Starting from the recent blackout in Spain and Portugal, the issue of technological dependence and the growing vulnerability of countries and communities to international crises, trade wars, and geopolitical tensions comes to the fore. Everyday modern life, from mobile phones to agricultural production and pharmaceuticals, relies on complex technological chains that often cannot be produced, repaired, or adapted locally.
Within this context, Vasilis Kostakis, Professor of Technology Governance and Sustainability and a researcher actively involved in energy, research, and community-based production initiatives, raises the question of which kind of technology can offer real resilience and autonomy. The dominance of the discussion around artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies often obscures their costs, both in terms of materials and energy, as well as their social and environmental impacts, which are frequently shifted onto other parts of the world.
In contrast to the dichotomy between the uncritical adoption of high technology and a complete return to traditional solutions, the concept of “technology of moderation” is proposed. This approach combines modern and traditional forms of knowledge, emphasizing appropriateness, adaptability, and sustainability. Examples of this logic can be found in initiatives of open design and local production, ranging from open-source space technology and resilient prosthetic limbs to agricultural tools adapted to small-scale farmers and small-scale renewable energy systems.
The technology of moderation is grounded in the decentralization of production, the dissemination of knowledge through open design, and the participation of local communities in decision-making. In an international environment where access to raw materials and energy is increasingly constrained,
and where technological products become increasingly uncertain, this approach is presented as a realistic pathway toward greater self-sufficiency and resilience, without rejecting innovation, but by redefining its role.
The full text by Vasilis Kostakis is available at News247.