High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, [1][ failed verification] is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. [2] It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest technology on the market. [3] The opposite of high tech is low technology, referring to simple, often traditional or mechanical technology; for example, a slide rule is a low-tech calculating device. [4] [5] [6] When high tech becomes old, it becomes low tech, for example vacuum tube electronics. Further, high tech is related to the concept of mid-tech, that is a balance between the two opposite extreme qualities of low-tech and high-tech. Mid-tech could be understood as an inclusive middle that combines the efficiency and versatility of digital/automated technology with low-tech's potential for autonomy and resilience. [7]
Startups working on high technologies (or developing new high technologies) are sometimes referred to as deep tech; the term may also refer to disruptive innovations or those based on scientific discoveries. [8]
High-tech, as opposed to high-touch, may refer to self-service experiences that do not require human interaction. [9]
The phrase was used in a 1958 The New York Times story advocating " atomic energy" for Europe: "... Western Europe, with its dense population and its high technology ...." [10] Robert Metz used the term in a financial column in 1969, saying Arthur H. Collins of Collins Radio "controls a score of high technology patents in a variety of fields" [11] and in a 1971 article used the abbreviated form, "high tech". [12]
A widely used classification of high-technological manufacturing industries was provided by the OECD in 2006. [13] It is based on the intensity of research and development activities used in these industries within OECD countries, resulting in four distinct categories. [14]
The following is a list of the 15 largest exporting countries of high tech products by value in thousands of United States dollars, according to the World Bank: [15]
# | Country | Value | Year |
---|---|---|---|
1 | China | 942,314,815.52 | 2021 |
2 | Hong Kong | 431,628,771.88 | 2021 |
3 | Germany | 209,744,317.15 | 2021 |
4 | United States | 169,217,253.98 | 2021 |
5 | South Korea | 163,987,147.75 | 2020 |
6 | Singapore | 159,927,958.42 | 2020 |
7 | Japan | 116,513,861.43 | 2021 |
8 | Malaysia | 108,683,179.4 | 2021 |
9 | Vietnam | 101,534,392.93 | 2020 |
10 | Netherlands | 101,168,437.61 | 2021 |
11 | France | 97,528,027.44 | 2021 |
12 | Mexico | 74,932,493.34 | 2021 |
13 | United Kingdom | 66,699,915.64 | 2021 |
14 | Belgium | 52,227,761.21 | 2021 |
15 | Thailand | 45,837,990.48 | 2020 |
High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, [1][ failed verification] is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. [2] It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest technology on the market. [3] The opposite of high tech is low technology, referring to simple, often traditional or mechanical technology; for example, a slide rule is a low-tech calculating device. [4] [5] [6] When high tech becomes old, it becomes low tech, for example vacuum tube electronics. Further, high tech is related to the concept of mid-tech, that is a balance between the two opposite extreme qualities of low-tech and high-tech. Mid-tech could be understood as an inclusive middle that combines the efficiency and versatility of digital/automated technology with low-tech's potential for autonomy and resilience. [7]
Startups working on high technologies (or developing new high technologies) are sometimes referred to as deep tech; the term may also refer to disruptive innovations or those based on scientific discoveries. [8]
High-tech, as opposed to high-touch, may refer to self-service experiences that do not require human interaction. [9]
The phrase was used in a 1958 The New York Times story advocating " atomic energy" for Europe: "... Western Europe, with its dense population and its high technology ...." [10] Robert Metz used the term in a financial column in 1969, saying Arthur H. Collins of Collins Radio "controls a score of high technology patents in a variety of fields" [11] and in a 1971 article used the abbreviated form, "high tech". [12]
A widely used classification of high-technological manufacturing industries was provided by the OECD in 2006. [13] It is based on the intensity of research and development activities used in these industries within OECD countries, resulting in four distinct categories. [14]
The following is a list of the 15 largest exporting countries of high tech products by value in thousands of United States dollars, according to the World Bank: [15]
# | Country | Value | Year |
---|---|---|---|
1 | China | 942,314,815.52 | 2021 |
2 | Hong Kong | 431,628,771.88 | 2021 |
3 | Germany | 209,744,317.15 | 2021 |
4 | United States | 169,217,253.98 | 2021 |
5 | South Korea | 163,987,147.75 | 2020 |
6 | Singapore | 159,927,958.42 | 2020 |
7 | Japan | 116,513,861.43 | 2021 |
8 | Malaysia | 108,683,179.4 | 2021 |
9 | Vietnam | 101,534,392.93 | 2020 |
10 | Netherlands | 101,168,437.61 | 2021 |
11 | France | 97,528,027.44 | 2021 |
12 | Mexico | 74,932,493.34 | 2021 |
13 | United Kingdom | 66,699,915.64 | 2021 |
14 | Belgium | 52,227,761.21 | 2021 |
15 | Thailand | 45,837,990.48 | 2020 |