Agenda

The stories shaping the Global, Regional and Industry agendas

Global Agenda

Climate Change

How big data can help us fight climate change faster

From satellite images to artificial intelligence, here are the smartest new tools in the battle to save the planet.

Liza Ramrayka 19 Oct 2018

Global Health

What washing your hands can teach you about global change

Washing your hands with soap is the single most cost-effective public health act there is. Here's how to spread the message.

Paul Polman, Myriam Sidibe, and Val Curtis 19 Oct 2018

Media, Entertainment and Information

The world's most competitive economy and other top stories of the week

More food for thought in this week's round-up: do you know the age when most mental illnesses start, and is AI a threat to human rights?

Adrian Monck 19 Oct 2018

Future of Economic Progress

Germany is the world’s most innovative economy

Germany comes top for innovation in the World Economic Forum’s report on global competitiveness. Here’s why.

Kate Whiting 18 Oct 2018

Values

70 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this is why we need dignity more than ever

Dignity is the great equalizer. It cuts through all divisions and unites us around our shared humanity. Here's how we can help young people honour it.

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway , John Osborn, and Cynthia Guyer 17 Oct 2018

Competitiveness Framework

These are the world’s most competitive economies

The World Economic Forum’s latest report on global competitiveness highlights how countries are adapting to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Here’s how they compare.

Kate Whiting 16 Oct 2018

Competitiveness Framework

What makes America the world’s most competitive economy?

The United States is one of the world’s great innovation powerhouses, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2018.

Oliver Cann 16 Oct 2018

Fourth Industrial Revolution

10 things you - and your government - should know about competitiveness in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Even as globalization has led to unprecedented gains for many from the movement of goods, services, people and ideas, there are those who have lost out – economically, politically or culturally. Policymakers are looking for new pathways to prosperity.

Klaus Schwab and Saadia Zahidi 16 Oct 2018

Environment and Natural Resource Security

Can we balance conservation and development? Science says yes

A sustainable future based on realistic changes in how we use energy, land and water is achievable. But it relies on fast action.

Heather Tallis and Stephen Polasky 16 Oct 2018

Regional Agenda

Drones

Africa is helping the drone industry get off the ground. Here’s how

Some of the world’s poorest countries have embraced drone technology, and are giving the industry a boost by stimulating innovation.

Seth Berkley 19 Oct 2018

Africa

Who are the winners and losers in Africa’s Continental Free Trade area?

It's the largest free trade agreement in history. Here's what the AfCFTA must do to ensure it helps small businesses, which employ 80% of Africans, to thrive.

Rilwan Akeyewale 17 Oct 2018

Drones

How India can become a global leader in drone technology

From healthcare to farming, drones can benefit Indian society in myriad ways. And now that the government has issued its first drone regulations, the sector could finally be about to take...

Timothy Reuter 11 Oct 2018

India

5 ways tech can transform the future of work in India

The technological disruption taking place presents India with opportunities to reshape its workforce and workplaces for the better.

Suchi Kedia and Terri Chapman 10 Oct 2018

India

How drones and data are changing India's farms

India's Prime Minister Modi has promised to double farmers' income by 2022. Could exciting new technologies help them meet this target?

Sarita Nayyar 10 Oct 2018

India

Here’s what young Indians really want from life

Half of India’s 1.3 billion population is under 25. That’s a fifth of the world’s global youth. A new survey reveals what young Indians aspire to - and how to help them get there.

Suchi Kedia, Sriram Gutta, Terri Chapman, and Vidisha Mishra 05 Oct 2018

European Union

Why did the Balkans’ political leaders meet in Geneva this week?

Today, the World Economic Forum welcomes 5 European heads of state or government at our headquarters in Geneva. What is it exactly that we hope to achieve?

Oliver Cann 01 Oct 2018

Africa

This is how far people in Africa have to travel to reach a hospital

We still have a long way to go to achieve the sustainable development goal of delivering universal health care by 2030.

Paul Ouma and Emelda Okiro · The Conversation 26 Sep 2018

India

The Indian miracle state pointing the way to global sustainability

Andhra Pradesh's growth gains have been nothing short of astonishing. Now, thanks to a bold government vision, this manufacturing powerhouse is gunning for the SDGs.

Suchi Kedia and Ian Cronin 25 Sep 2018

Industry Agenda

Media, Entertainment and Information

Can big events really go plastic-free? A water capsule made from seaweed may be the answer

Over the past six years, events ranging from marathons to the Global Climate Action Summit have been getting serious about sustainability.

Jaime Nack 19 Oct 2018

Cities and Urbanization

This is what a smart city should do for its people

We can design more efficient and more ecological people-centred cities, which promote individual wellbeing and sustainable development.

Zeynep Bodur Okyay 18 Oct 2018

Fourth Industrial Revolution

The power of trust and values in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

It’s often said that “data is the new oil”. Instead, we’d argue that trust will decide the success of businesses and of the Fourth Industrial Revolution itself.

Nicholas Davis and Simon Mulcahy 17 Oct 2018

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Could robot leaders do better than our current politicians?

Robots would be less erratic, irrational and ideological than human leaders. So what's stopping us?

Zeger van der Wal and Yifei Yan 17 Oct 2018

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

AI can help us unlock the world’s most complex operating system - the human body

AI’s advanced intelligence and reasoning can help us understand our bodies in ways we have never before managed and help scientists to generate new medicines.

Ken Mulvany 15 Oct 2018

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

AI won't replace human translators yet. Here are 3 reasons why

AI robots consistently outperform us at playing chess, diagnosing cancer and predicting crop yields. But dominance in the fields of live speech, subjectivity and humour still alludes them.

Jonathan Rechtman 11 Oct 2018

Climate Change

Here's how data is going to help us phase out fossil fuels

Coal plant operators and governments can be unable or unwilling to share data on plants' performance. Fortunately, this could change dramatically thanks to a revolution happening in space.

Matt Gray 11 Oct 2018

Corruption

How transparency can help the global economy to grow

Through technology and public-private partnerships, it is now possible for both emerging and developed countries to advance transparency in government, save millions of dollars and better...

Alex Konanykhin 10 Oct 2018

Workforce and Employment

5 things the military can teach your company about agility

From the art of battlefield jazz to harnessing the existential threat, the boardroom has much to learn from the modern military.

David Gillespie 25 Sep 2018