Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457): Topic: Technology, industry and innovation – Study Guide

This guide follows the Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457) syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, Version 2 (published April 2025). It uses “Technology, industry and innovation”, one of the topics in the topic list in section 3, to practise the skills in section 2 (assessment objectives) and section 4 (details of the assessment). The syllabus says the topic list is for all three components: Component 1 Written Exam, Component 2 Individual Report and Component 3 Team Project.

Read this first. The syllabus states that “knowledge of content is not assessed in this syllabus”. You will not gain marks for knowing facts about factories, patents or new inventions. This page shows you how to use the topic to practise the assessed skills: research, analysis and evaluation (AO1), reflection (AO2), and communication and collaboration (AO3).

Use it with the Technology, industry and innovation revision notes and the practice questions. The 0457 course hub and the 0457 checklist show how the whole course fits together.

Coverage table

Syllabus reference	What you must be able to do (from the document)	Where assessed
Section 2, AO1 Research, analysis and evaluation	Identify and analyse issues, arguments and perspectives; analyse and evaluate evidence, reasoning and sources; develop a line of reasoning	Components 1, 2 and 3
Section 2, AO2 Reflection	Consider different perspectives objectively and with empathy; justify a personal perspective with evidence and reasoning	Components 2 and 3
Section 2, AO3 Communication and collaboration	Present arguments, evidence and perspectives clearly and with structure; include citations and references; contribute to the Team Project	Components 2 and 3
Section 3, topic list and key terms	Explore issues within a chosen topic; use the meanings of issue, perspective, research, evidence and argument	All components
Section 4, Component 1	Analyse sources; evaluate research or evidence and suggest how to test a claim; evaluate arguments; assess actions. Understand bias, claim, fact, generalisation, opinion, prediction, value and vested interest	Written Exam, 1 hour 25 minutes, 70 marks
Section 4, Component 2	Research a global issue that divides opinion; local and/or national and global perspectives; causes and consequences; propose one course of action; evaluate sources	Individual Report, 1500-2000 words, 60 marks
Section 4, Component 3	Identify a local issue; research different perspectives; plan, carry out and measure an action; reflect	Team Project, 70 marks

Issues at global, national and local level

The syllabus defines an issue as “an important subject or problem for discussion”. This topic is about how new ideas are invented, made into products, spread and controlled, and about what industry does to places and people.

• Global: who can use new medicines and technologies when they are protected by patents; whether poorer countries can build their own industries; products designed to be replaced rather than repaired.
• National: whether governments should pay subsidies to attract high-technology factories; how to balance new industry against pollution; how to fund research.
• Local: a planned factory, data centre or industrial estate near a town; a workshop closing; whether a new technology (such as delivery drones) reaches rural areas.

Key terms you will meet in sources

• Invention: a new idea, device or process.
• Innovation: putting a new idea into use so that it changes how things are made or done.
• Patent: a legal right that lets an inventor stop others using an invention for a set period.
• Intellectual property (IP): legal rights over creations of the mind, such as patents and copyright.
• Industrialisation: a shift from farming towards manufacturing and industry.
• Research and development (R&D): spending on discovering and testing new products or processes.
• Technology transfer: sharing technology or know-how between firms or countries.
• Subsidy: money from government to lower a firm’s costs or encourage an activity.
• Planned obsolescence: a claim that products are designed to stop working or go out of date early.

A real example at the global level. In October 2020, India and South Africa proposed at the World Trade Organization (WTO) that some intellectual property rules be waived for COVID-19 products. In June 2022 the WTO’s Ministerial Conference agreed a narrower decision, covering COVID-19 vaccines. It lets eligible members authorise production of a patented vaccine without the patent holder’s consent, for five years.

Evaluation. This shows an issue that clearly divides opinion, which the Individual Report requires. Supporters of a waiver argued that patents slowed supply to poorer countries. Many pharmaceutical firms and some high-income governments argued that patents pay for research, and that factories, materials and skills, not patents, limited supply. Some campaign groups said the final decision was too narrow. You are not marked on knowing this. You are marked on explaining why each side holds its view.

Worked paragraph (analysing the level of an issue). “The source shows that the planned battery factory in the fictional town of Arnholt is a local issue, because residents are arguing about its water use. It is also national, as the government is offering a grant to attract it. It links to a global issue, the growth of electric vehicles. This matters because the town council can set conditions on water, but it cannot change world demand for batteries, so local actions can only shape how the factory operates, not whether such factories are built somewhere.”

Perspectives: who thinks what, and why

The syllabus defines a perspective as “a viewpoint on an issue based on evidence and reasoning”. The Individual Report asks you to show that you understand why people hold their perspectives.

Group	Likely view	Why
Inventors and companies	Protect ideas; keep costs low	They pay for R&D and need a return
Governments	Attract industry, jobs and tax; stay competitive	They answer to voters and plan the economy
Workers	Secure, well-paid jobs; safe workplaces	Their income depends on it
Residents near industry	Jobs, but also clean air, water and quiet	They live with the effects
Consumers	Cheap, reliable, repairable products	They pay and use the products
Environmental groups	Limits on pollution and waste	Their aim is to protect ecosystems
Lower-income countries	Access to technology and a share of industry	They want development, not only imports

A real example at the national level. The United States CHIPS and Science Act was signed on 9 August 2022. It provides $52.7 billion for research, development, manufacturing and workforce training for computer chips (semiconductors) in the US. Supporters argued it would create jobs and reduce reliance on chips made abroad. Critics argued that it gives taxpayers’ money to profitable companies and that the money might be better spent elsewhere.

Evaluation. Both sides make predictions: about future jobs, and about future security. Neither can be proved yet. Notice the values involved: security and self-reliance on one side; fairness to taxpayers and free competition on the other. When perspectives rest on different values, more data alone may not settle the disagreement.

Worked paragraph (explaining why perspectives differ). “The young resident in the source supports the factory because it offers skilled jobs close to home, while the farmer opposes it because he relies on the same river for irrigation. Their perspectives differ because each carries a different risk: the young resident risks having to move away for work, while the farmer risks a poorer harvest. Both views are reasonable, which suggests that a condition limiting water use in dry months may gain wider support than either full approval or rejection.”

Causes and consequences

The Individual Report must analyse “the reasons for conflict or disagreement/causes of problems and the consequences/impacts of the issue”. A chain helps you show links, not just a list.

Example chain: why a region struggles to attract new industry.

1. Cause: few workers with technical training.
2. Cause: weak roads, power or internet.
3. Consequence (local): young people leave to find skilled work.
4. Consequence (national): the country imports goods it could make, and earns less tax.
5. Consequence (global): new industry gathers in a small number of places, widening gaps between regions.

A real example of innovation meeting a local problem. On 14 October 2016, Rwanda launched a national drone delivery service with the company Zipline, supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the UPS Foundation. It began by flying blood to hospitals and clinics in the west of the country. The cause it tackled was slow road delivery to remote clinics.

Evaluation. Early reports came from the company and its partners, who have a vested interest in showing success. Strong evidence would come from independent comparisons of delivery times and patient outcomes before and after. Also ask whether the model would transfer to a country with different geography, funding or regulations.

Analysis tip. Separate intended from unintended consequences. A new factory is intended to create jobs; an unintended result may be higher house prices that push out existing residents. Present such effects as possible, not certain, unless a source gives evidence.

Judging sources and evidence

For Component 1, the syllabus says you will benefit from understanding bias, claim, fact, generalisation, opinion, prediction, value and vested interest, and should be able to “analyse and evaluate use of evidence and language”.

Term	Technology and industry example
Claim	“Patents encourage invention.”
Fact	“The factory opened in March.” (checkable)
Opinion	“Electric cars are the most exciting invention of our time.”
Generalisation	“Older people never accept new technology.”
Prediction	“The plant will create 1,200 jobs.”
Value	Progress, safety, fairness, self-reliance
Vested interest	A phone maker funding research that says repair is unsafe
Bias	A report on a new factory that quotes only supporters

Language to watch. Words such as “revolutionary”, “game-changing” and “future-proof” are persuasive, not evidence. Ask what data sits behind them.

Worked paragraph (evaluating evidence, fictional data). “The fictional region of Talen claims its innovation grants work, because 45 of the 60 start-ups it funded (75%) were still trading after three years, compared with 50% nationally. This seems strong, but the grant panel chose the firms it thought most promising, so they may have survived anyway. The source does not say who carried out the study. A fairer test would compare funded firms with similar firms that applied but just missed out.”

Notice the steps: state the evidence, interpret it, find the weakness, suggest a better test. Component 1 Question 2 asks you to “evaluate the research or evidence and suggest ways to research or test a claim”.

Courses of action and their effects

The Written Exam asks you to “assess actions in response to the global issue”. The Individual Report must consider several courses of action and propose one, explaining how it would be implemented and what its impact would be. Judge each action against clear criteria: does it tackle a cause; is it feasible; who gains and who loses; is it sustainable; is there evidence it has worked?

Action	Possible benefit	Possible drawback
Voluntary licensing of patents	Wider production without changing the law	Depends on companies agreeing
Government subsidies for new industry	Jobs and new skills	Costly; may support firms that would have come anyway
Conditions on new factories (water, emissions)	Gains jobs while limiting harm	Firm may choose another location
Right-to-repair rules	Products last longer; less waste	Costs for manufacturers may raise prices
Public funding for research	Benefits shared widely	Results are slow and uncertain
Training schemes with local colleges	Tackles the skills cause	Takes years to show results

A real example of a course of action. The European Union adopted a right-to-repair directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1799) on 13 June 2024. Member states must apply it by 31 July 2026. It requires manufacturers to offer repair for certain products. Supporters say it will cut waste and save consumers money. Some manufacturers have raised concerns about cost and safety. Because it is new, evidence on its effects is still limited.

Worked paragraph. “The best action for Arnholt is to approve the factory only with a binding limit on water use in dry months. It tackles the main cause of opposition in the sources, competition for river water, while keeping most of the jobs. It is feasible because the company itself says recycling could cut water use. Its weakness is enforcement: the council would need independent monitoring, or the limit may not be kept.”

Individual Report ideas

The syllabus asks for a global issue “that divides opinion”, a question you devise yourself, local and/or national and global perspectives, and one proposed course of action. Possible questions to adapt (not copy):

• Should patents on life-saving medicines be relaxed in emergencies?
• Should governments pay subsidies to attract high-technology factories?
• Should manufacturers be required to make products repairable?
• Should countries limit heavy industry to protect the environment, even if it costs jobs?

Test each idea: can you find sources at two levels, and clearly different perspectives? See the Individual Report guide and Individual Report practice.

Team Project ideas

The Team Project needs a local issue and an action you can carry out and measure.

• Issue: broken electronics at school are thrown away. Action: run a repair session with volunteers. The first Repair Café was held in Amsterdam on 18 October 2009, organised by Martine Postma, and the idea has since spread. Measure: number of items repaired, and weight kept out of the bin.
• Issue: students know little about local industry careers. Action: a visit or talk with three local firms. Measure: a before-and-after survey.

Each team member researches a different perspective, such as students, a local business and the council. Your teacher will confirm what is feasible in your school. More help: Team Project guide and Team Project revision notes.

Common errors

• Describing how a technology works instead of analysing the issue it raises. Prior knowledge is not assessed in Component 1.
• Treating a company’s job forecast as a fact.
• Saying a source is “biased” without naming the vested interest or the loaded words.
• Assuming new technology is always good, or always harmful. Show who gains and who loses.
• Confusing invention with innovation.
• Listing perspectives without explaining why each group holds its view.
• Proposing several actions in the Individual Report rather than choosing one and explaining how it would be implemented.
• A Team Project action with no way to measure success.

Where to go next

• Revision notes and practice questions for this topic
• Written Exam guide and Global Perspectives revision notes
• Related topics: Employment, Digital world and Globalisation
• 0457 course hub and 0457 checklist

Official syllabus

This guide is based on the Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457) syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, Version 2 (published April 2025), sections 2, 3 and 4. Check the syllabus and your teacher’s guidance for current requirements.