Also known as: "ICT."
Information & Communications Technology is responsible for accelerated technology development.
This is stuff like:
search tools (like Google)
wiki, blogs, e-mail
good UserInterface
...
The argument basically goes like this:
Scientists, Researchers, and Technology do their work by getting information together, thinking about it, and communicating.
So anything that helps them gather, think, and communicate, will help them work faster.