By Seyi Gesinde
July 17, 2026
The World Economic Forum, WEF, has unveiled its Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026 report, identifying scientific breakthroughs expected to reshape economies, industries and everyday life over the next three to five years.
Produced in collaboration with scientific publisher Frontiers, the report highlights innovations spanning energy, healthcare, food production, critical resources, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The technologies were selected based on their novelty, technological maturity and potential global impact.
According to the WEF, the technologies share three defining characteristics. They are becoming increasingly personalised, designed around individual patients or specific situations rather than one size fits all solutions.
They are also becoming more distributed, bringing the production of food, energy and essential materials closer to where they are needed.
In addition, many of the innovations are designed to achieve more with fewer resources, producing cooling without electricity, protein without livestock and industrial chemistry without generating persistent waste.
1. Everything to grid
Ranked first, Everything to grid transforms buildings, electric vehicles and connected devices from passive electricity consumers into active energy assets capable of storing electricity and returning excess power to the grid when demand rises.
The report says advances in battery chemistry, intelligent coordination software and improved compensation systems are making the technology commercially viable.
Its biggest challenge is whether these distributed energy assets can operate as a unified, resilient network rather than fragmented systems controlled by competing interests.
2. Direct lithium extraction
Second on the list is Direct lithium extraction, a process that recovers lithium directly from underground brine within hours instead of the months required by traditional evaporation ponds.
The technology significantly reduces land use and water consumption, while helping to secure supplies of lithium, a critical mineral for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage.
The WEF notes that successful projects have already demonstrated the technology in Argentina and California.
3. Passive radiative cooling materials
The third breakthrough is Passive radiative cooling materials, innovative coatings and construction materials that cool surfaces below surrounding air temperatures without consuming electricity.
Already being incorporated into paints, roofing tiles, films and specialised fabrics, the technology could substantially reduce energy demand for air conditioning.
According to the report, wider adoption will depend on standardised testing, inclusion in green building standards and continued regulatory support.
4. Technologies to destroy PFAS
Ranked fourth are Technologies to destroy PFAS, the so called forever chemicals that persist in the environment and have been linked to health concerns.
Using supercritical water treatment, electrochemical processes and ultraviolet photocatalysis, these technologies permanently break the extremely strong carbon fluorine bonds within PFAS compounds rather than simply transferring them elsewhere.
Commercial facilities are already treating contaminated groundwater and industrial waste, although broader deployment will require stronger regulations and investment.
5. Precision fermentation
Fifth is Precision fermentation, which uses specially engineered microorganisms to manufacture proteins, fats and other essential ingredients without relying on livestock or large areas of farmland.
Major food companies are already incorporating fermentation produced dairy and egg proteins into commercial products.
The WEF believes the technology could strengthen global food security, although its future depends on investment, regulatory alignment and protecting agricultural livelihoods during the transition.
6. Exosome drug delivery
Sixth on the list is Exosome drug delivery, a revolutionary medical approach that uses the body’s natural cellular transport system to deliver medicines directly to targeted tissues.
Scientists are engineering exosomes to carry treatments across biological barriers, including the blood brain barrier, opening new possibilities for treating cancers, neurological disorders and the long term effects of Covid 19.
More than 200 clinical trials have been launched since 2022, although manufacturing capacity and regulatory approval remain major hurdles.
7. Personalised mRNA cancer vaccines
Seventh is Personalised mRNA cancer vaccines, which are individually designed using the genetic mutations found within a patient’s own tumour.
The vaccines train the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells more effectively.
Encouraging clinical trial results in pancreatic cancer and melanoma have advanced into Phase Three studies, bringing the technology closer to mainstream healthcare.
However, affordability, manufacturing capacity and equitable access remain significant challenges.
8. Quantum simulation for drug discovery
The eighth breakthrough is Quantum simulation for drug discovery, which uses quantum computing principles to model molecular behaviour with unprecedented precision.
The technology enables researchers to predict how potential medicines fold, bind and interact, significantly accelerating drug discovery while reducing research costs.
Pharmaceutical companies are already forming major partnerships, although international standards and regulatory frameworks will be needed before widespread adoption.
9. AI world models
Ninth on the list are AI world models, advanced artificial intelligence systems capable of understanding how physical environments operate and predicting situations they have never directly experienced.
Unlike conventional AI systems that rely mainly on pattern recognition, world models enable machines to reason, plan and adapt in complex real world environments.
Early applications include robotics, climate modelling and autonomous systems, but the report stresses that governance, transparency and accountability must evolve alongside deployment.
10. Lattice based cryptography
Completing the Top 10 is Lattice based cryptography, a next generation encryption system specifically designed to withstand attacks from future quantum computers.
Unlike today’s encryption methods, lattice based cryptography relies on highly complex mathematical structures that remain secure against both classical and quantum computing attacks.
Following the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s publication of post quantum encryption standards in 2024, governments and critical infrastructure operators have begun preparing for a global transition before quantum computers become powerful enough to break existing encryption.
The WEF concludes that although many of these technologies have already demonstrated commercial success or promising clinical results, their ability to transform society will depend on sustained investment, supportive regulation, robust infrastructure and equitable global access.
Source: World Economic Forum, Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026 report, produced in collaboration with Frontiers. Reported by Muriel Cozier, published on 24 June 2026.
