InsightReportTop10EmergingTechnologies2019June2019WorldEconomicForum91-93routedelaCapiteCH-1223Cologny/GenevaSwitzerlandTel.:+41(0)228691212Fax:+41(0)227862744Email:contact@weforum.orgwww.weforum.org©2019WorldEconomicForum.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem.3Top10EmergingTechnologies2019IntroductionThetop10emergingtechnologiesfor20191.BioplasticsforaCircularEconomy2.SocialRobots3.TinyLensesforMiniatureDevices4.DisorderedProteinsasDrugTargets5.SmarterFertilizersCanReduceEnvironmentalContamination6.CollaborativeTelepresence7.AdvancedFoodTrackingandPackaging8.SaferNuclearReactors9.DNADataStorage10.Utility-ScaleStorageofRenewableEnergyAcknowledgementsSteeringCommitteeGuestAuthorsReportTeamProductionTeam4567891011121314151616161616Contents4Top10EmergingTechnologies2019IntroductionWorld-changingtechnologiesthatarepoisedtorattlethestatusquoOnedaysoonanemergingtechnologyhighlightedinthisreportwillallowyoutovirtuallyteleporttoadistantsiteandactuallyfeelthehandshakesandhugsoffellowcyber-travellers.Alsoclosetobecomingcommonplace:humanoid(andanimaloid)robotsdesignedtosocializewithpeople;asystemforpinpointingthesourceofafood-poisoningoutbreakinseconds;minusculelensesthatwillpavethewayfordiminutivecamerasandotherdevices;strong,biodegradableplasticsthatcanbefashionedfromotherwiseuselessplantwastes;DNA-baseddatastoragesystemsthatwillreliablystowginormousamountsofinformation;andmuchmore.AninternationalSteeringCommitteeofleadingtechnologyexpertsengagedinanintenseprocesstoidentifythisyear’sTop10EmergingTechnologies.Aftersolicitingnominationsfromadditionalexpertsaroundtheglobe,theSteeringCommitteeevaluateddozensofproposalsaccordingtoanumberofcriteria.Dothesuggestedtechnologieshavethepotentialtoprovidemajorbenefitstosocietiesandeconomies?Couldtheyalterestablishedwaysofdoingthings?Aretheystillinearlystagesofdevelopmentbutattractingalotofinterestfromre...
