Editor's Note: The following is part three of a three-part series on economic espionage; part one may be accessed here and part two here . The current geopolitical order, advances in technology and the importance of maintaining competitive advantages favor an increase in economic espionage activity in the future. While the United States is poised to remain the most powerful country, its advantage over other countries has declined over the 30 years since the fall of the Soviet Union. The United States faces more challenges as the international political system transitions from a unipolar to multipolar world. A multipolar world means more peer-to-peer competition, and intelligence collection will be a key tool in maintaining advantages. Past and contemporary espionage activity by China and Russia will continue.