The use of fossil fuels (oil, gas, etc.) and more generally of natural resources (copper, iron, etc.) has enabled significant economic and social development since the 19th century. This has also caused an acceleration of global warming and deterioration of air quality. In order to cope with this increasingly constrained context, modern society has decided to focus on the development of high-tech (biotechnologies, nanotechnologies and digital technologies).
At the same time, a concept called low-tech is developing and gaining more and more momentum. Low-tech falls under the concept of so-called “frugal” innovation and meets needs by limiting the use of resources, developing repairability and promoting sobriety. They are based on the economy of need and use.
The challenge faced through this issue
In this context, the question of innovation arises and naturally invites us to explore high-tech responses. Could the solution to the energy and ecological transition lie in the sobriety of low-tech? How can we innovate better with a low-tech prism?
What Yélé Consulting believes in
We are convinced that low-tech is an effective source of creativity: development of futuristic applications, capacity for innovation of large groups, creation of SMEs, start-ups, etc.
- Develop existing low-tech: low-tech innovation is already being put into practice as part of the energy transition and ecological transition. IT tools in the network industry do not necessarily migrate to new technologies (datalake, etc.). Old programming languages, with proven cybersecurity, consume less infrastructure and therefore energy. In addition, the development of the usage economy with rental (transport, tools, etc.) or the pooling of electro-intensive equipment (shared household appliances, etc.) is starting to gain momentum.
- Enriching high-tech with low-tech: high-tech and low-tech are complementary in the field of energy/ecological transition. Indeed, network industries, such as energy or water distribution, use increasingly high-tech technologies (SCADA, EMS, smart meters, smartgrids, etc.). In parallel with these innovations, low-tech is increasingly being implemented thanks to energy sobriety: white painting on roofs (reduction in the use of air conditioning), planting of trees, creation of islands of freshness, etc.
- Respond simply to needs: it is not always necessary to develop or deploy a new futuristic technology for a need that is already satisfied (flying car for the need to travel, etc.).
- Simplify technologies: the simplification of an already existing technology in order to respond in the same way to a need that is already satisfied, can bring multiple benefits (for example: the use of deposits for standardized glass bottles at instead of single-use glass bottles, more complex recycling.).
- Innovate humanly and socially: the human and the social play a central role in the development of low-tech innovations, because they allow a questioning of the promotion of high-tech innovation.
What Yélé Consulting offers its clients
Yélé Consulting, a player committed to its clients to accelerate the energy and ecological transition, is convinced of the need to use all available levers in a proportionate, relevant and complementary manner. In order to meet the objectives and needs of our customers, we take into account all solutions and make sure to think “out of the box” to innovate low-tech when the use case is relevant:
- Creation of PoC: creation of PoC subsequently allowing the simplification of a complex operational process originally requiring high-tech technologies.
- Advice in an IS framework: advice in the context of IS projects in the choice of appropriate technologies in order to respond to business challenges. As part of these IS projects, advice on technologies systematically takes into account different parameters: maturity of the technology, efficiency of the technology, environmental and technical parameters such as the use of memory, etc. It should be noted that the technologies recommended are not necessarily the latest emerging technologies and that it is sometimes simple technologies that best meet the need.
- Creation of files for financing windows: animation of the drafting of financing files and promotion of low-tech projects via these files.
- Support for AAPs (calls for projects): framing and implementation of calls for projects in the field of energy concerning innovative, high-tech or low-tech subjects.