Future, Engineered: WEF's Top 10 Innovations Set to Rewire Reality

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified ten breakthrough technologies that will reshape industries and societies within the next three to five years. The technologies, selected on the criteria of novelty, maturity, and the potential to influence society, are indicative of four overarching trends: trust and safety, sustainable industry, human health, and energy-material convergence.

 

Key Highlights:

 

1. Collaborative Sensing – Networks of networked sensors that allow real-time coordination between vehicles, cities, and emergency services to improve safety and reduce congestion.

2. Generative Watermarking – Embedding tags in AI-generated content to avoid misinformation and authenticate content.

3. Green Nitrogen Fixation – A cleaner way of making fertilizers with the help of electricity rather than fossil fuels, with much less emissions.

4. Engineered Living Therapeutics – Genetically encoded bacteria for the delivery of therapies within the human body, providing targeted and affordable healthcare.

5. Autonomous Biochemical Sensing – Independent sensors that identify disease or pollution on their own without human action.

6. Structural Battery Composites – Multifunctional materials for both structural elements and energy storage, revolutionizing the design of electric vehicles and aircraft.

7. Nanozymes – Artificial substances that function like enzymes, used in diagnostics, environmental pollution, and industrial protection.

8. Osmotic Power – Derived from the salinity gradient of seawater and freshwater, providing a clean source.

9. GLP-1 Therapeutics Growth – First used for diabetes and weight control, now to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

10. AI-Augmented Discovery – Speeding up scientific discovery by infusing AI into R&D pipelines. 

 

Sources: World Economic Forum, BusinessGhana, ABP Live, Mint, Indian Express