalition (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) has emerged as a pivotal force redefining the architecture of the global knowledge economy. This paper examines how the bloc’s internal trade and industrial structures reflect and reinforce disparities in innovation capacity, challenging its potential for cohesive, knowledge-driven growth. Using a mixed-methods approach, including Balassa’s Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, qualitative country profiling, and strategic policy analysis, the study maps the complex interplay between industrial specialization, trade flows, and knowledge-economy objectives. Findings reveal a persistent core-periphery dynamic: China dominates high-tech manufacturing and digital innovation, while other members remain anchored in resource and commodity exports, creating symbiotic yet asymmetric dependencies. RCA is computed on UN Comtrade merchandise exports for 2017–2023 using HS2017 at the HS6 level (with HS4 aggregation only for presentation), and world totals are defined consistently as UN Comtrade global sums for the same HS revision, year, and trade flow. Although strategic initiatives in de-dollarization, resilient supply chains, and digital infrastructure aim to transform trade into a conduit for collaborative innovation, significant barriers endure. These include vast geographical distances, regulatory fragmentation, internal competition in key technology sectors, and a widening innovation gap. The analysis further underscores the transformative role of digital ecosystems, open innovation models, and cross-border knowledge sharing as critical, yet underexplored, pathways for constructing a collaborative knowledge commons. The paper concludes that the long-term relevance of BRICS hinges on its ability to evolve beyond complementary trade toward a model of constructed collaborative advantage - fostering co-creation, equitable technology transfer, harmonized digital governance, and integrated digital innovation platforms to build a truly integrated and innovative knowledge commons.</p>

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Innovation Asymmetry and Knowledge Integration in the BRICS Bloc

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月17日

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  • Vasilii Erokhin

摘要

In an era of geopolitical realignment and multipolar economic competition, the BRICS coalition (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) has emerged as a pivotal force redefining the architecture of the global knowledge economy. This paper examines how the bloc’s internal trade and industrial structures reflect and reinforce disparities in innovation capacity, challenging its potential for cohesive, knowledge-driven growth. Using a mixed-methods approach, including Balassa’s Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index, qualitative country profiling, and strategic policy analysis, the study maps the complex interplay between industrial specialization, trade flows, and knowledge-economy objectives. Findings reveal a persistent core-periphery dynamic: China dominates high-tech manufacturing and digital innovation, while other members remain anchored in resource and commodity exports, creating symbiotic yet asymmetric dependencies. RCA is computed on UN Comtrade merchandise exports for 2017–2023 using HS2017 at the HS6 level (with HS4 aggregation only for presentation), and world totals are defined consistently as UN Comtrade global sums for the same HS revision, year, and trade flow. Although strategic initiatives in de-dollarization, resilient supply chains, and digital infrastructure aim to transform trade into a conduit for collaborative innovation, significant barriers endure. These include vast geographical distances, regulatory fragmentation, internal competition in key technology sectors, and a widening innovation gap. The analysis further underscores the transformative role of digital ecosystems, open innovation models, and cross-border knowledge sharing as critical, yet underexplored, pathways for constructing a collaborative knowledge commons. The paper concludes that the long-term relevance of BRICS hinges on its ability to evolve beyond complementary trade toward a model of constructed collaborative advantage - fostering co-creation, equitable technology transfer, harmonized digital governance, and integrated digital innovation platforms to build a truly integrated and innovative knowledge commons.