The 22nd Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club began in Sochi on September 29, 2025, exploring the theme “The Polycentric World: Instructions for Use.” The fifth session was titled “Scientific and Technological Sovereignty in a Diversified World: Self-Interest First or Different Paths to a Common Future?” Science and technology cannot develop in isolation, because the knowledge underlying them is universal. But they are also areas where national competitive advantages are created in the context of universal competition. The participants discussed if competition allows for pragmatic interaction and what is technological sovereignty in a fragmented but connected world.