The Essence and Values of Deep Tech
Advanced innovations such as blockchain, automation and robotics, 3D printing, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, data analytics, quantum computing and high-speed networks have in the past been referred to as “deep tech”.
This definition also includes developments in the life sciences such as genetic modification, nanotechnology and new materials. The term is also used to refer to the category of startup, the complexity of the innovation and the difficulty of the social and ecological challenges that these technologies are attempting to solve.
While these conceptions of Deep Tech are useful in the contexts of innovation and technology investment, there are alternative approaches to understanding deep technologies that include human values, leadership consciousness, systemic thinking and the voice of those communities often missing from the mono-cultural norms of Silicon Valley and the world’s great financial and technology centres.
For me, what is missing in this way of thinking about technology, is the human dimension. For this reason, we developed a new vision of deep technologies that defines Deep Tech as “the development of advanced technologies built from a foundation of universal human values by conscious ecosystems”.
As this vision developed, we began to construct our approach to Deep Tech design through the four pillars of deep impact, deep thinking, deep talent and deep collaboration, three design movements of elevation, scaling and amplification, and the New 4Ps of platforms, purpose, people and planet.
The New 4Ps therefore act as a strategic framework to help leadership teams drive organisation-wide digital and cultural transformation, facilitating the development of more innovative business models and elevated value propositions.
