High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology,[1][failed verification] is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available.[2] It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest technology on the market.[3] The opposite of high tech is low technology, referring to simple, often traditional or mechanical technology; for example, a slide rule is a low-tech calculating device.[4][5][6] When high tech becomes old, it becomes low tech, for example vacuum tube electronics. Further, high tech is related to the concept of mid-tech, that is a balance between the two opposite extreme qualities of low-tech and high-tech. Mid-tech could be understood as an inclusive middle that combines the efficiency and versatility of digital/automated technology with low-tech's potential for autonomy and resilience.[7]
Startups working on high technologies (or developing new high technologies) are sometimes referred to as deep tech; the term may also refer to disruptive innovations or those based on scientific discoveries.[8]
High-tech, as opposed to high-touch, may refer to self-service experiences that do not require human interaction.[9]
History
The phrase was used in a 1958 The New York Times story advocating "atomic energy" for Europe: "... Western Europe, with its dense population and its high technology ...."[10] Robert Metz used the term in a financial column in 1969, saying Arthur H. Collins of Collins Radio "controls a score of high technology patents in a variety of fields"[11] and in a 1971 article used the abbreviated form, "high tech".[12]
A widely used classification of high-technological manufacturing industries was provided by the OECD in 2006.[13] It is based on the intensity of research and development activities used in these industries within OECD countries, resulting in four distinct categories.[14]
List of countries by high tech exports
The following is a list of the 15 largest exporting countries of high tech products by value in thousands of United States dollars, according to the World Bank:[15]
| # | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | 942,314,815.52 | 2021 |
| 2 |  Hong Kong | 431,628,771.88 | 2021 |
| 3 |  Germany | 209,744,317.15 | 2021 |
| 4 |  United States | 169,217,253.98 | 2021 |
| 5 |  South Korea | 163,987,147.75 | 2020 |
| 6 |  Singapore | 159,927,958.42 | 2020 |
| 7 |  Japan | 116,513,861.43 | 2021 |
| 8 |  Malaysia | 108,683,179.4 | 2021 |
| 9 |  Vietnam | 101,534,392.93 | 2020 |
| 10 |  Netherlands | 101,168,437.61 | 2021 |
| 11 |  France | 97,528,027.44 | 2021 |
| 12 |  Mexico | 74,932,493.34 | 2021 |
| 13 |  United Kingdom | 66,699,915.64 | 2021 |
| 14 |  Belgium | 52,227,761.21 | 2021 |
| 15 |  Thailand | 45,837,990.48 | 2020 |
See also
- Electronics
- Electronics industry
- Photonics industry
- Nuclear technology
- Quantum technology
- Intermediate technology – sometimes used to mean technology between low and high technology
- Industrial design
- List of emerging technologies
- Semiconductor industry
- Big Tech
- Innovation