“The best way to predict the future is to invent it,” noted the American computer scientist Alan Kay. As we move deeper into the unfolding Sixth Wave of Technology Innovation, leaders, educators, and innovators alike face an increasingly urgent question: How do we navigate this new terrain in ways that align not only with emerging technologies but also with human talent?

To answer this question, let’s take a closer look at the three driving tech spaces of the Sixth Wave — digital tech, clean/green tech, and human-centered tech — and explore how they map onto the four fundamental bases of TIPS: Theories, Ideas, People, and Systems. What emerges is a colorful cognitive roadmap for innovation and talent development in this new era.

The Digital Tech Space: Conceptual, Geeky, and Cutting-Edge

The world of digital technologies — AI, blockchain, big data, robotics, cloud computing, and the like — is predominantly conceptual in nature. This space thrives on the marriage of logic and imagination, of complex theoretical frameworks with visionary thinking. As such, digital tech sits at the intersection of the Theories base (data-driven, abstract, analytical) and the Ideas base (imaginative, creative, entrepreneurial) on the TIPS map.

This dual influence makes digital tech the natural home ground for profiles such as Theorists, Conceptualizers, and Ideators—cognitive types who enjoy exploring high-level abstract models and using them to spark bold, tech-enabled innovations. If you're wired to build things from code and concepts rather than bricks and steel, this is your playground.

“The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” — Bill Gates

The Clean Tech Space: Experimental, Practical, and Evolving

Clean and green technologies — electric vehicles, renewable energy, sustainable materials, the circular economy — represent a bridge between legacy systems created during the Third and Fourth Wave and future sustainability. Here, we see innovation at work that doesn’t discard the past but evolves it.

Clean tech straddles the Systems base (which governs how existing industries, infrastructure, and logistical ecosystems operate) and the Ideas base (where fresh concepts challenge the status quo and offer ecological upgrades). In the TIPS map, this makes clean tech the domain of experimental innovators and pragmatic fixers — think Experimenters, Organizers, Systematizers, and even Ideators again.

This space requires a blend of hands-on tinkering, systemic understanding, and big-picture thinking. The innovation challenge here is less about moonshots and more about deep retrofitting: how to take what’s already there and make it cleaner, more efficient, and future-proof.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” — Benjamin Franklin

The Human-Centered Tech Space: Purposeful, Empathic, and Transformative

The most meaningful technologies of the Sixth Wave may be those that begin with people in mind. Biotech, health tech, neurotechnology, personalized wellness, and even spiritual or emotional intelligence tools fall into this category. These technologies connect theoretical breakthroughs (often from the sciences) with the human experience.

Human-centered tech emerges at the intersection of the Theories base (cutting-edge discoveries), the People base (empathy, values, and social resonance), and the Ideas base (where innovation begins). On the TIPS map, this creates a dynamic triangle involving Theorists, Coaches, Partners, Promoters, Ideators, and Conceptualizers.

The cognitive demands here are wide-ranging — you need people who can decode DNA as well as decode emotions. Human-centered innovation demands both scientific precision and deep emotional intelligence, visionary thinking and empathic design.

“Technology is best when it brings people together.” — Matt Mullenweg (Founder of WordPress)

Making Sense of the Map: From Technology Spaces to Talent Spaces

What makes this mapping powerful is that it links the external forces of technological evolution with the internal dynamics of human cognition. In a time when AI and automation are set to reshape many industries and roles, understanding where specific technologies and talent profiles intersect allows companies to deploy the right minds in the right spaces.

• Want to build the next AI tool? Look for TIPS profiles anchored in Theories and Ideas.
• Want to lead your company’s sustainability transformation? Engage Systems-based profiles empowered with innovative ideas.
• Want to create the next breakthrough in personalized health or wellbeing? Bring together Theories-driven thinkers, empathy-driven leaders, and idea-powered creators.

At Thinkergy, we believe that true innovation emerges not only when technologies connect — but when talent and technology align. That’s why we developed TIPS not only as a tool for personality profiling, but also as a compass for navigating the evolving innovation economy of the Sixth Wave.

Conclusion: Use TIPS to Place People Where They Naturally Belong

As industries evolve, business models shift, and technologies converge, the ability to align your human capital with the right innovation domains becomes a competitive advantage. The simple act of knowing who thrives where — cognitively and creatively — makes all the difference.

The TIPS map is more than just a profiling framework. It’s a strategic lens that allows organizations to deploy talent intelligently across new frontiers of innovation. So, as the Sixth Wave begins to swell and rise, ask yourself: Is your organization putting the right minds in the right tech spaces? If not, maybe it’s time to get your team TIPS-ed.

• Curious which tech space of the Sixth Wave is your natural playground? Get TIPS-ed and discover your personal innovator profile. Take the TIPS online test for USD 88.88 and uncover the cognitive base that best aligns with your talents — be it Digital Tech, Clean Tech, or Human Tech.
• Explore the method behind the model. Download the TIPS booklet or visit the TIPS website to dive deeper into how TIPS works — and how it can empower your innovation, talent, and transformation strategies in this age of exponential change.
• Want to align your team’s talents with tomorrow’s tech trends? Book a TIPS Profiling Workshop with your organization. We’ll profile each team member and map their innovation potential to the Sixth Wave tech spaces — and show you how to lead your team into the future with confidence. Contact us to get started.

© Dr. Detlef Reis 2025.