Technology-intensive

Describing a process, industry, or product that relies heavily on advanced technologies for its operation, development, and production. This often involves substantial investment in research and development (R&D), specialized equipment, and a highly skilled workforce. technology-intensive endeavors are characterized by innovation, automation, complex systems, and a rapid pace of change. They typically focus on sophisticated solutions, pushing the boundaries of existing knowledge to improve efficiency, create new functionalities, or offer unprecedented capabilities. These industries or products frequently have significant data dependencies, demanding advanced data analytics and processing techniques. The success of a technology-intensive field largely depends on its ability to adopt, adapt, and generate new technologies to remain competitive and meet evolving market demands. This also includes the strategic acquisition of intellectual property and a robust focus on intellectual property protection.

Technology-intensive meaning with examples

• The semiconductor industry is inherently technology-intensive, requiring cutting-edge fabrication facilities, highly skilled engineers, and constant innovation to create increasingly smaller and more powerful microchips. This involves billions in R&D investment to create the next generation of electronic devices and complex manufacturing processes to ensure the production of said products. The production costs and the need for skilled labor also factor heavily.
• Aerospace manufacturing, producing everything from commercial airliners to spacecraft, relies on advanced materials, sophisticated software, and precise engineering, making it a technology-intensive sector. The intricate design and construction of these complex machines is heavily dependent upon technologies like computer-aided design (CAD), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and extensive testing protocols to ensure safety and performance.
• Precision agriculture, which utilizes sensors, drones, and data analytics to optimize crop yields and resource management, is becoming increasingly technology-intensive. The reliance on data acquisition and real-time monitoring provides farmers the resources to make informed decisions, reducing waste, and ultimately maximizing the output of the farm to ensure higher profits and higher productivity.
• The pharmaceutical industry is technology-intensive, depending on advanced techniques such as biotechnology, genetic engineering, and high-throughput screening to discover and develop new drugs. The development process includes lengthy clinical trials and substantial investment in research and development, which is why drug prices are so high. New medications are developed in a race with other companies.
• The financial services sector, particularly high-frequency trading and algorithmic trading, is becoming increasingly technology-intensive, utilizing sophisticated software, high-speed networks, and complex algorithms. This allows these services to react more quickly to market conditions. This dependence requires substantial IT infrastructure and constant upgrades to keep pace with industry changes and regulations.