Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Integrated circuit on its own isn't doing anything unless used for something YES! YES EXACTLY! That's part of what makes things like ICs "deep tech" - they are transformative innovations that have no immediate application so they need government or a very well-funded far-thinking private org (e.g. Bell Labs) to bring them into being. They are not like making a new, better database. You have just reiterated my point…
I don't think I did reiterate your point. You were saying unlike ICs, databases -- "But it's not creating something new that has never existed before". The point I was making was like newer/better ICs pave way for new electronics/use-cases; so do better databases/storage software pave way for more new applications that wouldn't have existed before.
Creating the first IC, creating the concept of an integrated circuit is deep tech research.