One of the most powerful trends impacting business (and society) is the shift towards lightweight technologies.
Smaller, cheaper, easier to use - yet advanced and powerful - lightweight technologies are enabling what economist Tappan Monroe calls "frugal innovation." These are business and technological innovations that provide most (or even more) of the functionality of more advanced solutions, but are much more affordable - both for the producer and consumer.
Lightweight technologies are enabling small businesses, and even individuals, to participate in industries that used to only be available to large corporations. Consider the impact of PC-based desktop publishing on the printing industry. The same thing is happening in almost all industries.
The trend spotting site PSFK has a great example of lightweight technology meeting frugal innovation. It turns out a group of amateurs are building homemade nuclear fusion reactors.
This is not as scary as it sounds. Fusion reactions don't require dangerous nuclear materials like uranium or plutonium. But no doubt the neighbors of these folks are still at least a bit nervous.
Needless to say, it wasn't that long ago that the idea of homemade nuclear fusion devices would not have been taken seriously. And many are skeptical of these DIY efforts.
But lightweight technology is letting them try.
For more on lightweight technology and what it means for small businesses, see this Intuit Future of Small Business Research report.
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