Sociotechnical Imaginaries at New Technological Frontiers: Historical Perspectives, Contemporary Practices, and Comparative Contexts

Sociotechnical imaginaries—collectively held visions of desirable futures animated by science and technology—have become central to how nation-states define their ambitions and legitimate their governance. Such imaginaries are forged through historical experience, cultural narratives, and political contestation, and continually reworked as states confront new technological frontiers. This session examines how nation-states imagine, articulate, and institutionalize their technological futures in the AI age, and unpacks the diverse actors, discourses, and historical conditions that shape these visions.

The session invites contributions that situate sociotechnical imaginaries across historical trajectories, contemporary practices, and comparative contexts, examine how national identity, nationalism, innovation practices, and technological aspiration become mutually constitutive, and/or probe the consequences of these technological ambitions for governance, industry, and society.