Technologies That Could Reshape Our World: Highlights from the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Emerging Tech Report
The World Economic Forum’s Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025 report offers a view of the scientific frontier, highlighting innovations with the potential to transform society, industry, and ecosystems. Now in its 13th year, the report seeks not only to showcase technological novelty but also to spotlight those ideas on the brink of significant societal impact. Produced in collaboration with Frontiers and the Dubai Future Foundation, this year’s edition emphasizes cross-sectoral integration, sustainability, and human health – all underpinned by strategic foresight.
The ten technologies profiled range from materials that can store energy while bearing structural loads, to engineered living organisms that can produce medicines inside the human body. Each has been rigorously vetted for its novelty, depth of development, and capacity to catalyze change. Among the standout innovations is the development of structural battery composites, which promise lighter, more efficient vehicles and buildings by embedding energy storage within structural components. This technology could dramatically reshape aerospace, automotive, and infrastructure design, enabling greater energy efficiency and design flexibility.
In the realm of clean energy, osmotic power systems offer an innovative method of harnessing the energy potential of salinity gradients where freshwater meets seawater. Unlike intermittent solar or wind, osmotic energy provides a stable, renewable output, with commercial pilots already underway. Equally transformative are advanced nuclear technologies, especially small modular reactors and gas-cooled designs. These promise safer, more distributed, and more adaptable nuclear energy options, well-suited to power a future of electrified transport and AI-driven demand.
Biotechnology features prominently, especially with engineered living therapeutics, where genetically programmed microbes produce drugs directly within the human body. This approach may cut pharmaceutical costs and transform treatment adherence, especially in managing chronic diseases. Similarly, GLP-1 receptor agonists, known for diabetes and weight-loss treatment, are being explored for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, raising the possibility of repurposing existing drugs to tackle some of medicine’s most stubborn challenges.
Real-time health and environmental monitoring also take a leap forward with autonomous biochemical sensing, devices capable of continuous, wireless detection of chemical or biological markers. These technologies could redefine disease prevention, food safety, and environmental management. Green nitrogen fixation targets agriculture’s significant carbon footprint by developing new processes—electrochemical and biological—for making ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizer, using renewable inputs rather than fossil fuels.
Another breakthrough, nanozymes, represents a synthetic and scalable alternative to natural enzymes, with potential applications from targeted drug delivery to environmental remediation. Their robustness and adaptability offer cost-effective solutions in sectors where natural enzymes fall short.
The final innovation, generative watermarking, addresses digital integrity in the age of AI-generated content. By embedding invisible markers to identify AI-originated images or text, this technology could be vital in combating misinformation and restoring trust in digital ecosystems.
These emerging technologies were identified through a global, multi-step process involving academic and industry experts, AI trend analysis, and a thorough readiness assessment across social, technological, environmental, economic, and political dimensions. Each technology is accompanied by strategic foresight analysis, ecosystem readiness maps, and actionable steps to scale impact.
While none of these technologies is guaranteed to succeed at scale, the report serves as a roadmap for leaders in business, policy, and science to envision and prepare for a rapidly evolving future. The convergence of biology, data, materials science, and energy innovation is accelerating, and these ten breakthroughs represent focal points for global investment, regulation, and collaboration.
Disclaimer: This blog post summarizes the Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025 report published by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Frontiers. The summary is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, medical, or investment advice. Readers are encouraged to consult the original report for complete context and accuracy.