
The World Economic Forum’s network of Global Future Councils is the world’s foremost multistakeholder and interdisciplinary knowledge network dedicated to promoting innovative thinking to shape a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future.
The network convenes more than 1000 of the most relevant and knowledgeable thought leaders from academia, government, international organizations, business and civil society, grouped in expertise-based thematic councils. It is an invitation-only community and members are nominated for a one-year period.
Mission
Global Future Council members provide strategic insights, scientific evidence, forward guidance and multidisciplinary understanding of major issues that will shape the post-COVID world through:
- Identifying and monitoring the latest trends, scientific research and frontier technologies with significant potential to transform societies, industries and regions
- Contributing their expertise and knowledge, sharing key lessons and developing innovative ideas to “building back better” initiatives of industry, regional and solution platforms
- Providing decision-makers from business and government with a multidisciplinary understanding of the strategic implications
- Deepening understanding of the drivers and enablers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how emerging technologies can be leveraged to address global, regional and industry issues
- Informing the World Economic Forum’s strategic initiatives by providing feedback on the direction of existing projects as well as new areas of focus
- Increasing public awareness of the potential benefits and risks related to major breakthroughs
Members' engagement
Council members participate regularly in online interactions and council activities via the Forum’s TopLink platform, emails and regular virtual meetings. The council delivers its outcomes as part of the Forum’s ongoing projects, initiatives and meetings.
These are the most exciting technologies that emerged in 2020 and – according to our experts – have the greatest potential to positively transform society and industry. What opportunities...
After years of growing income inequality, concerns about technology-driven displacement of jobs, and rising societal discord globally, the combined health and economic shocks of 2020 have...
Twenty markets of tomorrow are considered promising in that they could support inclusive and sustainable revival of growth. A framework is provided to assess the maturity of these markets...
The report builds on the latest economic policy research as well as extensive consultations with the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the New Economic Agenda and a growing ...
Digital trade in Asia had been booming even before the COVID-19 pandemic that drove large numbers of firms and consumers online. The region has also been at the forefront of digital trade...
In this publication members of the Global Future Council on Financial and Monetary Systems highlight how the financial system has rapidly adapted to the COVID-19 crisis, provided support ...
Cybersecurity is one of the most systemically important issues facing the world today. Cyber information sharing is critical to helping better collective security in the digital ecosystem...
The power of infrastructure to shape economies and societies is enormous. Infrastructure underpins commercial life, provides vital social services and supports human interaction around th...
This paper offers an opening frame for a multiyear, cross-industry programme to co-create the new playbooks for executive decision-making and action in a post-pandemic business normal. It...
The Future of Nature and Business, prepared in collaboration with AlphaBeta is the second of three reports in the World Economic Forum’s New Nature Economy series. It provides the practic...
A series of reports showing the relevance of nature loss to boardroom discussions on risks, opportunities and financing. These insights provide pathways for business to be part of the tra...
Quantum Computing may seem mysterious and not easy to understand. This FAQ document answers common questions at a high-level on what makes quantum computing so special and how we expect i...
The World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on New Network Technologies, during its 2018-2020 term, focused on the benefits to society and the role of partnerships between government...
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit explores the practical opportunities and risks that rapidly emerging technologies represent for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The to...
Sinking, swimming or surfing: Perspectives on operating and business models
As governments and businesses grapple with the effects of COVID-19, other global challenges remain. Once the immediate crisis abates, countries must intensify environmental action to tack...
Developed by the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Mobility, the Guidelines for Transforming City Mobility Systems reflect shared goals for liveable and just transport netwo...
This community paper focuses on the role of policy in these processes of transformation. The experience, so far, is that the societies making the most progress on deep decarbonization hav...
The 50th anniversary of the World Economic Forum coincides with a period of profound global change. These events prompted the Forum to draw on its network of diverse experts to develop a ...
The World Economic Forum has created a new index to measure social mobility, providing a much-needed assessment of the current state of social mobility worldwide.
Nature Risk Rising, the first report in the NNE series, explains how nature-related risks matter to business, why they must be urgently mainstreamed into risk management strategies and wh...
In this report, developed in collaboration with PwC, we showcase the significant opportunity to harness new technologies for the Global Goals. Through analysis of over 300 technology appl...
“Schools of the Future: Defining New Models of Education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution” outlines a new framework for defining quality education in the new economic and social conte...
The pandemic poses challenges for both Koreas in a changed global economy, presenting an opportunity to seek bold new initiatives.
These cities leveraged technology to coordinate between different city-level agencies to plan and monitor their COVID-19 emergency response.
Edible vaccines, new approaches to treat disabilities and better carbon sequestration are among the promising innovations. But we also need to manage the risks.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed a spotlight on inequities - with women of colour being impacted the most. Here three women leaders share their thoughts on how to boost diversity and inclus...
An urban farm built on a former landfill site in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has been helping keep nearby residents fed during the COVID-19 crisis.