test From innovation to maintenance|Αutomaton: Journal of Digital Media and Culture

From innovation to maintenance Environmental dimensions of technological accumulation

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Published: Sep 15, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/automaton.42672
Keywords:
technological maintenance planned obsolescence technofix sustainability political ecology
Giorgos Velegrakis
History and Philosophy of Science Department, NKUA
Antonis Faras
History and Philosophy of Science Department, NKUA
Abstract

The dominant narrative of technological progress is rooted in the idea of continuous innovation aimed at enhancing productivity and addressing environmental challenges through technological solutions. However, this approach frequently overlooks the environmental impacts of technological development, as well as the political and social dynamics that influence it. This article proposes an alternative perspective, emphasizing the concept of technological maintenance as a counterbalance to the logic of planned obsolescence and technofixes. It underscores the importance of maintaining, repairing, and reusing technology as strategies to reduce raw material extraction, minimize e-waste, and sustain technological infrastructures in an environmentally responsible manner. By prioritizing conservation as an alternative approach, the article suggests fostering a more sustainable relationship with technology, challenging the prevailing narrative of perpetual technological progress. It argues that the transition to a sustainable future is not merely a technical process but a socio-technical transformation, where conservation can serve as a tool for renegotiating power dynamics, resource allocation, and the management of technological infrastructure in the face of an escalating climate crisis.

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