Global Agenda Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2016

The World Economic Forum's Meta-Council on Emerging Technologies highlights ten breakthroughs across energy, materials, medicine, and computing. Key highlights include next-generation batteries and perovskite solar cells for renewable energy expansion, 2-D materials like graphene for industrial applications, and systems metabolic engineering to replace petrochemicals with microbe-based production. The report also examines the societal impacts of autonomous vehicles, blockchain, and an open AI ecosystem, alongside medical advances in organs-on-chips and optogenetics.

• Next-generation batteries based on sodium, aluminium, or zinc are more affordable, scalable, and safer than lithium batteries, making them better suited for grid-scale storage of solar and wind power. These technologies can support 'mini-grids' for isolated rural communities, as seen in agreements by Fluidic Energy to electrify remote villages in Indonesia and Madagascar.
• Perovskite solar cells offer a cheaper, lower-emission alternative to silicon photovoltaic cells because they do not require high-energy furnaces for production. Their efficiency has increased from less than 4 percent in 2009 to above 20 percent by 2016, making them commercially competitive and potentially useful for remote locations without electrical grids.
• Systems metabolic engineering allows for the production of chemicals using living microorganisms in bioreactors instead of petrochemicals derived from fossil fuels. This process is indefinitely renewable, emits less greenhouse gas, and can produce complex organic compounds, such as the biodegradable polymer PLGA, more affordably than conventional means.
• Two-dimensional materials, such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride, are becoming more affordable and versatile. Graphene's properties allow it to be used in water filters for desalination, road paving to absorb carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and in combination with other 2-D materials to improve the energy density and charging times of lithium-ion batteries.
• Blockchain technology provides a decentralized, tamper-proof public ledger that can eliminate intermediaries in financial transactions, insurance, and real estate. It has the potential to serve the two billion people currently underserved by financial institutions and could save banks over $20 billion annually in costs by 2022.
• Autonomous vehicles are expected to reduce the human cost of driving by eliminating distractions and risk-taking behaviors, which cause over 30,000 deaths annually in the United States. Widespread adoption could lead to shared driverless taxi and delivery services, reducing the need for private car ownership and local parking structures.
• Medical innovations including organs-on-chips and optogenetics are transforming research. Organs-on-chips use microfluidic tubes lined with human cells to simulate organ functions, potentially reducing reliance on animal testing. Optogenetics uses genetic engineering to make neurons respond to light, offering new treatment routes for Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, and depression.
• The emergence of an open AI ecosystem, integrating the Internet of Things and personal data, aims to move from artificial to contextual intelligence. These systems could improve productivity and health by providing personalized advice and managing daily tasks more efficiently and cheaply than human personal assistants.

APA

World Economic Forum (2016). Global Agenda Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2016. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GAC16_Top10_Emerging_Technologies_2016_report.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Global Agenda Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2016. 2016. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GAC16_Top10_Emerging_Technologies_2016_report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Global Agenda Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2016 |date=June 2016 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GAC16_Top10_Emerging_Technologies_2016_report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2016global, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Global Agenda Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2016}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GAC16_Top10_Emerging_Technologies_2016_report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }