Ten new technologies, identified in international organisation the World Economic Forum's (WEF's) 'Top 10 Emerging Technologies Report 2026', are approaching a critical inflection point where advances in research are beginning to translate into large-scale, real-world applications.

Many of the technologies highlighted in the report indicate that systems may become more distributed, personalised and resource-efficient over time.

“The new technologies reveal new patterns across energy, medicine and manufacturing that could challenge long-held assumptions about how we use technology to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, such as food insecurity, climate change and untreatable diseases,” says WEF MD Stephan Mergenthaler.

For example, one of the ten new technologies identified in the report is direct lithium extraction (DLE), which removes lithium from brine in hours rather than months, while using less land and water than conventional methods. This process could unlock new sources of a critical battery material and strengthen supply chains.

Another emerging technology is everything-to-grid energy, as buildings, vehicles, factories and data centres can increasingly act as both energy consumers and suppliers, and send stored electricity back to electricity grids when needed.

This could improve energy resilience while making better use of local renewable power, the WEF says.

In the healthcare sector, the report highlights the development of exosome drug delivery. Exosomes are natural particles produced by cells that can be engineered to deliver therapies precisely within the body.

They may enable treatments to reach previously inaccessible targets, including the brain, the WEF notes.

Additionally, personalised mRNA cancer vaccines is another emerging technology, which involves training a patient's immune system to recognise the unique mutations in their tumour.

This approach could improve the ability to prevent cancer recurrence following treatment.

Further, quantum simulation for drug discovery involves modelling molecular interactions with unprecedented accuracy. This helps researchers identify promising drug candidates faster and more efficiently.

The report also highlights the development of passive radiative cooling materials, which cool buildings and equipment without electricity by reflecting sunlight and releasing heat into the atmosphere. They could reduce energy demand and improve resilience in hotter climates.

An emerging technology that could reduce and remove persistent pollutants from water and the environment is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) destruction. New technologies can break down PFAS, which are known as "forever chemicals", that have long resisted conventional treatment, the report says.

Precision fermentation is another emerging technology, which uses microorganisms to produce specific ingredients and materials more efficiently. It could enable new ways to manufacture food, chemicals and pharmaceuticals with fewer resources, the WEF states.

In the digital sector, an emerging technology is world models that will enable AI systems to build a shared understanding of physical environments using multiple forms of data. This could improve how machines predict, plan and interact with the real world.

Similarly, lattice-based cryptography is designed to protect data from decryption by both today's computers and future quantum machines. It could help secure digital infrastructure as quantum computing advances.

“Each of these technologies has the potential to make a meaningful impact on its own, and together they tell a broader story about where innovation is heading,” Mergenthaler points out.

Technologies such as everything-to-grid energy systems, DLE and precision fermentation suggest how production systems could become less dependent on centralised infrastructure and traditional geographic constraints.

Passive radiative cooling materials similarly point to new ways of managing energy demand and environmental pressures in regions where cooling has traditionally relied on energy-intensive systems, he says.

Several of the technologies also suggest that value creation could increasingly depend on the ability to produce, adapt or optimise systems closer to the point of use.

Personalised mRNA cancer vaccines, exosome drug delivery and quantum simulation for drug discovery all point to more individualised approaches to treatment and molecular design, enabled by advances in computation, modelling and targeted delivery systems, he notes.

Additionally, infrastructure, technical capability and deployment capacity could become increasingly important alongside traditional resource endowments, particularly in sectors where production, energy systems and advanced manufacturing are becoming more distributed and adaptive.

Technologies such as PFAS destruction, passive radiative cooling materials and lattice-based cryptography could reshape how industries and governments address long-standing environmental, infrastructure and security challenges, the WEF says in the report.

Several of these technologies raise the possibility of overcoming constraints previously viewed as difficult, persistent or economically impractical to solve, the report highlights.

Whether these patterns translate into real-world success, however, will depend on factors such as infrastructure readiness, regulatory adaptation, manufacturing capacity, public trust and long-term investment.

Infrastructure readiness, governance, investment and public adoption will play a critical role in determining whether the emerging technologies deliver broad societal impact in the next three to five years, the WEF says.