In a technological sense The Haber-Bosch process laid the foundations for the mass production of nitrates for modern agriculture, as well as many modern industrial chemicals. It has also advanced a lot of industrial technology, including high temperature and pressure rated seals and catalysts (Venkateswaran, 2024, Haber-Bosch process section). With that being said, there were also negative impacts.

For example, though electro-chemical ammonia today is an active area of research as a potential replacement for the Haber-Bosch process (Lehigh University, 2018, para. 1), some forms of it, such as the Birkeland-Eyde process, actually preceded Haber’s invention by almost a decade. It was, however, quickly outcompeted by Haber and Bosch (Williams, 1982, p.134). As a result, innovations in renewable ammonia were stunted up until very recently. Similarly to any dominant technology, by popularizing one path, Haber and Bosch made many other, potentially better paths turn to obscurity.