Technology and Development

Vs
Society

Sudan Kayastha
 What is Technology?
The branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical
means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment,
drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science,
and pure science.
The use of scientific knowledge to solve practical problems, especially
in industry and commerce.
The specific methods, materials, and devices used to solve practical
problems.
Technology is comprised of the products and processes created by
engineers/inventors to meet our needs and wants.
 Technology vs. Science
Technology Science
• Study of our • Study of our natural
human-made world
world • Deals with “what is”
• Deals with “what
can be”
 How Does Technology Address
Human Needs and Wants?
Information Communication Bio-Related and Medical Environmental
Agriculture

Technology

Manufacturing
Transportation Energy and Nanotechnology
& Power
Construction
Example:
Information Technology allows us to send
signals around the world.
Examples:
Television, Internet, satellite, GPS, cell phones
 Development
Development as a process or course of
positive change.
Development is not purely an economic
phenomenon but rather a multi-dimensional
process involving reorganization and
reorientation of entire economic AND social
system.
Development is process of improving the
quality of all human lives with three equally
important aspects. These are:
1. Raising peoples’ living levels, i.e. incomes and
consumption, levels of food, medical services,
education through relevant growth processes
2. Creating conditions conducive to the growth of
peoples’ self-esteem through the establishment of
social, political and economic systems and
institutions which promote human dignity and
respect
3. Increasing peoples’ freedom to choose by
enlarging the range of their choice variables, e.g.
varieties of goods and services
 Sustainable Development
• “Development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own
needs”
21st century will be the century of knowledge
 Agricultural Industrial Information Knowledge
Society Society Society Society

Innovation Knowledge
products

Networks
Information
products

Technology
Industrial
products

Raw Materials
Agri products

Societal Transformation
 What is a Knowledge Society ?
 That uses knowledge holistically to empower and
enrich people– and is an integral driver of sustainable
development (societal transformation)
 A life-long learning society committed to innovation
 Has the capacity to generate, diffuse, utilize and
protect knowledge - creates economic wealth and
social equity
 Enlightens people towards an integrated view of life
as a fusion of mind, body and spirit
“There is hardly any social problem on which
science cannot make some contribution”
-D. K. Price, Scientific Estate

Science for policy

and
Policy for Science

Both for Society with Technology

Science is never sufficient to solve a problem
completely; it is, however, always necessary.
What is Appropriate Technology
• Appropriate technology is the
appropriate selection of a device or
solution to a problem based on the
individual needs of an area, or a
population; which generally utilizes
simple and user friendly products and or
systems.
 What is appropriate technology?

• Appropriate technology has been used to cover a wide

range of both technologies and lifestyles including
sustainable living, alternative fuels, and ethical
technology transfers.
• A technology is considered appropriate if it solves a
social problem without many adverse negative effects.
• Every new technology has consequences for society. A
technology is appropriate when its intended positive
consequences outweigh its unintended negative
consequences
Appropriate technology = technology that
is suited to the needs, skills, knowledge
and wealth of local people in the
environment which they live.

What do you think is meant by this statement?

Can you think of inappropriate and appropriate technology?
 E.F. Schumacher
• Coined the term Appropriate Technology.
• Based the philosophy of appropriate
technology on his experiences in
developing nations.
• He worked around the world as a Economist.
• His 1973 publication “Small Is Beautiful:
Economics As If People Mattered” outlined
Appropriate technology.
 Appropriate Technologies
• That is designed with special consideration to the
environmental, cultural, social and economic aspects of
the community it is intended for
• Typically requires fewer
resources
• Is easier to maintain
• Has a lower overall cost
• Less of an impact on the
environment
 Feature of appropriate Technology

1. Low cost of technology

2. Self Reliance - Technology is its

dependency on local environment not
only for resources for production but
also for know-how's and solutions

3. Labour intensiveness

4. Smallness, simplicity and non-

bureaucratic features

5. Non-Violence
 Goals for appropriate Technology
• Non-Violent / sustainable (no damage to
the environment)
• Renewable Sources of Energy
• Create Job opportunities
• Created locally
• Use Local skills
• Use local materials
• Simple, small scale Appropriate to the
community
• Low Cost
 Right for the
place (local tech.
& expertise)

Appropriate Right for the

Affordable
people (run by
(initial costs Technology
locals & what
& parts) Projects they need)

Sustainable
(last long term
but not damage
env’t)
 Examples of Appropriate
Technology
• Hybrid Vehicles
• The hybrid vehicle typically achieves greater
fuel economy than conventional internal
combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), such that
fewer air pollution emissions are generated
per kilometre travelled.
• In addition noise emissions are reduced,
particularly at idling and low operating speeds
 Examples of Appropriate
Technology
• Solar cooking
• Ovens that heat food using
only sunlight
• Since they use no fuel and
they cost nothing to run
• humanitarian organizations
are promoting their use
worldwide to help slow
deforestation caused by the
need for firewood used to
cook
 How do we evaluate appropriateness?

• There are three ways of evaluating appropriateness:

technical, cultural, and economic.
• Technical--considering the technical knowledge and
background of the people who will be using this
technology.
• Cultural—the relationship of the technology to the
critical social systems in the society including family
systems, religious beliefs, division of labor in a society,
and levels of education and training.
• Economic--a technology's effect on income levels and
income distribution in a society and income disparity
between different socio-economic groups.
 Factors for the assessment of an appropriate
technology
• Various factors for assessment of appropriateness would include the
following1:
• What is the need?
• Is there an adequate business environment in place for this
technology?
• What is the best technical option for the transfer? (Some issues
include the requirements for operating the technology, repair facilities
for the technology, scope of the technology)
• What are the possible unintended negative effects of the technology?
• What are the broader cultural, political and/or social effects of the
technology?
 Renewable Energy

• Renewable energy industries produce energy using

resources such as sunlight, wind, water current, and
organic waste
• Renewable sources of energy are diffuse (spread thin)
and intermittent. One example of the diffuseness feature
is that a 1000-megawatt solar farm might occupy about
5000 acres of land, while a nuclear power station with
the same generating capacity only requires around 150
acres.
 Examples of Renewable Energy--Biomass

• Many developing countries depend on wood and

agricultural waste for energy.
• Almost half of India's and nearly 90 percent of total
energy consumption in several small countries in Africa
is provided by wood.
• Sweden has increased its use of biomass dramatically in
the last ten years and presently uses fast-growing willow
trees and other organics to supply 20 percent of its total
energy supply.
 Appropriate
Vs
Hi-tech technology

Appropriate technology Advanced Technology

•Smaller scale •Large scale
•Cheaper equipment •Expensive equipment
•Small demand for energy •Big demand for energy
•Large demand for labour •Employs few people
•Uses local resources •Often needs imported
•Involves traditional skills materials
•Needs training in new skills
What is Technology Transfer?

The technology transfer process helps a

manufacturing company more effectively use its
human, physical, and capital resources by
providing knowledge, information, or assistance,
which leads to improvements in its facility,
equipment, manufacturing methods,
management methods, or marketing methods.
 Technology Transfer

Invention

Marketing Technology Innovation

(Diffusion) Transfer

Design
 Simple Example
• Incredible that people a million years ago invented the
wheel that would be useful for so long. They saw the
need for such a device that would make certain tasks
easier – invention.
• Someone needed to device a way to utilize the wheel –
innovation
• Turn idea into reality and implement other ideas to use
the wheel – design
• Further developments need promotion and device/idea
needs to be disseminated - diffusion
 Inventions
Some are nothing more than scientific curiosity for
years before being transformed into a working device,
prototype, or product
Utensils, mast for
100 Years
Aluminum sailboats window
(H. Saite-Claire frames – late 1950’s
Deville, 1854)
90 Years
Fiber Optics
Total Internal
1971
Reflection
(William Wheeler, 1881)
43 Years
First I Prototype Gas
Theory of Lasing
discharge laser 1950
(A. Einstein, 1917)
 Inventions
Some inventions have immediate appeal

X-Rays Few Years 1900’s

(1895 – William Rontgen) Used in Medical
Profession
 Inventions
Some Inventions are forced

35 years

Radar Nothing happened

(Patent, 1914) 1940’s
unworkable successful need
WWII

The ‘need’ preceded the product

 Inventions
The need proceeded the product – another example

The vacuum tube was bulky, fragile, power hungry, and

had lifetime issues – it was inherently unreliable

The need for a transistor existed long before its invention

Bell laboratories poured money into it resulting in the first

patent of the resistor (1940)
In 1951, the first point – contact transistor was
manufactured
 Innovation

Invention Product

This period of development is characterized by INNOVATION!

 Design
• Design is part of the innovation process,
sophisticated modeling and software
shaves years off the development process

• Many issues can be identified during the

modeling stage, before prototyping –
saves time and money
 Diffusion
• Sometimes referred to as marketing,
• everything that is involved in the promotion
and sale of the product
• Also important is promotion by use of
publication
• Users and customers have important input
on how to improve or refine the product
• Can conflict with IP
 Relationship – Invention,
Innovation, Design, and
Diffusion
Naïve Model - Linear
Diffusion
Innovation
Invention Design

What’s Wrong with this Model?

• Feedback from each stage
• No real beginning and end, invention is often continuous
 Some Working Definitions
• Technology Transfer The transactions
between changing technology and
invention, innovation, production, and
diffusion

• Innovation – The exploitation of new ideas

 Reasons to Innovate
• Competition – Keep ahead of Competitors
• Science & Technology – Technological change can be
the result of science push and changes in the science
and technology base lead to product innovation
• Market – Customer feedback influences innovation
leading to product improvements
• Legislation – Government can force innovation (e.g.
safety, environment, economic Policy)
• Human Nature – Curiosity “what happens if I do
this…?”; Laziness “There must be an easier way to do
this”
 Technology Portfolio
Technology Importance Low Position High Position
High Importance High Importance
Business Attractiveness A B
C D
Low Position High Position
Low Importance Low Importance

A: Attractive Business, not much competitive position, use R& D

Resources to gain competitive advantage
B: Attractive Business, good competitive advantage. Company should
sustain funding and resources, be prepared for counter attack
C: Poor Position, company should not use resources here
D: Mixed, not important technology for company, move to cell B or
eliminate
 Collaborations between
Companies
Agreements for organizations to work together
• Alliances
• Networks
• Cooperatives
• Collaboration
These arrangements could be with suppliers,
customers, and even competitors
Many times manufacturers form alliances to work
together but retain their individual brand names.
 Technology Transfers: Positive and Negative Effects
Technology Transfer Positive Negative

Product Sales Upgrades Consumption Affordable only to wealthy

(Consumer) know how/consumer segments
education

Product Sales Upgrades production

(Industrial) process technologies;
technician/engineering
skills; lowers per unit Displaces workers with
production costs/prices more intensive use of
capital
Licensing, technology Broadens, elevates Wall-Mart effects on the
agreements; corporate R technology bases and local businesses.
& D efforts workforce vocational and
scientific skills

Banking and Financial Mobilizes savings to create Only the wealthy benefit in
institutions investment markets for the short term and leads to
public/private sector-stock power concentrations;
market capital; possible unwanted foreign
consumer/installment credit influences encouraging
for individuals and buyers to purchase goods
business beyond their means.
Technology transfer positive negative
Local procurement of Stimulus for private Easier for other foreign
materials and enterprise/local firms to meet
components initiatives procurement quality
requirements
Establishment of Creates distribution Foreign control over
wholesale/retail infrastructure/expertise; distribution; consumer
distribution systems increases customer exposed to products that
exposures to modern are beyond their means to
goods & services purchase

Worker training in Upgrades labor skills and For a minority only;

technologies and vocational bases majority have insufficient
production know how education

Management Increased managerial

training in education and efficiency
organizational know Only educated elites
benefit
how/methods
Financial and Planning and budgetary
accounting skills control
Thanking You

Discussion