How technology consultants assess the graphene and 3D printing hype

Abstract

The hype-cycle is a phenomenon that is recurrently observed and spoken about in the context of emerging technologies. It is characterized by a wave of over-enthusiasm followed by a phase of disappointment, when promises are not met, and a later stage characterized by stabilization and maturity of the technology. A specific type of intermediary actor that has grown in relevance in recent years, known as technology consultants, plays an important role in assessing, deploying and making the "hype" visible within an innovation community. In this paper I study how technology consultants assess "the hype" for the case of two emerging technologies: graphene and 3D printing. We describe three different forms in which the hype is assessed: via technical expertise, as a social dynamic, and through social interaction. Each of these forms is a different way of arranging technologies, expectations, and actors, attributing different forms of agency to the innovation process. These three forms of "the hype" coexist as part of the activities of technology consultants and are used in different contexts. They allow consultants to maneuver and find a niche for their services in different contexts, while at the same time contributing to the co-production of an emergent field.