Our goal here at Gizmag is to cover innovation and emerging
technologies in all fields of human endeavor, and while almost all
of the ideas that grace our pages have the potential to enhance some
of our lives in one way or another, at the core are those
technologies that will have profound implications for everyone on
the planet. For those looking to shape political, business, and
academic agendas, predicting how and when these types of
technologies will effect us all is critical. Recognizing this, the
World Economic Forum's (WEF's) Global Agenda Council on Emerging
Technologies has compiled a list of the top 10 emerging technologies
it believes will have the greatest impact on the state of the world
in 2012.
Betting on the right technologies can allow schools to produce
graduates better qualified to deal with a rapidly changing world,
governments to more efficiently meet the needs of the populace,
business to generate profits, and scientists to better allocate
resources.
The list draws on some of the brainpower residing within the
entire GAC Network, covering the top ten technological trends that
the Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies believes will
have the biggest social, economic and environmental impacts this
year.
Here's the list as presented on the
World Economic Forum
Blog in order from lowest to highest in terms of the potential
to provide solutions to global challenges.
- 1. Informatics for adding value to information
The quantity of information now available to individuals and
organizations is unprecedented in human history, and the rate of
information generation continues to grow exponentially. Yet, the
sheer volume of information is in danger of creating more noise
than value, and as a result limiting its effective use.
Innovations in how information is organized, mined and processed
hold the key to filtering out the noise and using the growing
wealth of global information to address emerging challenges.
- 2. Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering The
natural world is a testament to the vast potential inherent in
the genetic code at the core of all living organisms. Rapid
advances in
synthetic biology and metabolic engineering are allowing
biologists and engineers to tap into this potential in
unprecedented ways, enabling the development of new biological
processes and organisms that are designed to serve specific
purposes - whether converting biomass to
chemicals,
fuels and materials, producing
new therapeutic drugs or protecting the body against harm.
- 3. Green Revolution 2.0 - technologies for increased food
and biomass Artificial fertilizers are one of the main
achievements of modern chemistry, enabling unprecedented
increases in crop production yield. Yet, the growing global
demand for healthy and nutritious food is threatening to
outstrip energy, water and land resources. By integrating
advances across the biological and physical sciences, the new
green revolution holds the promise of further
increasing crop production yields,
minimizing environmental impact, reducing energy and water
dependence, and decreasing the carbon footprint.
- 4. Nanoscale design of materials The increasing
demand on natural resources requires unprecedented gains in
efficiency.
Nanostructured materials with tailored properties, designed
and engineered at the molecular scale, are already showing novel
and unique features that will usher in the next clean energy
revolution, reduce our dependence on depleting natural
resources, and increase atom-efficiency manufacturing and
processing.
- 5. Systems biology and computational modelling/simulation of
chemical and biological systems For improved healthcare
and bio-based manufacturing, it is essential to understand how
biology and chemistry work together. Systems biology and
computational modeling and simulation are playing
increasingly important roles in designing therapeutics,
materials and processes that are highly efficient in achieving
their design goals, while minimally impacting on human health
and the environment.
- 6. Utilization of carbon dioxide as a resource
Carbon is at the heart of all life on earth. Yet, managing
carbon dioxide releases is one of the greatest social, political
and economic challenges of our time. An emerging innovative
approach to carbon dioxide management involves transforming it
from a liability to a resource. Novel catalysts, based on
nanostructured materials, can potentially transform carbon
dioxide to high value
hydrocarbons and other
carbon-containing molecules, which could be used as new
building blocks for the chemical industry as cleaner and more
sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals.
- 7. Wireless power Society is deeply reliant on
electrically powered devices. Yet, a significant limitation in
their continued development and utility is the need to be
attached to the electricity grid by wire - either permanently or
through frequent battery recharging. Emerging approaches to
wireless power transmission will free electrical devices
from having to be physically plugged in, and are poised to have
as significant an impact on
personal electronics as Wi-Fi had on Internet use.
- 8. High energy density power systems Better
batteries are essential if the next generation of clean energy
technologies are to be realized. A number of emerging
technologies are coming together to lay the foundation for
advanced electrical energy storage and use, including the
development of
nanostructured electrodes, solid electrolysis and
rapid-power delivery from novel
supercapacitors based on
carbon-based nanomaterials. These technologies will provide
the energy density and power needed to supercharge the next
generation of clean energy technologies.
- 9. Personalized medicine, nutrition and disease prevention
As the global population exceeds 7 billion people - all hoping
for a long and healthy life - conventional approaches to
ensuring good health are becoming less and less tenable, spurred
on by growing demands, dwindling resources and increasing costs.
Advances in areas such as genomics, proteomics and metabolomics
are now opening up the possibility of tailoring
medicine, nutrition and
disease prevention to the individual. Together with emerging
technologies like synthetic biology and nanotechnology, they are
laying the foundation for a revolution in healthcare and
well-being that will be less resource intensive and more
targeted to individual needs.
- 10. Enhanced education technology New approaches
are needed to meet the challenge of educating a growing young
population and providing the skills that are essential to the
knowledge economy. This is especially the case in today's
rapidly evolving and hyperconnected globalized society.
Personalized
IT-based approaches to education are emerging that allow
learner-centerd education, critical thinking development and
creativity. Rapid developments in social media, open courseware
and ubiquitous access to
the Internet are facilitating outside classroom and
continuous education.
We know there's nothing like a list of predictions to provoke
some healthy debate, so let us know what you think of the GAC on
Emerging Technologies' effort in the comments. Is there anything you
think they've overlooked, or maybe something they've included that
shouldn't be there?
Source:
World Economic Forum Blog
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