definition of hard technology

Hard technology is basically any technology related to or responsible for transforming materials that allow the manufacture of objects or artifacts. It depends on the previous existence of soft technology (this point is explained later).

It is a way of classifying technologies that refers to those that are tangible (touchable), thus contrasting with the other great classification called soft technologies (intangible).

For example, hard technologies are machines in factories, tools, production and industry equipment, supplies and raw materials, electronic technology, and methods of transporting products. So are the technology of food, medicines, agriculture and biotechnology that, based on chemical or biological processes or actions, produce objects and products.

Desirable characteristics of hard technology

These characteristics should or can be expected to comply with current hard technologies, always from an ecological point of view and meeting safety and efficiency standards demanded by modern life. In the past they have not always complied with these points (although, to be honest, even today not many technologies do).

Then the hard technologies:

– It must be new and innovative: If it introduces novelty and creativity, in a market that is already highly competitive and demanding, it will result in a great advantage. It is soft technology that allows prior training in order to innovate in hard technology. For example, those who introduced the railway at the time to transport merchandise, undoubtedly innovated and beat those who used horse-drawn carriages for that purpose; at least in a transport at the regional level.

– Low maintenance: It is a desirable characteristic if a company seeks to be competitive.

– Efficient and fast: What is done must be done quickly and efficiently. For example, Ford’s introduction of newer, more automated machinery and methods of automobile manufacturing undoubtedly gave it a huge competitive advantage over other automakers in the early 20th century. For more information on this example see Ford Revolution.

– Combine with the economy of obsolescence. This is related to planned obsolescence. See that article to understand better.

– Allow to reduce the time of transformation, transport or creation of products and services.

– Do not produce environmental damage or pollution in general. If they produce waste, they must be properly treated. This characteristic is more taken into account from the last decades. Unfortunately, it is not always done properly.

– Serve the needs of human beings, respecting them and their environment. This characteristic is probably the least fulfilled. Below we give examples of why.

Concrete examples of technologies considered hard

– Machinery and production equipment: these technologies were born during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. They meant a great change in the development of products to be used by men. They allowed and allow, for example, the mass production of products that were previously only made «by hand».

In general, in this case most of the desirable characteristics of hard technologies were fulfilled:

They achieved novelty and innovation, displacing the artisan work («by hand») of thousands of people, creating products quickly and efficiently. A desirable point that they did not meet and, currently, many do not meet either, is respect for the environment and for the human being: some technologies leave thousands of people jobless.

– Transportation: without a doubt, it is one of the technologies that has changed the most in recent centuries, although it has developed slowly since the beginning of humanity. At the beginning the transport of products was on foot. The use of animals and the wheel undoubtedly boosted regional transportation. One of the biggest changes occurred thanks to the ships that managed to communicate practically the entire known world and then the New World. It also made it possible to transport unusual amounts of products. It is currently a widely used method when it is necessary to transport large quantities of products around the world, as long as these products do not need to be delivered quickly (some foods, for example).

The arrival of the railway and then the car accelerated the deliveries of products at a regional level. The development of the aeronautical industry has undoubtedly made it possible to transport products faster than ever on a global level. This method is used especially when the product must be delivered quickly.

This group, which we could call «transportation technologies», undoubtedly managed to fulfill many of the characteristics that make hard technologies good and desirable. Innovation, efficiency, speed: always increasing as man developed technologies. Again, the current slogan of environmental protection was not always respected or respected.

Telecommunications network technology deserves a separate mention (it is a way of «transporting» products). It allows to communicate information and provide services worldwide almost instantly. In fact, nowadays, «concrete» products can also be transported with telecommunications technology. Consider a product that is transmitted from a company to a home via the Internet, and in the home the object is printed using a 3D printer.

– The hardware of a computer: it is a typical example of hard technology that allows us to clearly see the meaning of soft technology as well. The hardware of a computer (hard tech) is useless if there is no software (soft tech).

In fact, in all the examples above there was a lot of «soft technology» applied in the development and use of those hard technologies. As we said previously, in general, hard technology cannot exist if there is previously no soft technology.

Related:

Technology.

Soft technology.

Quote the definition:
Alegsa.com.ar (2016). definition of hard technology – ALEGSA 2016-06-21 url: https:///Dec/tecnologia dura.php