Emerging technologies are critical to building a sustainable and resilient future. But without new understanding, tools and capabilities, their safe and successful development is far from guaranteed.
At the summit on the Global Agenda 2011 in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies asked which technology trends would have the greatest impact on the state of the world in the near future.
Below, are the technological trends expected to have major social, economic and environmental impacts world-wide this year. They are listed in order of greatest potential to provide solutions to global challenges.
1 Informatics for adding value to information:
The quantity of information now available to individuals and organisations is unprecedented in human history, and the rate of information generation continues to grow exponentially. Yet the sheer volume of information is in danger of creating more noise than value, and as a result limiting its effective use. Innovations in how information is organised, mined and processed hold the key to filtering outthe noise and using the growing wealth of global information to address emerging challenges.
2 Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering:
The natural world is a testament to the vast potential inherent in the genetic code at the core of all living organisms. Rapid advances in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering are allowing biologists and engineers to tap into this potential, enabling the development of new biological processes and organisms that are designed to serve spe-cificpurposes – whether converting biomass to chemicals, fuels and materials, producing new therapeutic drugs or protecting the body against harm.
3 Green revolution 2.0 – technologies for increased food and biomass:
Artificial fertilisers are one of the main achievements of modern chemistry, enabling huge increases in crop production yield. Yet the growing global demand for healthy and nutritious food is threatening to outstrip energy, water and land resources. By integrating advances across the biological and physical sciences, the new green revolution holds the promise of further increasing crop production yields, minimising environmen-tal impact, reducing energy and water dependence, and decreasing the carbon footprint.
4 Nanoscale design of materials:
The increasing demand on natural resources requires unprecedented gains in efficienc. Nanostructured materials with tailored properties, designed and engineered at the molecular scale, are already showing novel and unique features that will usher in the next clean energy revolution, reduce our dependence on depleting natural resources, and increase atom-efficiency manufacturing and processing.
5 Systems biology and computational modelling and simulation of chemical and biological systems:
For improved healthcare and biobased manufacturing, it is essential to understand how biology and chemistry work together. Systems biology and computational modelling and simulation are playing increasingly important roles in designing therapeutics, materials and processes that are highly efficientin achieving their design goals, while minimally impacting on human health and the environment.
6 Utilisation of carbon dioxide as a resource:
Carbon is at the heart of all life on earth. Yet managing carbon dioxide releases is one of the greatest social, political and economic challenges of our time. An emerging innovative approach to carbon dioxide management involves trans-forming it from a liability to a resource.
Novel catalysts, based on nanostructured materials, can potentially trans-form carbon dioxide to high-value hydrocarbons and other carbon-containing molecules, which could be used as new building blocks for the chemical industry as cleaner and more sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals.
7 Wireless power:
Society is deeply reliant on electrically powered devices. Yet a significant limitation in their continued development and utility is the need to be attached to the electricity grid by wire – either permanently or through frequent battery recharging. Emerging approaches to wireless power transmission will free electrical devices from having to be physically plugged in and are poised to have as signifcant an impact on personal electronics as Wi-Fi had on internet use.
8 High-energy-density power systems:
Better batteries are essential if the next generation of clean energy technologies are to be realised. A number of emerging technologies are coming together to lay the foundation for advanced electrical energy storage and use, including the development of nanostructured electrodes, solid electrolysis and rapid-power delivery from novel supercapacitors using carbon-based nanomaterials. These technologies will provide the energy density and power needed to super-charge the next generation of clean energy technologies.
9 Personalised medicine, nutrition and disease prevention:
As the global population exceeds 7 billion people – all hoping for a long and healthy life – conventional approaches to ensuring good health are becoming less and less tenable, spurred by growing demands, dwindling resources and increasing costs.
Advances in areas such as genomics, proteomics and metabolomics are now opening up the possibility of tailoring medicine, nutrition and disease prevention to the individual.
Together with emerging technologies such as synthetic biology and nanotechnology, they are laying the foundation for a revolution in healthcare and wellbeing that will be less resource intensive and more targeted to individual needs.
10 Enhanced education technology:
New approaches are needed to meet the challenge of educating a growing young population and providing the skills that are essential to the knowledge economy.
This is especially the case in today’s rapidly evolving and hyperconnected glo-balised society. Personalised IT-based approaches to education are emerging that allow learner-centred education, critical thinking development and creativity.
Rapid developments in social media, open courseware and ubiquitous access to the internet are facilitating outside classroom and continuous education.
This article firstappeared on the World Economic Forum website – forumblog.org/2012/02/the-2012-top-10-emerging-technologies/