Technology and environment by Christian Manrique
Transition times can become harsh, especially those during our recent economic history that have come along with severe financial crisis. Notwithstanding, moments of change can also be perfect for sowing the seeds of future opportunities.
It would be very easy to fall into the well extended cliché, quite true, that in every crisis there is opportunity. So, in accordance to this statement, it should not be the point just to have an analytical reaction. And, nonetheless, it should not be the point to adopt desiderating or extremely optimistic points of view.
Transition times are, above all, moments for planning. Only like this a balanced success can be built on a solid foundation, going deep into understanding issues, having a holistic vision and assuming that not stepping out of the comfort zone is the real risky situation.
Future cannot be foreseen, but planning in advance can be of great help to configure it. Planning how to step out of the comfort zone must be, indeed, the main task in uncertain times.
Under this assumption the debate, very present but not too developed, about changing the production model can be tackled. But it must be done in a way to go beyond simple traditional infrastructures.
This does not mean that they are irrelevant (for developing countries as well as developed countries), but that they must be created under technological and environmental new criteria.
Four fundamental premises
- Currently no country can plan its profitable method without having on account world context.
- It is about being strong for the next 10 coming years and not just how to be strong just today. It is about looking forward (potential capability) rather than looking at what it’s being done (real capability).
- An efficient profitable method must count on citizenship expectations, resource potentiality, political will, enterprises’ stamina and environmental sustainability, as well as technology.
- Benefits must be widespread, integral, transversal and able to involve economic viability, financial sustainability, social advantages and environmental improvements.
Common space for a world scale production model
Without giving up specialization in different geographical zones (regional areas, international trade routes and consuming centers), establishing a meeting point for departure it has become determinant. It must also facilitate synergies among these zones and it must allow, as well, the establishment of a pattern for social and economic global growth.
This common space is, nowadays, the place where technology, energy and environment live together, whereas specialization by geographical zones must be settled under the following criteria:
-Needs for social and economic intra-area development.
-Empowering the sustainable profitable use of resources.
-Legal, political and institutional context.
-Competitive advantages within the international context (inter-area).
The competitive core of each area could be defined from the analysis of these four variables (always in terms of economic, financial, social and environmental sustainability).
In further posts I will refer to the four potential opportunities that can be promoted, in accordance with every country’s strategic planning.