In a world of limited resources, the future is low-tech...

Semiconductors for electric vehicles have been in short supply since 2020. The causes are multiple, including water shortages in producing countries and increasingly high-tech models in Europe. Could this be the opportunity to rethink our reliance on these technologies? Indeed, we are facing a paradox. In response to the ecological crisis, we tend to favour high-tech solutions, even though they increase the pressure on living environments, take a long time to implement, and are often produced in poor working conditions. In a world of limited resources, it is therefore appropriate to question our view of technology as the go-to-solution to environmental challenges. So-called appropriate technologies are those that are less complex, consume fewer resources, and have the least possible negative impact at a human and environmental level. They are one avenue of technical frugality to explore. This approach is becoming increasingly credible, with the emergence of a structured ecosystem in France and its inclusion in one of the government’s plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. A technological change but also a human one In a study we conducted among experts in France, we propose to...