INTRODUCTION
What is technocapitalism ?
Technocapitalism is a new version of capitalism that is
rooted in technological innovation and corporate power.
It can be considered an emerging era that is highly dependent
on intangibles, most of all creativity.
Intangibles are at the core of technocapitalism. Creativity and knowledge are to
technocapitalism what tangible raw materials, factory labor and capital were to
industrial capitalism. During
industrial capitalism, tangible resources acquired the greatest value, as
factory production, repetitive labor and massive output ruled the day. In the emerging technocapitalist era,
however, those material resources are becoming secondary in importance.
Intangibles are
therefore vital for technocapitalism.
Creativity is the most valuable resource of this emerging new era. Intangibles already account for as much
as four-fifths of the value of most products and services in existence. Conversely, the tangible resources that
were most valuable for industrial capitalism are losing value relative to those
intangibles in most every product or service.
New sectors are
emerging that are closely associated with technocapitalism. Biotechnology, nanotechnology, bioinformatics,
genomics, biopharmacology, molecular computing and biomimetics, for example,
are likely to be hallmarks of the twenty-first century, as aviation and
electronics were of the twentieth.
This ecology of new sectors is more dependent on creativity than any of
the old industries of industrial capitalism.
The corporate organizations that are typical of these new activities are research-intensive, and are highly dependent on new discoveries for their survival. Systematized invention and innovation are very much a part of their reality, and are vital for survival. Unlike the factories of industrial capitalism, where production was paramount and research was often a marginal endeavor, the organizations typical of technocapitalism are,
first and foremost, oriented toward research.
The corporate appropriation of any exercise of creativity, through research, is a major aspect of this new version of capitalism. Intellectual property rights, such as invention patents, therefore acquire paramount importance for the technocapitalist corporation. In order to appropriate the results of creativity, however, the technocapitalist corporation must turn creativity into a commodity. Turning creativity into a commodiy is a risky and uncertain process, mainly because of the elusive and qualitative nature of creativity. These characteristics of creativity are closely related to its intangibility, and they influence how creativity is used and appropriated
in the corporate
domain.
The old industries typical of industrial
capitalism are feeling the impact of this emerging era. The sort of systematized invention and
innovation found in activities typical of technocapitalism are spreading to old
sectors, such as automobile manufacturing, apparel and the mechanical
industries. Service activities,
including some of the most mundane ones, are also being affected. It seems that no economic sector or
activity can be considered immune from the dynamics of the new order and its
emphasis on research and creativity.
The various sections
of this website will provide an overview of the phenomena that support the rise
of technocapitalism. Many of those
phenomena became obvious toward the end of the twentieth century, with the
decay of longstanding economic and social structures that had previously been
vital for industrial capitalism.
Two basic types of phenomena will be considered in the other sections of this website. One typology includes phenomena that have been mostly involved with long-term accumulation, and are therefore macro in their scope and dynamics. Those phenomena operate at the societal level, and are usually
beyond the control of
individuals and organizations.
A second typology will consider phenomena that involve innovation diffusion and the generation of new knowledge. They have a micro scope, and operate mostly at the level of organizations and individuals.
They can therefore be affected by decisions and strategies taken by various entities,
such as corporate organizations,
institutions and groups of individuals.
Some of the effects
and supportive elements of both the macro and micro phenomena will be given
additional consideration. For
example, the importance of continuous invention, innovative capacity and of
networks for the activities that are typical of technocapitalism will be
considered in separate sections.
Similarly, the rising importance of a new type of corporate organization, the
experimental firm, found in the sectors that are typical of technocapitalism,
will be discussed separately.
The intent of those
components of this website will be to provide a general overview of the
phenomena supporting the emergence of technocapitalism.
What makes the contents of this site different from other
discussions of technology and capitalism?
Discussions on
the relationship between technology and capitalism are as old as capitalism
itself. In fact, the terms
“technology” and “capitalism” have been among the most commonly used words in
the social sciences for many decades.
What makes the
contents of this site different is that they provide a conceptual framework
that is open-ended, to which discussions can be added, debated and documented
with evidence. Technocapitalism is
an unfolding phenomenon, a new era whose boundaries and dimensions are largely
unknown. At the very least, we
should try to understand the phenomena behind the emergence of this new version
of capitalism.
Second, the phenomena and developments discussed in this site can be verified empirically, with existing quantitative data, or with qualitative evidence. It is not enough to talk or speculate about an emerging phenomenon. At some point, thoughts must be grounded in evidence. In this regard, therefore, the contents of this site take the reader beyond any philosophical discussion of the emerging era,
to consider concrete
phenomena that can be observed and documented.
Third, the conceptual
framework is critical and looks at the phenomena of technocapitalism in a
systemic way. Technocapitalism is
therefore seen as a new system, with effects on most every aspect of human
existence, life and nature. The
conceptual framework tries to understand those effects on their own terms. The framework therefore looks upon technocapitalism
as a platform upon which many important societal, economic and political
changes are taking place. Aspects
of social justice, inequality, globalization, domination, and the relations of
power between corporations and society can be taken into account.
Fourth, this site
provides a broad perspective on technocapitalism. Bringing together the various phenomena that support this
emerging era can provide an immediate understanding of its dimensions and
challenges. This approach can
allow us to build a research platform upon which additional study, evidence and
details can be built.
Fifth, no attempt is made to predict or forecast the
future under technocapitalism. The
record of forecasting in the social sciences is a very poor one, by any
standard. It is therefore best for
readers to decide and project on their own the potential consequences of the
phenomena discussed in this site.
Most, if not all, of the changes being introduced by technocapitalism
have profound implications for humanity, and for the sustenance of societies,
economies and cultures.
For more insights on the phenomena of technocapitalism,
see Prof. Suarez-Villa’s book, Technocapitalism: A Critical Perspective on
Technological Innovation and Corporatism (Philadelphia: Temple University
Press, 2009). An image of the
cover of the book, with links to the publisher and to comments on the book, is
provided at the bottom of the home page.
For publications on
technocapitalism and related topics by this author, please see the Publications
section of this website.
Copyright © Luis Suarez-Villa