Milestone (Part 1)

Based on incomplete statistics.

The combined doctoral degrees of all Duchies are less than a thousand, with the majority concentrated within Gran and Xilan.

The term "Doctor" here refers to those who have established at least a medium-sized laboratory and supervise more than ten senior researchers, holding a Ph.D.

Not honorary doctorates.

Yet, even this less-than-a-thousand group of Doctors represents at least a several-fold increase compared to before the Golden Age, eight hundred years ago.

This is the overall progress of human civilization.

Among senior scholars, there is a famous saying:

First-class scholars research theories, second-class scholars create technology, and third-class scholars develop Magic Materials.

This essentially differentiates medium-sized laboratories, senior laboratories, and high-tower research institutes.

Materials like Radiant Jinghua fall into the category of basic Magic Materials in academic research classifications. Generally, once a laboratory researches and produces its own Magic Material product, it can cover its basic operating expenses.

Laboratories of this kind are numerous, usually established under the umbrella of a large research institute, forming a complete system.

Fladick, in the south of Grand Duchy, is a typical example.

On this foundation, if a laboratory can develop a proprietary technology based on its Magic Material, the resulting economic benefits are almost several times that of basic Magic Materials!

The crystal fusion and segmentation technology of the White Ridge Crystal Fusion Laboratory is a prime example.

Reilo's Solar Energy Laboratory's radiation weapon manufacturing technology is also at this stage.

While materials can be traded through smuggling and the black market, the unique technologies mastered by each Duchy are almost insurmountable barriers. Competition between them is essentially a competition of technological integration.

Finally, there is theoretical development.

Works like Profound Meaning of Evolution, Laws of Nature, and Heliocentric Theory all belong to this category of theory.

This is the