Classification
①Material form technology and knowledge form technology. Material form technology refers to production tools, machines, equipment, etc.; knowledge form technology, including craftsmanship, design, information, ability, and skills.
②Different levels of technology. From the perspective of the level of production technology, according to the world-recognized standards at the time, technology is divided into three levels: advanced technology, medium technology, and backward technology. In advanced technology, the most advanced part can be delineated and called cutting-edge technology; in backward technology, the most backward part can be delineated and called primitive technology, thus forming cutting-edge technology, advanced technology, intermediate technology, and elementary technology. Five levels of technology and original technology.
③Different types of technology. For example, it can be divided into labor-intensive technology, capital-intensive technology and knowledge-intensive technology, energy-intensive technology and non-energy-intensive technology, pollution technology and non-polluting technology, etc.
④According to different conditions, it can be divided into applicable technology and non-applicable technology. The technical structure is a collection composed of different levels and different types of technologies. To look at the state of a country's technological structure, we mainly examine it from the perspective of whether it is advanced or not. In general, a technological structure with a higher proportion of advanced technologies can bring higher economic benefits and promote faster economic growth.
Formation
In a certain period of time, in different countries or in different departments, regions and enterprises in the same country, the combination and proportion of various technologies are different. The technological structure and the development of productive forces have a close mutual restriction and mutual promotion relationship. On the one hand, the level of productivity development is a decisive factor in the formation and development of technological structure; on the other hand, the condition of technological structure has a great influence on the development of productivity. In the economically developed countries, cutting-edge technology and advanced technology account for a large proportion, and primary technology and original technology account for a small or even no proportion; most of the emerging industrial sectors of the country are also like this, which can be called advanced technological structure. In developing countries, primary technology and original technology account for a large proportion, and advanced technology, especially cutting-edge technology, accounts for a small or even no proportion. The agricultural sector in general countries is also mostly like this. This can be called a backward technological structure. The technical structure of a country is determined by the materials, funds, and talents provided by the country’s existing economic, scientific, educational, and cultural levels, as well as the needs for further social and economic development.