Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025

The World Economic Forum's 2025 report highlights ten breakthrough technologies, including structural battery composites, osmotic power, and advanced nuclear technologies, focusing on their potential to drive sustainability and societal resilience. The report emphasizes the convergence of materials science, biotechnology, and AI to solve systemic issues like carbon-intensive ammonia production and neurodegenerative diseases. Each technology is analyzed through an 'ecosystem readiness map' and a strategic outlook developed by the Dubai Future Foundation to guide leaders in scaling these innovations from research to real-world application.

• Structural battery composites (SBCs) integrate energy storage directly into load-bearing mechanical components, potentially reducing vehicle weight and increasing EV range by 70% for every 10% reduction in weight.
• Osmotic power systems generate renewable energy from salinity differences in water and have the theoretical potential to produce 5,177 terawatt-hours annually, nearly one-fifth of global electricity needs.
• Advanced nuclear technologies, specifically small modular reactors (SMRs) and gas-cooled reactors, are being developed to provide zero-carbon electricity and high-temperature process heat (600-950°C) for industrial decarbonization.
• Engineered living therapeutics use genetically modified microbes to produce drugs directly within the patient, which could eliminate downstream processing and formulation steps that typically account for 70% of production costs.
• GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally for diabetes and obesity, are being explored for neuroprotective effects against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s; the global market for these drugs is projected to reach $55.7 billion by 2031.
• Autonomous biochemical sensing enables continuous, real-time monitoring of health and environmental markers using self-sustaining power sources like biofuel cells, moving beyond single-use tests.
• Green nitrogen fixation aims to replace the carbon-intensive Haber-Bosch process—which consumes 1-2% of global energy—with lithium-mediated or bio-based methods to produce ammonia using air, water, and renewable electricity.
• Nanozymes are synthetic nanomaterials with enzyme-like properties that offer higher stability and lower costs than natural enzymes; the global market is projected to grow from $5.13 billion in 2024 to $57.95 billion by 2034.
• Collaborative sensing integrates distributed sensors with AI and V2X technologies to improve urban mobility; for example, automated emergency braking systems showed a 77% crash avoidance rate with full technology integration.
• Generative watermarking embeds invisible markers in AI content to verify authenticity; regulatory frameworks in the EU, China, and California are emerging, with EU penalties potentially reaching 7% of annual turnover.

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_of_2025.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025. 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_of_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025 |date=June 2025 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_of_2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2025top, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Top_10_Emerging_Technologies_of_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }