INTRODUCTION
What is technocapitalism ?
Technocapitalism is a new form of market capitalism
that is rooted in technological invention and innovation. It can be considered an emerging era, now
in its early stage, that is supported by such intangibles as creativity and
knowledge.
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 and knowledge are the most valuable resources of this
emerging new era. They, for
example, already account for as much as three-quarters of the value of most
products and services in existence, and that proportion is bound to increase
over time. In contrast, the
material resources that were most valuable for industrial capitalism are losing
value relative to those intangibles in most every product or service.
New economic
activities are emerging that are representative of technocapitalism. Biotechnology, nanotechnology,
bioinformatics, software design, genomics, molecular computing and biorobotics,
for example, are likely to be hallmarks of the twenty-first century, as
electronics and aerospace were in the twentieth. This new ecology of activities and sectors is more reliant
on creativity and knowledge than any of the old industries of industrial
capitalism.
The organizations
that are typical of these new activities are research-intensive and highly
dependent on new discoveries for their survival. Continuous or 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 and firms typical of technocapitalism are, first and foremost,
oriented toward research and discovery.
The old industries typical of industrial
capitalism are also feeling the impact of this emerging era. The sort of continuous 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 novelty.
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, they are structural and are usually
beyond the control of individuals and organizations.
A second typology
will consider phenomena that involve diffusion and generation of knowledge and
creativity, and usually have a micro scope. Those phenomena operate mostly at the level of organizations
and individuals. They can
therefore be affected by decisions and strategies taken by various entities,
such as firms, 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 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 an overview of the phenomena
supporting the emergence of technocapitalism, that is as comprehensive as
current knowledge allows.
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,
however, we can try to understand the phenomena that point toward a paradigm
shift or that indicate change.
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 if they are to carry any weight. 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 open to diverse ideological viewpoints. The framework is therefore not tied, in any predominant way,
to a specific ideological view.
Hardly anything today is, of course, value- or ideology-free. However, it is important to understand
the phenomena behind the rise of technocapitalism on their own terms, setting
aside as much as possible the biases and exaggerations that often distort the
value of evidence.
Fourth, this site
provides a big picture on technocapitalism. Bringing together in a broad way 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 publications on
technocapitalism and related topics by this author, please see the Publications
section of this website.
Copyright © Luis
Suarez-Villa