E.F. Schumacher first came up with the concept of an intermediate technology that sits between the too-basic and the too-complicated, between the hoe and the tractor, between the sickle and the combine harvester. He defined such intermediate technology as: - simple - local people can maintain and, ideally, build it themselves, using their own skills and resources - small - that is, it does not require levels of energy, materials or a market on a scale greater than the community can supply. - accessible - that is, affordable: it does not burden the community with debt. - non-violent - in three senses: It does not make bigger demands (in terms of raw materials or pollution) than the local environment can support. It does not come at the cost of people’s mental and physical health). And it does not start a sequence of damage and repair, with clean-up commitments, repairs and costs extending into the future. It is technology that is appropriate for local needs. David Fleming suggested that "appropriate technology" might be a better term for this, as the context will determine what scale of technology should be used. Not all situations will demand an intermediate technology. A great example of the important of appropriate technology from recent times is this story about baby incubators being sold to the developing world: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/health/16incubators.html --- Source: https://leanlogic.online/glossary/appropriate-technology/