Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026I N S I G H T R E P O R TJ U N E 2 0 2 6In collaboration with Frontiers
Images: Getty Images, MidjourneyDisclaimer This document is published by the World Economic Forum as a contribution to a project, insight area or interaction. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are a result of a collaborative process facilitated and endorsed by the World Economic Forum but whose results do not necessarily represent the views of the World Economic Forum, nor the entirety of its Members, Partners or other stakeholders.© 2026 World Economic Forum. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system.ContentsForeword 3Technology, foresight and the desirable future ahead 41 Everything-to-grid energy 52 Direct lithium extraction 83 Passive radiative cooling materials 114 PFAS destruction 145 Precision fermentation 176 Exosome drug delivery 207 Personalized mRNA cancer vaccines 238 Quantum simulation for drug discovery 269 World models 2910 Lattice-based cryptography 32The emerging landscape 35Appendix: Methodology 37Contributors 40Endnotes 44Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 20262
ForewordEvery year, a small number of scientific advances reach the point where they are ready to change the world. The Top 10 Emerging Technologies report, now in its 14th edition, is how we find and share them. The technologies we bring forward are chosen for their novelty, development progress and potential impact. Above all, they are chosen for the signals that suggest they are approaching the moment when decisions made by governments, industry and research institutions will meaningfully shape how they arrive in the world.This year’s edition arrives at a time of deep uncertainty. Systems have grown more fragile, and resilience has become a priority across sectors and regions. The question of what technology can offer in response is one worth sitting with, because each of the 10 technologies featured this year is extraordinary. A cancer vaccine can now be synthesized from a patient’s own tumour, teaching the immune system to recognize cells it had previously missed. A coating has been developed that emits heat directly into space, cooling a surface without consuming any electricity. Microbes given new genetic instructions are now producing the same proteins as a dairy cow, using a fraction of the land, water and emissions. Each tells its own story, and each is worth the reader’s time on its own.Looking across the 10 as a group, three things stand out. Many of these technologies are becoming more personal, designed around one patient or one context rather than a standardized whole. Many are becoming more distributed, producing food, energy and critical materials ...
