WEF -2026 年十大新兴技术 Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026

Top10Emerging

Technologiesof2026

INSIGHTREPORTJUNE2026

IncollaborationwithFrontiers

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof20262

Images:GettyImages,Midjourney

Contents

Foreword3

Technology,foresightandthedesirablefutureahead4

1

Everything-to-gridenergy5

2

Directlithiumextraction8

3

Passiveradiativecoolingmaterials11

4

PFASdestruction14

5

Precisionfermentation17

6

Exosomedrugdelivery20

7

PersonalizedmRNAcancervaccines23

8

Quantumsimulationfordrugdiscovery26

9

Worldmodels29

10

Lattice-basedcryptography32

Theemerginglandscape

35

Appendix:Methodology

37

Contributors

40

Endnotes

44

Disclaimer

Thisdocumentispublishedbythe

WorldEconomicForumasacontributiontoaproject,insightareaorinteraction.

Thefindings,interpretationsand

conclusionsexpressedhereinarearesultofacollaborativeprocessfacilitatedand

endorsedbytheWorldEconomicForumbutwhoseresultsdonotnecessarily

representtheviewsoftheWorldEconomicForum,northeentiretyofitsMembers,

Partnersorotherstakeholders.

©2026WorldEconomicForum.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orbyanyinformation

storageandretrievalsystem.

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof20263

June2026

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof2026

Foreword

FrederickFenter

ChiefExecutiveEditor,Frontiers

Everyyear,asmallnumberofscientificadvances

reachthepointwheretheyarereadytochange

theworld.TheTop10EmergingTechnologies

report,nowinits14thedition,ishowwefindand

sharethem.Thetechnologieswebringforward

arechosenfortheirnovelty,developmentprogressandpotentialimpact.Aboveall,theyarechosen

forthesignalsthatsuggesttheyareapproaching

themomentwhendecisionsmadebygovernments,industryandresearchinstitutionswillmeaningfully

shapehowtheyarriveintheworld.

Thisyear’seditionarrivesatatimeofdeep

uncertainty.Systemshavegrownmorefragile,

andresiliencehasbecomeapriorityacrosssectorsandregions.Thequestionofwhattechnologycanofferinresponseisoneworthsittingwith,becauseeachofthe10technologiesfeaturedthisyear

isextraordinary.Acancervaccinecannowbe

synthesizedfromapatient’sowntumour,teachingtheimmunesystemtorecognizecellsithad

previouslymissed.Acoatinghasbeendeveloped

thatemitsheatdirectlyintospace,coolingasurfacewithoutconsuminganyelectricity.Microbesgivennewgeneticinstructionsarenowproducingthe

sameproteinsasadairycow,usingafractionoftheland,waterandemissions.Eachtellsitsownstory,andeachisworththereader’stimeonitsown.

JeremyJurgens

ManagingDirector,

WorldEconomicForum

Lookingacrossthe10asagroup,threethings

standout.Manyofthesetechnologiesare

becomingmorepersonal,designedaroundone

patientoronecontextratherthanastandardizedwhole.Manyarebecomingmoredistributed,

producingfood,energyandcriticalmaterials

closertowheretheyareneeded.Athirdtendencyisthatmanyofthesetechnologiesdomorewith

less,producingcoolingwithoutpower,protein

withoutherdsandchemistrywithoutpersistent

waste.Thesearenotthedefiningqualitiesofeverytechnologyinthereport,buttheyaretendenciesthatrecur,andtheysaysomethingaboutwhere

thefrontierismoving.

Eachtechnologyinthisreportispresentedintwoparts:anoverviewofwhatthetechnologyistoday,andastrategicoutlook,developedwiththeDubaiFutureFoundation,thatimaginestheworlditcouldbringintoview.

Thetechnologiesinthisreportare,bydesign,

notfinishedstories.Wearegratefultotheadvisorycouncilmembersandtothemanyresearchers

whoseexpertiseshapedthisyear’sselection.

Whathappensnextwitheachofthesetechnologiesdependsonthechoicesbeingmadenow,includingbyreaderslikeyou.

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof20264

Technology,foresightandthedesirablefutureahead

KhalfanBelhoul

ChiefExecutiveOfficer,DubaiFutureFoundation

Decision-makersareoftenchallengedtobalancevisionarythinkingandboldactionwithon-

the-groundrealities.Duringperiodsofrapid

technologicalacceleration,actingonthefuture

withoutaddressingcriticalquestionscanbecomethenorm.Conversely,whenmarketrealitiesshiftanddisruptionstakehold,wearequicklyremindedoftheneedforpractical,groundedandlong-

termthinking.Effectiveleadershipistheabilitytostrikethatbalance–andthisisthepurposeoftechnologicalforesight.

Technologiesarethemechanismsbywhich

innovativeideasaredelivered,enablingpublic

andprivatesectororganizationstocaptureand

sustainvalue.Ratherthanreactingtoshort-term

hype,technologicalforesightenablesorganizationstodeliberatelyexplorefutures–actingonnear-

termopportunitieswhileanticipatinglonger-term

implications.Whetherpreparingtocapturethe

benefitsofnewtechnologiesormitigatingthe

financialandsocietalrisksthatmayaccompany

them,leadersmustevaluatetechnologythroughthelensofdesirablefutures:futuresdefinedbygrowth,prosperityandwell-being.

Together,thislensandthe10megatrendsthat

shapeitformtheDubaiFutureFoundation’sview

ofthefuture.Itisthroughthisperspectivethateachofthe10technologiesinthisreportisassessed.

Foreachoftheemergingtechnologies,we:

–Workbackwardstounderstandwhat

itwouldtaketorealizeadesirablefuture

–Evaluatethetechnicalandcontextualconditionsrequiredforthetechnologytoenablethedesirablefuture

–Assesstheregulatory,organizational,sectoralandsocietalfactorsthataccelerateorobstructtherealizationofthatfuture

–Identifytherisksthatdelaydevelopmentandthedecisionsthatdeterminewhetherthoserisksaremanagedorignored

Whilethestrategicoutlookspresentedheremay

notfullyreflectyourcontext,weencourageyou

tousethisapproachtoinformyourowntechnologystrategy,long-termprioritiesanddecision-making.

Everything-to-gridenergy

Turningeverybuilding,vehicle

andfactoryintoapowersource.

01

In2025,lithium-ionbatteriessurpassedtraditionalnickel-basedbatteriesinglobalelectricvehicle

deploymentsforthefirsttime.3

Thehardwarethatmovespowerbetweenthese

batteriesandthegridhasevolvedinstep,with

newsemiconductorspreservingalmostallofthe

energyduringroundtripsandnewcontrolsystemslettingdistributedstorageactivelystabilizethe

gridratherthanpassivelyfeedit.4Coordination

softwarestitchesmillionsoftheseassetsintoa

singleorchestratedresource,andcompensationframeworksarebeginningtopayforstorage

basedontheelectricityitdeliversratherthanonlyfortheenergyitdelivers.5Whattheseadvancesproducetogetherisalayerofdistributedstorageandintelligencewoventhroughoutthesystem–coordinatedratherthancommanded.

Australiaoffersoneoftheclearestglimpses

ofwhatthislookslikeatscale.Inthesecond

halfof2025,Australianhouseholdsaddedmore

than180,000homebatteries,6andstateand

nationalprogrammes7nowpaythemtoconnect

thosebatteriestosoftwarenetworksthatcandrawonthestoredenergycollectively,stabilizingthe

gridwhendemandspikes.Buildings,vehiclesanddevicesarenolongerjustelectricityconsumers;theyarenowactiveresourcesthatcanhelp

reimaginethegrid.

Hotsummerevenings,whenairconditioners

arerunningatfullcapacityandthesunhasjust

droppedbelowthehorizon,placethegreatest

stressongrids.Asuddenspikeindemandcan

pushthegridoutofbalance,evenaspotential

sourcesofflexibilityareavailablebutremain

unused:chargedelectricvehicles,energystoredincommercialbuildingsandrooftopsolarinstallationsthatarenolongergeneratingaftersunset.Theissueisnotsimplytheavailabilityofenergy,butwhetheritcanbemobilizedwhenthegridneedsitmost.

Everything-to-gridenergyclosesthatgap.Everybuilding,vehicleanddevicebecomesaplacethatcanstorepower,returnitandhelpbalancesupplyanddemandinreal-time,turningthegridintoa

networkofintelligentnodes.

Themostconsequentialchangeishappening

insidethebatteryitself,whereagenerationof

newchemistriesisfinallyaddressingtheconstraintsthathaveheldgrid-scalestorageback.Fortwo

decades,lithium-ionbatterieshavedepended

oncobaltandnickel,metalsconcentratedina

handfulofcountriesandsubjecttopricevolatilityandethicalcontroversy.1Newerchemistries

breakthatdependencebydrawingonreadilyavailablematerials,suchaslithiumandsodium.Someofthemcanchargefaster,someof

themcanlastlongerandmostofthemcostless.2

1

FIGURE

Everything-to-gridtransformationmap

electricityconsumers,electricassetscanadjusttheirconsumptionor

evensendelectricitybacktothe

gridinresponsetosystemneeds.

Collectively,theserepresentavast

sourceofdistributedflexibilitythat

couldhelpabsorbsurplusrenewableenergy,reducepeakdemandand

supportgridstability.

ZhaoYangDong(Joe)

JCSTEMLabofFutureEnergySystems,CityUniversityofHongKong;FrontiersinEnergyResearch

YuechuanTao

CityUniversityofHongKong

READMORE

Explorethefulltransformationmapforeverything-

to-gridenergyontheWorldEconomicForum’s

StrategicIntelligencePlatform.

Ratherthanfunctioningonlyas

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof20266

Grid

coordination

andAI

orchestration

Everything-to-gridenergy

Artificialintelligence

Future

ofelectricity

Internet

ofthings

Energy

infrastructure

AIandenergyuse

Imagining2031

Onaresidentialblockofmixedapartmentbuildings,theenergythatusedtoflowonlyonewayisnow

movinginbothdirections.Thebuildings’batteries

dischargeintothelocalgridthroughtheearlyevening,drawingonthecoolairtheypulledinovernight.Thecarsinthegarageschargeordischargeaccording

towhateachonereadsfromthegrid:thelocal

frequency,theprice,thestateofthebatteryand

thedriver’splansforthemorning.Therooftopsolarpanelarraysareparticipatinginamarketthatpaysforflexibilitydelivered,notenergyproduced.The

transformerthatusedtohumwithone-wayflownowrunscooler,andthesubstationitfeedshasnotcalledforemergencycapacitysincethelaststormseason.

Strategicoutlook

Everything-to-gridenergyByDubaiFutureFoundation

Ifbuildings,vehiclesandfactoriesbecomeactiveparts

ofthepowersystem,energyplanningwillnolongersit

onlywithutilitiesorenergyministries.Forbusinesses

andgovernments,decisionsaboutfleets,buildings,

datacentresandprocurementwillincreasinglyshape

energycosts,resilienceandexposuretorisk.As

electrificationaccelerates,competitiveadvantagemay

dependnotonlyonaccesstopower,butontheabilitytomanagewhenandwhereitisgenerated,storedandused.

Thischangeshoworganizationsthinkabouttheir

assets.Adeliveryfleet,commercialbuildingorfactory

couldprovidegridflexibilitybystoringpower,reducing

demandorreleasingelectricitybackintothesystem

whenneeded.8,9,10Electrificationwouldthereforebecomelessofastandaloneinfrastructureinvestmentandmoreofasystem-wideplanningchallenge.

Thiswouldrequiregridstobecomemoreflexibleand

decentralized,11whileregulationwouldneedtomove

beyondoldindustrycategories.Energypolicywillbe

important,butsowilltransportprocurement,building

codes,datainfrastructure,softwarestandardsand

workforceplanning.Together,thesechoiceswilldetermine

whetherenergybecomesamoreflexible,connectedsystemorremainsconstrainedbysector-by-sectordecisions.12

Forutilitiesandotherinstitutionsbuiltaroundthetraditionalgrid,thiswouldbeadifferentkindoftransitionfromtheonemanyarepreparingfor.Someutilitiesmayneedtomove

fromsellingpowertomanagingnetworksofdistributedassets.Inthatmodel,competitiveadvantagewoulddependon

coordinatingflexibilityatscale,ratherthanowninggeneration.13Whetherthegreatestvalueflowstoassetowners,

aggregators,utilitiesorsystemoperatorsremainsuncertain.

Batterydegradation,14uncertainrevenuemodelsand

warrantyriskscouldslowadoption,15whilecybersecurity

willbecomeincreasinglysystem-criticalaspowernetworks,communicationsinfrastructureandcloudplatformsbecomemorecloselylinked.16

Asenergybecomesmoreconnectedacrossindustries,thecentralquestioniswhetheritdevelopsasasharedsystemofresilienceorasafragmentedracetocapturecontrolandvalue.

RelatedDFFmegatrends:redefiningfinanceandmonetarysystems;evolvingecosystems

Buildingtowardsscale:everything-to-gridenergy

Policyandregulation

Redesigntariffandcompensationmodelstorewardconsumerflexibilityand

distributedenergyparticipation.

Developersandmanufacturers

Buildreal-timecoordinationplatformswithembeddedcybersecuritytoenablegrid-wideorchestration.

InfrastructureandprocurementIntegratedistributedresourcesintogridoperationstooperationalizeflexibility

andalignsystemincentives.

Standardsandcertification

Establishinteroperabilitystandardstoenableconsistentprotocolsandacceleratecross-marketintegration.

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof20267

Directlithiumextraction

Moresustainableresources,moresecuresupplychains.

02

InChile’sAtacamaDesert,lithium-richbrine

ispumpedintolargeevaporationpondsthat

spreadacrossvastareasofthesaltflats.Over

manymonths,thesunevaporatesthewater,

concentratingthelithiumuntilitcanberefined.

Theprocesscantakeuptotwoyears,requires

largeamountsofwaterandworksonlyinspecificgeologicalconditions.Aselectricvehicleproductionscales17anddecarbonizationtargetsbecomemoreurgent,thisslow,resource-intensiveprocessis

strugglingtokeeppacewithglobaldemand.

Directlithiumextractionnarrowsthatgap.Ratherthanspreadingbrineacrossopen

groundandwaitingforevaporation,engineered

systemsprocessthesameliquiddirectly,

pullinglithiumoutinhoursandreturningthe

depletedwaterunderground.Theunderlying

approachesofdirectextractiondifferintheir

chemistry.Sorbent-basedsystemsusematerials,oftenaluminiumcompounds,thatselectivelyattractlithiumions,allowingthemetaltobecapturedwhiletherestofthebrineisreinjected.Membranefiltrationpassesbrinethroughamolecularsieve.Solvent

extractioninvolvesmixinganorganicliquidwith

thebrine,bindingthelithiumandthenperformingafinalpurificationstep.Themostcapableoperationssequencethesemethods,matchingthetechniquetothechemistryofeachsource.

Thisflexibilitymattersforreasonsbeyondspeed.Conventionalevaporationpondsonlywork

wherebrineisconcentratedandexposedto

reliablesunlight.Directlithiumextractionworks

withgeothermalfluids,oilfieldwastewaterand,

eventually,solutionsobtainedfrombatteryrecyclingprocesses,openingsourcesthattheevaporation

modelcannotreach.Italsorecoversmorelithiumfromthebrine.Whereevaporationcapturesroughlyhalf,directextractioncanreach80–95%,andtheoutputcanbeclosertobattery-grade.18

InArgentina’sPunaregion,Eramet’sCentenario-Ratonesplantisthefirstindustriallithiumoperationtorunwithoutevaporationponds.19Withitsfirst

productiondeliveryin2024,theplantisdesignedtohaveanannualcapacityof24,000tonnes.

Itsitsat4,000metreselevationinoneofthe

world’smostremotedeserts,20withtheintention

ofprovingthetechnologyworksataltitudeand

scale.Centenario-Ratoneshasnowachievedthat.AtCalifornia’sSaltonSea,EnergySourceMinerals’geothermalplantisshowingwhatthenextchaptercouldlooklike.21Theplantgenerateselectricity

fromsuperheatedbrineandextractslithiumfromitbeforeitreturnsunderground.Theprojectreceiveda$1.4billionfederalloaninFebruary2026toreachfullcommercialscale.22

Evaporationpondsarenotgoinganywheresoon,

andtheywillcontinuetosupplyameaningfulshareofgloballithiumforyears.Whatischangingis

thegeographyofsupply.Directlithiumextraction

enablestheproductionofnear-battery-gradelithiumfromlocationsandsourcesthatconventionalminingcannotreach.

2

FIGURE

Directlithiumextractiontransformationmap

Givenbothresourceand

technologicalconstraints,integratingrenewableenergyintodirectlithiumextractionsystemscanfurther

improvesustainabilityandefficiency.Oneadvantageofsolar-drivendirectlithiumextractionisthepotential

fordual-useoperation,enabling

lithiumrecoveryalongsidefreshwaterproductionviasolardesalination.

VeeraGnaneswarGude

Director,PurdueUniversityNorthwestWaterInstitute(PWI);Frontiers

inEnvironmentalChemistry

READMORE

Explorethefulltransformationmapfordirect

lithiumextractionontheWorldEconomicForum’s

StrategicIntelligencePlatform.

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof20269

Renewable

energy

synergies

Directlithiumextraction

Energytransition

Advanced

materials

Materials

forenergy

Modernmining

Batteries

Imagining2031

Aprocessengineermonitorsthesorbent

columnsatoneofthefirstlithiumoperations

tocombineextractionandrefiningonasingle

site.Thebrineenteringthecolumnsrunsthroughtheselectiveextractionstageinamatterof

hours–ratherthanthemonthsitwouldhavetakeninanevaporationpond–andexitsas

anintermediatealreadyclosetobattery-grade.Therefineryontheothersideoftheperimeterfinishestheprocess.

CH

Strategicoutlook

ByDubaiFutureFoundation

Directlithiumextraction

Directlithiumextractioncouldchangelithiumproductionbybringingextractionandrefiningclosertogether.Intheconventionalprocess,thesestagesareoftenphysicallyseparated:lithiumisextractedinoneplaceandrefined

intobattery-gradechemicalssomewhereelse,most

commonlyinChina.Directlithiumextractioncanproduceanintermediatethatisalreadyclosetobattery-grade,23potentiallyshorteningandsimplifyingtherefiningprocessandallowingittobeco-locatedwithextraction.24

Thiscouldresultinamoreintegratedoperation,changingboththeeconomicsofbattery-gradelithiumproductionandthegeographyofwhocancompeteinit.

Commercialpressureisalreadybuilding.Vehicle

manufacturersareseekingdomesticallyproducedbattery-gradechemicals,whileUSincentivescreatealimited

window,likelythrougharound2028,25forcompaniesto

benefitfrompolicysupportfordomesticcriticalmineral

supplychains.Strategicadvantagecouldthereforeshift

fromcontrollingdepositsalonetocontrollingintegrated

productioncapacity,bringingnewgeographieswithviablebrinesourcesandco-locatedrefiningcapacityintothe

lithiumsupplychain.

Forthatfuturetomaterialize,capitalwouldneedto

flowtowardsintegratedfacilitiesratherthanstandalone

extractionassets.Refiningcapacitywouldneed

tobebuiltinnewgeographies,whilethecurrent

concentrationinChina,ChileandArgentinameans

workforceandsupplierecosystemsmayneedtodeveloplargelyfromscratch.26Sorbenttechnologystillneedstobevalidatedacrossawiderrangeofbrinechemistries;

todate,ithasproveneffectiveonlyacrossanarrowerset.27Regulatoryframeworksforwateruse,subsurfacerightsandwastestreamswouldneedtomaturein

jurisdictionsthathavenotpreviouslyregulatedlithiumextraction,letalonerefining.28

Thoseconditionsaredifficulttomeetquickly.Refining

expertisetakestimetobuild,andnewcapacitymaynot

comeonlinequicklyenoughtomeetvehiclemanufacturers’contractingtimelines.Withlithiumlosingover80%of

itsvaluesince2022,29economicpressuremakesthe

integrated-hubmodelanecessityratherthanapreference.

Thequestionoverthenextfiveyearsiswhethernewintegratedhubsemergeorwhetherrefiningcontinuestoexpandinplacesthatalreadyhavetheworkforceandinfrastructure.

RelatedDFFmegatrends:materialsrevolution;evolvingecosystems

Buildingtowardsscale:directlithiumextraction

Infrastructureandprocurement

Deploydirectlithiumextractiontechnologyindesalinationandbrinesystemstounlockco-productionatexistingsites.

Researchandacademia

Improvesorbentdurabilityandlifecycle

performancetoreduceoperationalcostsatscale.

Developersandmanufacturers

Secureofftakeagreementswithdistributedproducerstoanchorinvestmentand

stabilizeemergingsupplychains.

Policyandregulation

Incentivizeregionalrefiningcapacitytoreducesupplychainconcentrationandstrengthenenergysecurity.

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof202610

Passiveradiativecoolingmaterials

Zero-energycoolingforabetterbuiltenvironment.

03

Onasunnyafternooninadensecityneighbourhood,heatsettlesintotheconcreteunderfootandthe

asphaltbeyondit.Thestreet’sgeometryslows

thewindthatmighthelpcarrythisheataway,andtheairconditioningunitsrunningineverybuildingpushmoreheatoutside,whereitaccumulates.USurbanheatislandsarenow,onaverage,0.5–4.0°Cwarmerthansurroundingruralareasduringthe

day.30Thecoolingsystemsusedtomanage

thisheatcanalsointensifyit,whilecontributingsignificantlytoelectricitydemandgrowth.31

Althoughtheatmospheretrapsmostinfrared

radiation,itallowsanarrowrangeofinfrared

wavelengthstopassthroughintodeepspace.

Passiveradiativecoolingmaterialsaredesigned

toreleaseheatwithinthatsamerange,allowing

surfacestocoolwithoutusingelectricity.They

alsoscatterover95%ofincomingsunlightbefore

itbecomesheat,usingmicroscopicairbubblesthatactasmirrorsatthescaleofawavelengthoflight.Asurfacedoingbothlosesmoreenergythanitgainsanddropsbelowthetemperatureofthesurroundingair,withoutconsuminganypower.Thesepropertiescanbeembeddedintopaint,rooftiles,windowfilmsandheavy-dutyfabrics,appliedtonewconstructionorretrofittedontoexistingstructures.

Withthisrangeofapplications,twooftheworld’slargestbuildingmarketshavewrittenpassive

radiativecoolingintolaw.California’sEnergyCode32requirescoolroofmaterialsonmostcommercial

andhigh-risebuildings,andChina’sDualCarbonpolicy33hasincorporatedthetechnologyinto

nationalgreenbuildingstandards.Thisregulatorypullhasbroughtchemicalgiants,includingArkemaandSolvay,intothesupplychainandhelped

manufacturingshiftfromcomplexlaboratory

processestostandardindustrialcoatingandfilmproduction.Radiativecoolingpaintscostaround$6persquaremetre,while3MandSkyCoolhavereportedenergysavingsof15–20%ingroceryandretailsettings.34

Thisprincipleisalsobeingappliedtoelectrical

infrastructure.IntheUnitedKingdom,AssetCoolhasdevelopedacoatingforpowercablesthat

cankeepthemcoolenoughtocarryaround30%moreelectricitythroughexistinginfrastructure,35

increasingcapacitywithoutnewwiresoradditionalenergyuse.SRIInternational’sself-cooling

paintappliesthesamelogictogridandbuilding

components,reducingsurfacetemperatures

byupto15degreesbelowambientconditions

insystemswhereheatlimitsperformance.36

SPACECOOL,anoffshootofOsakaGas,has

producedafilmthatreflects95%ofsunlightwhileemittinganequivalentshareofheatintospace.

Thefilmisnowbeingappliedtoshippingcontainersandenergyswitchboards.37

3

FIGURE

Passiveradiativecoolingtransformationmap

Arule-of-thumbforthelifetime

dependenceofelectronicson

temperatureisthata10°Cincreasehalvesthelifetime.Keepingthe

temperatureaslowaspossible

wasthereforeanimportantgoal.

Whereasactivecoolingcouldhavebeenimplemented,thiswouldhaverequiredadditionalelectronics,

aswellasmaintenanceandrepair,increasingcosts.Theconclusionwastolookforasimplepassive

coolingsolution.

AnishThukral

ResearchScientistIII,SRIInternational

READMORE

Explorethefulltransformationmapforpassive

radiativecoolingmaterialsontheWorldEconomic

Forum’sStrategicIntelligencePlatform.

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof202612

Coolingforcutting-edgetechnologies

Passiveradiativecooling

Semiconductors

Sustainable

computing

Space

AIandenergyuse

Industry:

chemicals

andadvanced

materials

Imagining2031

Inanequatorialregionwherehighcoolingcostshavelongmadeyear-roundmanufacturingdifficult,anewfactoryisabletooperateeventhroughthehottestmonths.Externalpaintandwindowfilmkeepthe

buildingcoolenoughfortheproductionlinetorun,

evenwhenoutdoortemperaturesrise.Thefilmscostlesspersquaremetrethanoneyearofadditional

cooling,turningarecurringoperatingcostinto

anupfrontdesigndecisionmadebythearchitectsbeforethefactor