We explain what technological globalization is, its dimensions, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Also, the types there are and examples.
What is technological globalization?
Technological globalization It is the process of diffusion and integration of the same technologies on a global scale. It is characterized by the rapid expansion of technological innovations and the formation of shared knowledge, with common use of technology on a global level. It also entails a certain standardization of technological products, which facilitates their marketing and use.
One of the main areas of technological globalization is that of telecommunications, with the development of computing, the Internet and mobile phones. This aspect contributes to the rapid and global exchange of information, goods and services, which favors economic, political, social and cultural integration.
Technological globalization also facilitates international trade, with tools such as electronic commerce. (e-commerce)digital banking and technology blockchain. It also increases productivity and competition between companies through the extension of industrial automation, robotics and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in production and services.
In general terms, globalization is a phenomenon of global integration of markets and various aspects of societies, which gained strength after the Second World War (1939-1945) and grew exponentially after the end of the Cold War in 1991.
See also: Globalization
Characteristics of technological globalization
Technological globalization has the following characteristics:
- It is a process of dissemination and exchange of technologies worldwide which promotes the use of the same knowledge and technological products in different parts of the world, both in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) and in that of industrial automation, scientific advances and household appliances.
- Facilitates global interconnection thanks to ICT (such as the Internet and mobile telephony), which allow instant communication over long distances and promote the exchange of information between people, governments and companies.
- Enables economic integration on a global scale since it simplifies international trade, the administration of multinational companies and the outsourcing of services (activities of a company entrusted to other companies) across borders. This generates global supply chains and greater economic interdependence between countries.
- Develops tools that promote unprecedented social and cultural exchange such as the global dissemination of ideas, practices and cultural expressions through digital media and the popularization of social networks and digital entertainment.
- Create new job and educational opportunities such as remote work and online education, but also poses challenges in terms of data privacy, cybersecurity, digital divide and economic inequality.
See also: Characteristics of globalization
Dimensions of technological globalization
According to some scholars, technological globalization has three dimensions that can be analyzed separately:
- Global exploitation of technology Companies are increasingly taking advantage of their technological innovations to gain advantages in international markets. This includes the export of technological products and the international sale or transfer of licenses and technical knowledge.
- Global technological collaboration Governments and academic institutions collaborate and share technical knowledge with their peers in other countries, and companies are often willing to share knowledge or technological innovations with partners or competitors in other countries.
- Global technology generation Large multinational companies carry out research and development strategies in various countries, which allows them to maintain global networks facilitated by ICT and generate technological innovations on a global scale.
Types of technological globalization
The types of technological globalization are the following:
- Globalization of information and communications It is about global interconnection through ICT, such as the Internet, mobile telephony and fiber optic networks, which facilitate the rapid transfer of information and data between people and organizations around the world.
- Globalization of electronic commerce and digital finance. It is the global extension of trade and finance through digital platforms, which allow businesses and consumers to buy and sell products and services online or use virtual banking services, eliminating geographical barriers and enabling commercial transactions and financial operations on a global scale.
- Globalization of production and supply chain. It involves the use of labor, resources and technology available in different countries by multinational companies that produce goods and services in different parts of the world, leading to global supply chains and greater economic interdependence between nations.
- Globalization of education and knowledge It is about access to educational resources and knowledge from anywhere in the world thanks to virtual teaching platforms, massive open online courses (MOOCs), digital libraries and other technological tools that facilitate the exchange of information. information and learning on a global scale.
- Globalization of culture and entertainment It is about the exchange of ideas, values, cultural practices and forms of entertainment through media such as television, cinema, music, entertainment services. streamingvideo games and social networks, which promotes the creation of virtual communities with shared cultural interests and a growing trend towards a global culture.
See also: Types of globalization
Advantages of technological globalization
Some advantages of technological globalization are the following:
- Promotes transnational technological exchange which allows less developed countries to more easily access the technological innovations of more developed countries and favors new inventions and a certain technological standardization.
- Streamlines communication, transportation and transactions globally especially through ICT and the development of the digital economy, which makes the processes linked to economic, political, social and cultural globalization more efficient.
- Offers new job and educational opportunities mainly through remote work, the monetization of digital content and online education platforms that allow us to overcome national borders.
- Expands access to information and consumption of goods and services which through the expansion of connectivity can cover many social strata in various regions of the world, although access to technology remains unequal.
Disadvantages of technological globalization
Some disadvantages of technological globalization are the following:
- Promotes the digital divide between social groups and countries since people with greater access to ICT are increasingly differentiated from those who lack said technology, either for socioeconomic reasons or because they belong to regions with little development, which increases social inequality.
- Puts people's privacy and data security at risk since personal information circulates through social networks. There are also companies that sell personal data of their clients, and the computer systems of companies and public organizations are often vulnerable to cyberattacks.
- Can lead to job losses since industrial automation makes it possible to replace labor with productive processes that make use of robotics. Also the growing use of artificial intelligence tends to replace human work in some areas of production and services.
- It has a negative impact on the environment especially due to the extraction of natural resources for the manufacture of many components (such as lithium for batteries in electronic devices) and the increase in greenhouse gas emissions due to high production levels and constant energy consumption in communication and transportation.
- Pose a challenge to intellectual property rights since information and artistic creations circulate freely on the Internet, and can give rise to copies without permission or falsifications that generally manage to evade national legislation.
See also: Advantages and disadvantages of globalization
Examples of technological globalization
Some examples of technological globalization are the following:
- Internet and social networks. The global expansion of computer use and the development of the Internet and social networks allow users from different countries around the world to connect with each other and access the same services and information. They also make it easier for people and companies to sell their products and services across national borders.
- mobile telephony. The manufacturing and sale of cell phones around the world, the extension of the infrastructure of mobile phone services and the development of smartphones (smartphones) They streamlined telecommunications and promoted new global habits of consumption, work, education and daily life.
- industrial automation. Global interconnection favored the standardization of production processes, especially through the use in different companies of similar technologies linked to industrial automation and robotics, which increase productivity and reduce costs.
- The digital economy. Digital technology gave rise to new forms of commerce, work and finance that cross borders, such as e-commerce (e-commerce)digital banking applications, virtual wallets, the cryptocurrency market (enabled by technology blockchain) and platforms for buying and selling services.
- Online educational platforms. Connectivity makes possible the development of virtual educational trajectories through online platforms of official institutions or providers that have agreements with universities (such as Coursera). In this way, students from different parts of the world can attend distance courses and careers and use the same technological tools from computers, mobile phones or other electronic devices.
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References
- Archibugi, D and Michie, J. (1995). The Globalization of Technology: A New Taxonomy. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 19(1), 121-140. https://www.researchgate.net/
- Hashemi-Pour, C and Lutkevich, B. (2023). Globalization. TechTarget. https://www.techtarget.com/
- Lechner, F.J. (2009). Globalization. The Making of World Society. Wiley-Blackwell.
- Osterhammel, J and Petersson, N. (2019). Brief history of globalization. From 1500 to the present day. 21st century.
- Steger, M. B. (2020). Globalization. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
