Innovate or Die

Mario Pansera

Technological development is often regarded as a natural product of human ingenuity that should never be halted or steered. But innovation can also compound social and environmental impacts. Can degrowth redirect technology towards inclusive, environmentally conscious transformation? 

The idea that innovation is key to economic growth is deeply rooted in our society. The number of annual patents a country produces is often assumed to reflect its wealth. It is expected, meanwhile, that successful companies will promote a culture of constant innovation in order to survive in a highly competitive market. Innovation is also associated with a range of positive qualities: creativity, autonomy, flexibility, adaptability, and resilience. 

But this exclusively positive framing of technology ignores that innovation, besides improving quality of life, can reinforce existing structures of power and oppression, and compound environmental damage. New narratives are needed to broaden the scope of the concept of innovation. It should be understood not just as a matter of new technologies being developed, but as a process involving cultural and institutional change, as well as a transformation

Science and technical change have already existed in societies that did not pursue economic growth and will continue to exist in future non-growth societies.

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