IncollaborationwithFrontiers

Top10Emerging

Technologiesof2025

FLAGSHIP REPORT

JUNE 2025

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof2025

PAGE

2

Images:Midjourney,StudioMiko.Allimagesinthisreportweregeneratedusingartificialintelligence.

Contents

Foreword 03

Buildingstrategicforesight 04

Introduction 05

Methodology 06

Structuralbatterycomposites

09

Osmoticpowersystems

12

Advancednucleartechnologies

15

Engineeredlivingtherapeutics

18

GLP-1sforneurodegenerativedisease

21

Autonomousbiochemicalsensing

24

Greennitrogenfixation

27

Nanozymes

30

Collaborativesensing

33

Generativewatermarking

36

Fromweaksignalstosocietaltransformation

39

Contributors

40

Endnotes

43

Disclaimer

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WorldEconomicForumasacontributiontoaproject,insightareaorinteraction.Thefindings,interpretationsandconclusionsexpressedhereinarearesultofacollaborativeprocessfacilitatedandendorsedbytheWorldEconomicForumbutwhoseresultsdonotnecessarily

representtheviewsoftheWorldEconomicForum,northeentiretyofitsMembers,Partnersorotherstakeholders.

?2025WorldEconomicForum.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem.

June2025

Top10Emerging

Technologiesof2025

Foreword

FrederickFenterChiefExecutiveEditor,Frontiers

JeremyJurgensManagingDirector,WorldEconomicForum

Everyyear,remarkableinnovationsemergefromresearchlabsaroundtheworld.Manyholdtremendouspromise,yettoofewsuccessfully

makethecriticalleapfromscientificdiscoverytoreal-worldapplication.For13years,theWorldEconomicForum’sTop10EmergingTechnologiesreporthasaimedtochangethatbyshiningaspotlightonbreakthroughtechnologieswiththepotentialnotonlytocrossthisthresholdbutalsotohelpsocietiesadaptandthriveinthefaceofcomplexchallenges.

Thisreportservesaclearpurpose:tocatalyseforward-lookingdialoguesandshapetechnologyagendasbyconnectingcutting-edgeresearchwiththosewhocanhelpadvanceit.Byidentifying

technologiesattheirturningpoint–wherescientificachievementmeetspracticalpotential–weprovideleadersingovernment,businessandsciencewiththeinsightsneededtomakeforward-thinkingdecisionsinarapidlyevolvinglandscape.

Ourworkarrivesatapivotalmoment.Theglobalinnovationlandscapecontinuestoevolve,withshiftingtraderelationships,supplychainreconfigurationsandregionaldynamicscreatingnewstrategicconsiderations.Inthiscontext,thetechnologieshighlightedinthisreporttakeonadditionaldimensionsofimportance.Somemayofferpathwaystogreaterself-sufficiencyandresilience;otherscouldserveasbridgesfor

essentialinternationalcollaborationdespitebroadertensions.Manyrepresentareaswheresharedglobalinterestsmattermorethanshort-termdifferences.

Eachtechnologyinthisreporthasbeencarefullyevaluatedbasedonitsnovelty,developmentprogressandtransformativepotential.Frommaterialsthatstoreenergywithintheirstructuretonewtreatmentsforneurodegenerativediseases,theseinnovationshavemovedbeyondtheoryanddemonstratedthecapacitytostrengthensociety’sabilitytoadaptandthrive.

Whatmakesthisreportvaluableisthatwelookbeyondwhatthesetechnologiesaretoenvisionwhattheycouldcreate.Eachentryincludesastrategicoutlookthatillustratespossiblefuturesiftheseinnovationsreachtheirfullpotential.

DevelopedincollaborationwiththeDubaiFutureFoundation,theseforward-lookingscenarioshelpreadersseetransformativepossibilities

andinspirethecommitmentneededtomovethesetechnologiesfrompromisingconceptstowidespreadimplementation.

Thetechnologiesinthiseditionrevealexcitingpatterns:combiningenergysystemswithadvancedmaterials,usingbiologicalapproachestoimprovehumanhealth,reimaginingindustrialprocesses

forsustainabilityandcreatingnewfoundationsfortrustinconnectedsystems.Eachrepresentsnotjustatechnicaladvance,butapathtowardsmoreresilientandsustainablesocieties.

ThisworkwouldnotbepossiblewithoutMarietteDiChristinaandBernardMeyerson,co-chairsofourEmergingTechnologiesSteeringCommittee.Theirleadershiphasbeenessentialinshapingboththisreportandtheselectionprocessbehindit.

Weareequallygratefultooursteeringcommitteemembers,whosediverseexpertiseensuresweidentifytrulygroundbreakingtechnologieswiththepotentialtotransformourworld.

Asthereportcontinuestoevolve,thisyearwe’vealsointroducedecosystemreadinessmapsthatprovidepracticalguidanceonthespecificactionsneededtoscalethesetechnologiesfrompromisetoimpact.

Weofferthisreportnotasanendpoint,butasacalltoaction–acatalystforthecollaborationessentialtohelpthesetechnologiesfulfiltheirpromise.Inaneraofunprecedentedchallengesanduncertainty,theseinnovationsgiveuspowerfultoolstoadapt,overcomeandthrive.

Buildingstrategicforesight

H.E.KhalfanBelhoulChiefExecutiveOfficer,DubaiFutureFoundation

Strategicforesightisthedeliberateexplorationofpossiblefuturestoinformtoday’sdecisions.

Inaneraofacceleratingchange,foresightenablesleaderstomovebeyondshort-termthinking,anticipatedisruptionanduncoveropportunitiesthatliebeyondtheimmediatehorizon.

Atitscore,strategicforesightrecognizesthattechnologicalinnovationcannotbeunderstoodthroughasingle,linearperspective.AttheDubaiFutureFoundation(DFF),weassessemergingtechnologiesthroughthreesimultaneousandinterconnectedlenses:

Asanassumption

Technologicalprogresswillcontinuetoaccelerate.

Asanuncertainty

Technologiesareshapedbycomplexconstraints–infrastructurelimitations,energydemands,policyshiftsandsocietalreadiness.

Asanenabler

Technologiesthatunderpinemergingmegatrendsandfutureopportunities.

Beyondmerelypredictingoutcomes,strategicforesightunpacksthevariouspathwaysthroughwhichdifferentpossibilitiesmightunfold,revealinghowinnovationscantransformourcollectivefuture.

Inexploringthesetechnologies,weinvitereaderstolookbeyondtechnicalspecifications.Eachinnovationrepresentsmorethananisolatedadvancement–itisasignalofbroadertransformationstakingshapeacrossourglobalsystems.Thesearenotjusttechnologies,but

potentialcatalystsforreimagininghowweaddresscomplexglobalchallenges.

Forthoseinterestedinadeeperexplorationofeachtechnology’spotential,thestrategicoutlooksectionsthatfolloweachdescriptionofferacomprehensiveviewoftransformativepossibilitiesandstrategicimplications.Togroundthesetechnologiesinthecontextofglobalchange,every

entryistaggedwithtwooftheDFFmegatrendsthataremostlikelytoenable,andbeenabledby,therespectivetechnologywithinthenextdecade.

Byconnectingtheseemergingtechnologiestowidercontextualframeworks,weaimtoprovideacomprehensiveviewthatbridgestechnicalpotentialwithhumanaspiration.Ourgoalisnottopresent

adefinitiveroadmap,buttosparkimagination,encouragedialogueandconsidermultiplefuturesthatmightemergefromsomeoftoday’smostpromisinginnovations.

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof2025 4

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof2025

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5

Introduction

AmessagefromtheTop10EmergingTechnologiesSteeringGroupCo-Chairs.

MarietteDiChristinaDeanandProfessor,PracticeinJournalism,BostonUniversityCollegeofCommunication

BernardS.MeyersonChiefInnovationOfficerEmeritus,IBM

TheFourthIndustrialRevolutioncontinuesapace,fillingthisyear’sTop10EmergingTechnologiesreportwithastrikingarrayofintegrativeadvancesthataddressglobalgapsandconcerns.Ourselectionreflectsthediversenatureoftechnologicalemergence–sometechnologies,likestructuralbatterycomposites,representnovelapproaches

tolongstandingchallenges,whileothers,suchasGLP-1s(glucagon-likepeptide-1)forneurodegenerativediseasesandadvancednucleartechnologies,demonstratehowestablishedinnovationscanfindtransformativenewapplications.Eachrepresentsacriticalinflectionpointwherescientificachievementmeetspracticalpotentialforaddressingglobalneeds.(FormoreonhowtheFourthIndustrialRevolutionsparks“wavesoffurtherbreakthroughs”,seethefinalchapterofthisreport,“Fromweaksignalstosocietaltransformation”.)

Take,forinstance,theintegrationofenergysystemsandmaterials,whichprovidesdramaticimprovementsinfunctionalityandefficiencyasseeninthisyear’slist.Instructuralbatterycomposites,transportgetsanupgradewith“massless”energysystemsthatblendintotheload-bearingelements.Turningtoothersourcesofenergy,advancesinmaterialsforsemipermeablemembranesenable“saltpower”inosmoticpowersystems.Finally,inthesearchfornon-carbonenergysources,newdesignsfornext-generationnuclearpowerplantsarecomingonline.

Biotechnologyalsoofferssomestrikingadditionstohumanhealthinthisyear’stop10.Biologicallybasedinterventionsaregainingmomentumasboth

treatmentandmonitoringsolutions,movingbeyondtraditionalpharmaceuticalapproaches.Witnessengineeredlivingtherapeutics,microbesgeneticallyengineeredintolivingfactoriesthatcouldproduce

medicinesandothertherapeuticsubstancesasneededbythebody.Anewclassofdrugs,calledGLP-1s,well-knowninweight-lossmedicationsandmanagementoftype2diabetes,arenowbeingbroughttobearonbrain-relateddiseasessuchasAlzheimer’sandParkinson’s.Itisanticipatedthatautonomousbiochemicalsensing,whereanalyticaldevicescontinuouslymonitorchemicalordiseasemarkers,willsoonreplacesingle-usetestsatscale.

Coreindustrialprocessesarebeingfundamentallyreimaginedforsustainabilityandefficiency.Examplesinthisyear’stop10includegreennitrogenfixation,inwhichatmosphericnitrogenisconvertedintocrop-feedingammoniaforfertilizerwithavastlyloweredcarbonfootprint.Meanwhile,nanozymes,laboratory-producednanomaterialswithenzyme-likepropertiesthatactascatalystsinimportantindustrialprocesses,offerincreasedstability,lowerproductioncostsandsimplersynthesisprocesses.

Trustandsafetyinconnectedsystemsareclearlyessentialtoournetworkedfuture.Collaborativesensing,forexample,willrelyonthat.Sensorsdistributedinhomes,vehiclesandworkspacesareincreasinglybeingconnectedtoeachotherandusedbyartificialintelligence(AI)-infusedsystems.Lastandnotleast,thisyear,theWorldEconomicForum’s

GlobalRisksReport2025

againhighlightedmisinformationanddisinformationaskeycurrentrisks.GenerativeAIwatermarking,whichembedsinvisiblemarkerstoverifyauthenticityandorigins,mayhelpofferawayforward.

Appliedcollaborativelyandwisely,asalways,emergentinnovationsinspiremoreconfidenceinhumanity’sabilitytoimprovethestateoftheworld.Weinviteyoutoengagewiththisyear’slistindetailandwelcomeyourfeedback.

Methodology

The2025emergingtechnologieswereselectedthroughexpertnominations,AIanalysis,readinessassessmentandstrategicevaluation.

TechnologieswerenominatedfortheTop10EmergingTechnologiesof2025reportthroughasurveydistributedtotheWorldEconomicForum’sGlobalFutureCouncilsNetwork,theFrontiersnetworkofchiefeditors,comprisedofeditorsfromtopinstitutionsworldwide,andtheTop10EmergingTechnologiesSteeringCommitteemembers.

Thereport’sdefinitionof“emergingtechnologies”encompassesbothentirelynovelinnovationsandestablishedtechnologiesbeingappliedin

transformativenewways.Thisinclusiveapproachrecognizesthattechnologicalemergenceoccursthroughmultiplepathways–whetherthroughgroundbreakingnewdiscoveriesorthroughapplyingexistingtechnologiestosolvedifferentproblemsinwaysthatcouldcreatesignificantnewimpact.

Surveyrespondents,representingaglobalcommunityoftrustedacademicsandresearchers,providedinformationaboutthetechnologynominated,includingthetechnologyname,description,keybreakthroughs,casestudiesandhowitwillimpacteconomies,theenvironmentandsociety,aswellaspotentialrisksthataccompanythetechnology.

In2025,morethan250validtechnologynominationsweresubmittedbyexpertsacrossindustryandacademia.Toscreenthesesubmissions,theAITrendAnalyzer–developedbyFrontiers–mappednominationstokeyconceptsandmatchedtheseconceptstotheirfrequencyinacademicarticlesoverarolling

10-yearperiod.Fromthisanalysis,anaverage

“trendiness”scorewasestablished,indicatingeachtechnology’sgrowingpresenceandmomentum

inresearchliterature.

EachtechnologywasalsoevaluatedusingtheWorldEconomicForumResilienceConsortium’s

ResilienceforSustainable,InclusiveGrowth

(2022)framework,focusingontheirpotentialtoaddresssystemicchallengesandcontributetobuildingadaptivecapacityforfuturegenerations.

Therankedtechnologieswerethenfilteredbyremovingthosefeaturedinpreviouseditionsofthereport.Businessfundingdatawasaddedtosupporttheanalysisforeachofthetop20technologies,providinginsightintomarketconfidenceandcommercializationpotential.

Thisrefinedshortlistof20technologieswasthenassessedbyasteeringcommitteeofexperts,whoappliedthefollowingselectioncriteria:

Novelty:Earlyadoptionisemerging,butwidespreaduseisnotyetachieved.

Impact:Potentialforsignificantsocietalandeconomicbenefit.

Depth:Developedacrossmultipleentities,withbroadandsustainedinterest.

Thisrigorous,multi-phaseselectionprocessensuresacomprehensiveandobjectiveassessmentofeachtechnology’sreadinessandtransformativepotential.

Ecosystemreadiness

Thisyearintroducesanecosystemreadinessmapforeachtechnology.Thisanalysisevaluateshowpreparedthesocietalinfrastructureisforthesetechnologiestoscaleandachievetheirprojectedimpact.

Foreachtechnology,insightsweregatheredfromtheTop10EmergingTechnologiesSteeringCommittee,Frontier’snetworkofchiefeditorsandfuturistsfromtheDubaiFutureFoundation.

Theseexpertsevaluatedreadinessacrossfivekeydimensions,commonlyknownasSTEEP(social,technological,environmental,economicandpolitical)analysis:

Social:Publicawareness,acceptance,educationlevelsandculturalvaluesthatsupportthetechnology

Technological:Maturityofunderlyingtechnologies,researchneedsandsupplychainreadiness

Environmental:Accesstorequiredresources,sustainabilityofmaterialsandalignmentwithemissionregulations

Economic:Marketdemand,investmenttrendsandbusinessmodelviability

Policy:Regulatoryframeworks,internationalpolicyalignmentandtradebarriers

Eachdimensionwasratedonafour-pointscalefrom“noreadiness”to“highreadiness”.Theresultsaredisplayedinradarcharts(seeFigure1)ineachtechnologysection,accompaniedbykeyactionsrequiredtoachievescale.

Theseassessmentshelpidentifycriticalgapsthatmustbeaddressedbeforetechnologiescanreachtheirfullpotential,providingvaluablecontextfordecision-makersacrosssectors.

FIGURE1 Ecosystemreadinessmap

Social

4

3.5

3

2.5

2

Policy

1.5

1

Technological

0.5

Economic

Environmental

Strategicoutlooks

ThestrategicoutlooksinthisreportweredevelopedbytheDubaiFutureFoundation(DFF).Foreachselectedtechnology,inputsincludedacademicresearchliterature,marketanalysesandanin-depthforesightanalysisofkeydriversandimplications.Thedevelopmentprocessinvolvedaninitialassessmentofeachtechnology’stransformativepotential,followedbyasystematicanalysisofcross-sectorapplicationsandimplementationbarriers.Parametersforevaluationincludedpotentialimpactacrosseconomic,socialandenvironmentaldimensions,withparticularattentiontoscalingrequirements,governanceimplicationsandsystem-levelchanges.

EachtechnologywasalsocategorizedaccordingtoitsrelationshipwithtwoofDFF’smegatrendsframeworkcategoriestopositiontheseinnovations

withinbroaderevolutionarypatterns.Thismethodicalapproachensuresconsistentevaluationacrossdiversetechnologicaldomains.

Transformationmaps

Tocomplementthisyear’sreport,transformationmapshavebeendevelopedinpartnershipwithFrontiers’chiefeditors.Thesedigitaltoolsvisualizehoweachtechnologyconnectstobroadersystemsandglobalpriorities.HostedontheForum’sStrategicIntelligencePlatform,themapsillustrateintersectionpointsbetweenemergingtechnologiesandrelatedtopics,providingcuratedcontentfromtrustedsources.Theyofferdecision-makersapracticalresourceforexploringpotentialimpacts,understandingcross-domainrelationshipsandtrackingongoingdevelopments.

Explorethemapshere

FIGURE2 Example:Greennitrogenfixationtransformationmap

StructuralbatterycompositesMergingenergyandengineeringinmotion.

DougArent

ExecutiveDirector,NationalRenewableEnergyLaboratoryFoundation

AndrewMaynard

Professor,SchoolfortheFutureofInnovationinSociety,ArizonaStateUniversity

DavidParekh

ChiefExecutiveOfficer,SRIInternational

compositesthatcanfunctionasbothstructuralcomponentsandenergystorageunits.

TheimpactofSBCswillbesubstantial.Economically,theypromisetocutmanufacturingcostsbyreducingtheamountofstructuralmaterials,which,inturn,canlowertheoverallweightofvehiclesandaircraft;lighter-weightvehiclesrequirelessfueltooperateaswell.Environmentally,SBCscouldleadtoenergy-efficientdesignsthatreducematerialrequirements,andmakereuse,repurposingandrecyclingfasterandcheaper,ifdevelopedappropriately.Theiruseinindustriesincludingaviationandtransportcouldcontributetomorereliableandsustainableoperations.

Ecosystemreadinessmap

KEYACTIONSTOACHIEVESCALE

Developindustry-specificdemonstrationplatforms–Collaboratewithkeytransportmanufacturers(automotive,aerospace,

marine)tobuildfunctionalprototypesthatquantifyweightreduction,rangeimprovementandstructuralintegritybenefits.

Establishspecializedmanufacturingcapacity–Investinpilotproductionfacilitiesthatcombinebattery

manufacturingexpertisewithadvancedcompositefabricationtechniquestoaddresstheuniqueproductionchallengesofstructuralbatterycomponents.

Environmental

Economic

Technological

Policy

Social

Structuralbatterycomposites(SBCs)integrateload-bearingmechanicalcomponentsandrechargeableenergystorage.Thismeansstructuralbatterycompositescanstoreenergythesame

wayastraditionallithium-ionbatteries,whilealsobeingrigidcomponentsofthevehicleor

buildingthatthebatteryispowering.1Incontrast,theelectrochemicalcomponentsofatraditionalbatterysystemarehousedinacontainerthataddsweightwithoutprovidinganystructuralbenefit.SBCsmayincludecarbonfibre,epoxyresinorotherlightweight,high-strengthmaterialsandcanbe3Dprintedandoptimizedfor

surfaceareaandstructuralstrengthtoenhanceefficiency.2SBCshaveusesinawidevarietyofapplications,rangingfromelectricvehicles(EVs)toaerospacetechnologies.

Theconceptofstructuralbatterycompositesaroseinthepastcoupleofdecadesfromadvancesinmaterialscience,particularlyinthefieldsofcompositematerials,batteriesandelectrochemistry.3Thetechnologyisstillinthe

earlystagesofcommercializationbuthasmadesignificantprogress.EVsalreadyusebatteriesaspartofthevehicle’sstructure,butSBCswilltakethattothenextlevelbyenablingbodypanelsofallshapesandsizestoperformbothfunctions.

Image:

SBCscombineenergystorageandstructuralstrength,enablinglighter,multifunctional

componentsfortransportandaerospace.

Credit:MidjourneyandStudioMiko.

Prompt(abbreviated):“Goldenlayeredquantumdisksrefiningandfilteringorganicdataintoasinglelightstream.”

Readmore:

Formoreexpertanalysis,visitthe

SBCs

transformationmap

.

Authoredby:LiefErikAsp,Bj?rnJohanssonandJohannaXu.

Inthefuture,SBCscouldenableallrigidvehiclebodypanelstosimilarlystoreenergy.Forexample,AirbusisexperimentingwithSBCsforuseinaircraft,4whereasacademicresearchcontinuestoexplorenewmaterialsandmethodstoenhanceperformance.Applicationscurrentlybeingexploredincludeenergy-storingvehiclebodypanels

anddroneframes,withsomepotentialfutureapplicationsincludingaircraftfuselages.

Astransformativeasitspotentialis,SBCtechnologyhasyettoachievewidespreadadoptionduetotechnicalchallengessuchasachievinghighenergystoragedensity,long-termstability,safety,durabilityandcost-effectiveness.5Regulatoryhurdlesalsoremain.Asstructuralbatterycompositematerialsmature,anewsetofsafetyregulationsandstandardsmustbedevelopedbeforewide-scaleadoptionispossible.Keymilestonesincludetheintegrationoflightweightmaterialslikecarbonfibrewithbatterytechnology,creatingmultilayer

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof2025 10

Strategicoutlook

Structuralbatterycomposites

ByDubaiFutureFoundation

Theconvergenceofmaterialsscienceandenergytechnologythroughstructuralbatterycompositesrepresentsa

criticalinflectionpointforglobalindustries.Overthenextdecade,theseinnovativematerialshavethepotential

tofundamentallyrestructurehowinfrastructure,energystorageandproductdesignareconceivedacrossmultiplesectors.

With85%oflithiumcurrentlyrefinedbyjustthreecountries,6thegeopoliticallandscapeofcriticalmineralscurrentlystandsatapivotalmoment.SBCsofferastrategicpathwaytodiversifyanddecentralizeenergymaterialsupplychains.Thistechnologicalshiftcouldreshapeglobaleconomicdependencies,transforminghownationsapproachenergyinfrastructureandtechnologicalsovereignty.

Beyondsupplychainimpacts,transformativepotentialismostevidentintransport.Intheautomotivesector,a10%reductioninvehicleweightcanimprovefuelefficiencyby6-8%andincreaseEVrangeby70%.7,8Aviationpresentsanequallycompellingopportunity,withpotentialfuelefficiencyimprovementsof15%overa1,500kmflight.9Thesearenotmerelyincrementalimprovements,butpotentialcatalystsforsystemicchangeintransportdesignandenergyconsumption.

Torealizebenefitsatscale,strategicleadersmustrecognizechallengesthatextendbeyondtechnologicalinnovation.

Existingregulatoryframeworksdonotfullyaccountfordual-functionmaterials.Safetystandards,testingprotocolsandbuildingcodeswillrequirecomprehensivereimaginingtoaccommodatematerialsthatsimultaneouslyprovidestructuralintegrityandenergystorage.

Sustainabilityisbothacriticalchallengeandanopportunity.Carbonfibre,whilefivetimesstrongerthansteel,currentlyfacessignificantenvironmentalconstraintsdueto

carbon-intensiveproductionandrecyclingchallenges.10,11However,advancesinAI-drivencompositematerialdesignsuggesttheemergenceofmorescalable,

bio-basedalternatives.12

Themostforward-thinkingorganizationswillview

thistechnologyasmorethanaproductimprovement.Itrepresentsafundamentalredesignofhowmaterialfunctionalityisconceived.Inconstruction,thismeansbuildingsthatarenotjustshelters,butactiveenergysystems.Inelectronics,ittranslatestodevices

thatseamlesslyintegratestructuralintegrityandpowerstorage.

Strategicdecision-makersfaceacriticalchoice.Thosewhoproactivelyinvestinunderstandinganddevelopingthesetechnologieswillbepositionedto:

Redesignentireproductcategories

ReduceenergyconsumptionacrossindustrialsectorsCreatemoreresilientandadaptive

infrastructuralsystems

Developneweconomicmodelsthatchallengeexistingtechnologicalparadigms

ThenextdecadewilloffersignificantadvantagestoorganizationsthatlookbeyondincrementalimprovementsandrecognizeSBCsasatransformativetechnologicalplatform.Successwilldependonunprecedentedcollaborationacrossmaterialsscience,design,energysystemsandregulatoryframeworks.

RelatedDFFmegatrends:MaterialsandEnergyBoundaries13

Top10EmergingTechnologiesof2025 11

OsmoticpowersystemsChannellingsaltintoenergy.

KatherineDaniell

DirectorandProfessor,SchoolofCybernetics,AustralianNationalUniversity

AlisonLewis

DeanoftheFacultyofEngineeringand

theBuiltEnvironment,UniversityofCapeTown

producingpurifiedwater,andrecoveringlithium,nitrogenandcarbondioxide(CO2)fromthewateremployedintheprocess.

Remainingchallengestofullemergencearelargelytechnicalandeconomicinnature.Previousgenerationsofosmoticpowerstationssufferedfrommembranefoulingandhighcosts,althoughrecentadvanceshaveimprovedperformance.

Thetechnologyisotherwisebasedonclearanduncontroversialscientificprinciplesforextractingenergyfromdifferencesinsalinity.Beyondlicensingprocessesandeffectiveenvironmentalandsocialimpactassessments,thereappeartoberelativelyfewhurdlestowideadoptiononcesufficientfinancialinvestmentsaremadeintoosmotic

powersystems.

Ecosystemreadinessmap

KEYACTIONSTOACHIEVESCALE

Establishdemonstrationprojects–

Createpublic-privatepartnershipstobuildpilotosmoticpowerplantsindiverse

geographiclocationstovalidatethetechnologyacrossdifferentenvironments.

Developcommunityengagementprogrammes–Implementeducationalinitiativesinpotentialhostcommunities

thatclearlydemonstrateosmoticpower’sdualbenefitsforcleanenergygenerationandwatermanagement.

Environmental

Economic

Technological

Policy

Social

Osmoticpowersystemsuseavarietyofmeanstogenerateenergyfromsalinity(saltcontent)

differencesintwosourcesofwater.Suchsystemsareclean,renewableandlow-impact–andtheyprovideasteadysourceofenergy.Incontrast,theenergyproducedbyrenewablessuchassolarandwindpowermayfluctuategreatlyduringthecourseofaday,dependingonweatherconditions.

Althoughtheconceptwasfirstproposedin1975,14osmoticpowersystemscouldnotbeadoptedatthetimeduetolimitationsofmembranep