Insight Report Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2019

The World Economic Forum's 2019 report highlights ten emerging technologies across various sectors, including bioplastics, social robots, metalenses, disordered proteins, controlled-release fertilizers, collaborative telepresence, blockchain-based food tracking, safer nuclear fuels, DNA data storage, and utility-scale renewable energy storage.

• Breakthroughs in producing biodegradable plastics from cellulose and lignin, derived from non-food plants or agricultural waste, aim to create a circular plastic economy and address the environmental persistence of petrochemical plastics.
• Social robots are increasingly utilizing AI to recognize human emotions and gestures, expanding their roles into customer service, elderly care, and consumer toys, with the consumer robot market expected to reach $19 billion by the end of 2025.
• The development of flat 'metalenses' thinner than a micron could replace bulky glass lenses in cameras and sensors, potentially lowering costs by using semiconductor manufacturing equipment, though they currently face efficiency and light-capture limitations.
• Researchers are finding ways to target 'intrinsically disordered proteins' (IDPs), previously considered undruggable due to their shape-shifting nature, to develop new treatments for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
• Controlled-release fertilizers use tuned capsules to deliver nutrients based on soil temperature, acidity, or moisture, reducing environmental contamination from nitrogen and phosphorus runoff compared to standard fertilizers.
• Collaborative telepresence, combining AR, VR, 5G, and haptic sensors, aims to allow remote participants to interact as if physically present, with potential applications in medicine and business.
• The integration of blockchain for supply chain traceability and sensor-based packaging is being used to reduce food poisoning and waste by pinpointing contamination sources in seconds and monitoring spoilage.
• The development of accident-tolerant fuels and passive safety systems aims to reduce the risk of hydrogen explosions in nuclear reactors, potentially enabling a resurgence of nuclear power in markets like China and Russia.
• DNA-based data storage offers a high-density, stable, and energy-efficient alternative to magnetic or optical systems, capable of storing massive amounts of data in a very small physical volume.
• Utility-scale energy storage is shifting toward lithium-ion batteries, which saw a 76% cost drop since 2012, though long-term baseline load management will require other technologies like flow batteries or hydrogen fuel cells.

APA

World Economic Forum (2019). Insight Report Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2019. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_2019_Report.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Insight Report Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2019. 2019. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_2019_Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Insight Report Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2019 |date=June 2019 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_2019_Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2019insight, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Insight Report Top 10 Emerging Technologies 2019}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_2019_Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }