TECHNOLOGICAL

TRANSFORMATIONS
AND LONG WAVES

IBH PRESENTATION-GROUP-3 SEC-A





INTRODUCTION
Wave starts with an innovative phase (a
technological revolution), continued with an
application phase (a boom) and terminated with a
crisis

Chain of innovations :As soon as an innovation (or
a chain of innovations)becomes available
however, it becomes more efficient to invest in its
adoption, extension and use than in creating new
innovations. This continues until the one-time
innovation becomes a fact of everyday life
Technological trajectory



One or more technological breakthroughs


Application ,Improvements ,Refinements and spin
offs(Determined by available state of knowledge and
feedback)


Period of widespread adoption and diffusion
1
ST
WAVE(1785-1845).

The beginning of the industrial revolution was
mainly focusing on simple commodities such as
clothes and tools.
The conventional maritime technology relying on sail
ships was perfected, supporting the creation large
colonial/trading empires, mainly by Great Britain,
France, the Netherlands, and Spain. Significant
inland waterway systems were also constructed..

Leaned sectors of innovations such as :
cotton, textiles and iron, steam power

BOTTLENECKS:
Scarcity of mechanical power
Scarcity of clean fuel
Limited availability and high price of charcoal

BREAKTHROUGHS:
Substitution of coke-need of high smelting temperatures
Use of wrought iron (Initiated by Henry Cort - Puddling rolling
process)
James watts steam engine
Crucible steel process
Development of cotton weaving industry involving
mechanization and the factory system
OVERALL CONTRIBUTIONS:
Corts puddlingrolling process-removed constraint on energy
availability
Mechanization of cotton spinning - labour saving, responding to falling
consumer prices
Application of steam power-reduced to draining coal mines
Major inventions were John Kays Flying Shuttle, James
Hargreaves's Spinning Jenny and Cromptons mule.

Part time weavers to full time weavers,
New specializations-complexity-household operations were difficult
Machine tools made of wood-requirement of rigid frames and metal
cutting tools

2
nd
WAVE (1825-1870).

Involved the massive application of coal as a source of energy,
mainly through the steam engine.
This induced the development of rail transport systems,
opening new markets and giving access to a wider array of
resources. RAILROADIZATION -1
st
BREAKTHROUGH
The steamship had a similar impact for maritime transportation
and permitted expanded commercial opportunities in global
trade
Connected coal mines to ports
Reductions in delivery time
Development of gaslight industry-2
nd
BREAKTHROUGH

RAILROADIZATION
Development of steam powered rail transport-impetus from
mechanization of cotton-textile industry(1
st
wave)
Problems and Solutions in development of rails:
Smooth steel wheel s l acked adhesi on
- Introducti on of bogi es(Wi l l i am Chapman)
Tendency of bri ttl e cast i ron to break
-Use of wrought i ron on rai l s
Rai l ways devel oped as a l arge scal e i ndustry
Demand of i ron and coal i ncreased Increase i n
pri ces Strai n on i ndustry
-Introducti on of Bl ast furnace(James Ni el son) for i ron
smel ti ng reducti on i n fuel consumpti on ,i ncreased
output
RAILWAY BOOM
Large-scale industry-huge investments-Attracted huge
capital
Railway buildings and lines were established that
reduced transportation time ease public traffic
Impetus to telegraph system-Communication enhanced
with the use of laid lines of railways

GASLIGHT INDUSTRY
Gasification of coal by heating
Coal gas was used for illumination (George Dixon)

Problems and Solutions:
Inefficient process to gasify coal
Presence of tar and other sulfurous impurities
-Introduction of Crude gas purification process(Samuel Clegg)
Inefficiency in retorting process-solid residue(coke) wasted
-introduction of water Gas process (A.F Selligue)
Distribution ,inefficient burners, etc problems remained and
were gradually overcome.
OVERALL CONTRIBUTIONS

Business in manufacturing industry increased-
technology utilization by wide variety of
customers
Key innovations were labor and capital
saving,but not in terms of resource saving
Diffusion of technology was in manufacturing
sector but relatively less in other sectors.
Pace of technological developments was not in
pace with demands

3
RD
WAVE (1870-1890).
Observed in two phases
Characterized in 5 distinct leading sectors
First phase- Steel and Petroleum industries
Second phase- Electric light and power, telephones and
automobiles.
Time displacement gap of 20 years between the two phases
Reasons:-
Highly developed steel industry prerequisite for both electric
power industry and auto industry.
And also sophisticated petroleum industry was a prerequisite for
autos.

1
st
Phase
STEEL INDUSTRY:
Boom after 1870s in the United States
Direct consequence of introduction of Kelly-Bessemer process
and Siemens-Martin process.
Conversion of molten pig iron to mild (low carbon) steel by
blowing air through it.

COAL AND TAR CHEMISTRY:
Research based industry-opportunities in coal tar(by product of
gaslight industry) identified by Germans
Introduction of aniline based dyes
Development of Contact Process(manufacture of sulfuric acid)
Synthesis of ammonia , indigo by BASF
Introduction of Haber-Bosch Process ,fertilizers
PETROLEUM INDUSTRY:

Commercial production began in 1857 in Rumania.
This industry arose because of-
the shortcomings of gaslight industry, where a central gas
distribution system was necessary.
Benjamin Sillimans work on Fractional Distillation of petroleum.
Rising price of liquid fuels such as kerosene and whale oil for
illumination.
The growth of industry was very rapid and major product was
illuminating oil
SEWING MACHINES:
Natural follow-up to cotton spinning and cotton-weaving
technologies.
Economies of scale in garment making not as great as that in
textile production.
Isaac Singer manufactured the most successful machine in
1851.

BICYCLES:
Invented towards the end of 19th century.
Vital prerequisite for of the automobile and aero plane.
Dunlop manufactured automobile tires.
Major automobile companies- Peugeot, Opel, Rover etc. began
as bicycle manufacturers.

BREAKTHROUGHS:

Internal combustion engine
Commercialization of dc electric generation
Invention of dc dynamo
Telephone


INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE:
Out growth of the gaslight industry.
Driving force behind this innovation- need for more
compact and efficient prime movers
Nikolaus Ottos high-compression engine served as
foundation
Enormous technical possibilities of compression
engines emerged
Commercialization of diesel engine in 1898

2
nd
Phase

ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER
Inventions:
-DC Dynamo, Arc lamp , Incandescent light.
Foundation- Michael Faradays discovery of electromagnetic
induction in 1831.
Europeans were the major contributors Woolrich, Hale
Holmes, Gramme.
1877- Edisons discovery of incandescent lamp -Began the fall
of gaslight industry.
Popular applications of DC power- electric streetcar (trolley),
trams, urban transit systems.
1890s Recession in electric industry Rapid growth in
electrification of factories and households thereafter

TELEPHONES:
Invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.
Precursor of the telephones- telegraph
Dependent on availability of inexpensive, reliable electric power.
Followed by creation of business enterprise.

AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY:
Convergence/fusion of many inventions
Preconditions- adequate engine, fuel, suspension, chassis etc.
Contributors- Daimler and Maybach (high speed spark-ignition
gasoline engine)-available due to growing oil industry
Henry Ford (Assembly line 1913-16)

OVERALL CONTRIBUTION:
Electrification was a major economic change as it permitted the usage of a
variety of machines and appliances and permitted the development of urban
transit systems (subways and tramways).
Another significant improvement was the internal combustion engine,
around which the whole automotive industry was created and expanded the
mobility of passengers and freight.
The developments and innovations offered new services to consumers,
either directly or indirectly(improves quality of life of costumers)
Technology was:
-Service oriented
-Labour saving
-Energy conservation
However, penetration was lower and increased in next wave
Major political change:
Institutionalization of R&D, large scale participation of government to finance
it



4
TH
WAVE (1930-1950).
Speed up of innovations as compared to 3
rd
wave This wave
encounters coordination of the existing sectors
The post World War II period represented significant industrial
changes with new materials such as plastics (petrochemicals)
and new sectors such electronics (television).
The jet engine expanded the aviation industry towards the mass
market and mobility could be realized nationally and globally.

BREAKTHROUGHS:
Television
Semiconductors
Computer

KEY INVENTIONS AND
DISCOVERIES
Majority of inventions and new products were introduced
Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals: synthetic drugs, detergents,
synthetic rubber and gasoline ,DDT(Zeilder) ,dyes ,sulfa drugs
Polymers: plastics, nylon, tungsten ,polyesters ,etc.
Introduction of fractional distillation ,thermal cracking
process(william burton)
Radio and Television :vacuum tube diode-triodes
,radio(marconi), television(quality improvement in radio with
introduction of picture tubes),technology of amplification-
broadcasting circuitry, radar( military purposes)
Solid-state electronics and computers: semiconductors,
digital computers
Aircraft: rockets ,passenger airplanes


OVERALL CONTRIBUTOIN:
Mass production and mass consumption
Development of nuclear energy rocketry
Development of new products meant for consumer utility
that included-T.V, Refrigerators, Drugs , Synthetic fibres
, nylon, plastic ,Aerospace , semiconductors, Telephone
. Computers
The innovations strengthen the existing technologies :
eg plastics for metals
Industries developed during this phase created huge
employment and business opportunities
There existed Information gap for use of
technology(computers)

5
TH
WAVE(1990-)
Slowdown in energy and material intensive
industries
Mass production and standardization approach
declined
More focus on design and use of computers
,software , networks and linkages in computers,
optical fibres etc.
Innovations were not much, focus shifted to meet
rapid growth in telecommunication sector
Neither well defined beginning nor a well defined
end


KEY INNOVATIONS:

MRI
Supercomputers
Introduction of robotics
Hand Held Music players
Biological weapons
Energy Conversion
PROBLEMS:
Data security
Lack of uniform Standards for software systems
Technology Dependent population
Automation replaced labour
Innovation was centred around macroeconomic activities and
wars

CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT
CONCLUSION
As time progressed, the lapse between each wave got shorter.
For instance, the first wave lasted 60 years while the fourth
wave lasted 40 years. This reflects a growing potential for
innovation and the capacity of economic systems to derive
commercial opportunities from an innovation once it has been
adopted.
Innovations are no longer the result of individual efforts, but are
organized and concerted actions whose results are rapidly
diffused. It is thus expected that the fifth wave will last about 30
years.
The technological transformation created changes in society
and economics of the countries and global culture
THANK YOU

BY:
AKSHI CHUGH (IPM2011008)
AMAN SINHA (IPM2011009)
AMANDEEP DAHIYA(IPM2011010)