
5G Global Accelerator
The Program A cross-sector initiative that aims at accelerating a sustainable and inclusive transition to the next generation of mobile networks to respond and recover from the Covid-19 c...
Transforming the spaces in which we live, work and play to enable a more sustainable, resilient and prosperous future for all.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to rethink the way we live. It is transforming industries and how we do business. It is intensifying social and environmental crises in our communities. And it is challenging fundamental assumptions and global trends, such as urbanization, that have cemented over more than 200 years since the First Industrial Revolution.
As the world prepares to build back stronger and better, we have new tools available to support this effort. A growing suite of connected devices and smart technologies, commonly referred to as the internet of things (IoT), offers a means to reimagine and transform physical spaces—our homes, offices, factories, farms, healthcare facilities and public spaces—to be more adaptive, customized and even anticipate new needs before they arise. New models for public-private cooperation and shared community services are also changing the way in which cities provide services to residents and business, blurring the lines between government and the private sector.
The World Economic Forum's Platform for Shaping the Future of the Internet of Things and Urban Transformation is working with more than 100 global partners to ensure that these changes deliver a future that is more sustainable, resilient and prosperous for all. This includes, for example, initiatives with the Government of Brazil to support small and medium-sized enterprises and advance social mobility, collaboration with the G20 to modernize city services, and partnerships with wearables companies to help manage and avert the spread of COVID-19.
Key initiatives:
The events of 2020 have forever changed the trajectory of IoT and its role in society. New applications of IoT – from public health surveillance to global supply chain integration – are delivering enormous benefits while also drawing attention to significant gaps in the governance of these technologies. Together with global leaders from across the IoT ecosystem, our Platform is driving collective action to help realize the potential of IoT and build a connected world that benefits all. Learn more at https://www.weforum.org/connectedworld
Future of Cities
COVID-19 and the global economic crisis is forcing cities to revisit and recalibrate long-term strategic plans and economic development strategies. Our Platform provides an independent and impartial forum for public-private collaboration on these matters while also advancing new frameworks and policy tools for improved planning. Complementing this work, our Platform serves as secretariat for the foremost global initiative to advance the responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies with partners representing more than 200,000 cities and local governments.
Future of Real Estate
Chief executives from the world's leading real estate companies have identified four key pillars—livability, sustainability, resilience and affordabilty—that are necessary to drive a transition of the real estate ecosystem and the built environment. Our Platform curates and convenes public and private sector stakeholders to advance these changes at a local level.
Featured Blog series: Cities of Tomorrow
The Program A cross-sector initiative that aims at accelerating a sustainable and inclusive transition to the next generation of mobile networks to respond and recover from the Covid-19 c...
Systemic Efficiency aims to enable a decarbonized, highly electrified and resilient city ecosystem though ultra-efficient buildings and smart energy infrastructure.
In a nutshellThe Global New Mobility Coalition (GNMC), curated by the World Economic Forum, is an active and diverse community of over 150 globally renowned experts, NGOs and companies fo...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that health is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease and infirmity”. Currently, p...
Industrial IoT will be one of the largest drivers of economic growth in the coming decade. Without adequate security measures, it could also unleash catastrophic harm. Key influencers fro...
SummaryAccelerating the Impact of IoT Technologies aims to scale a framework of policy tools that governments or industrial associations around the world can use to help lower barriers an...
Challenge:Many institutions have focused their attention and resources mostly on data protection and privacy. Not only has this approach failed to harness the full value of data, but it h...
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, an international task force of designers, engineers, medical professionals, and military experts have joined forces to launch CURA, an open-source project ai...
The Challenge The proliferation and advancement of interconnected devices have created unprecedented opportunities to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience in aviation. I...
Infrastructure 4.0 is an initiative of the World Economic Forum supported by the Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub), a G20 organization focused on driving an ambitious agenda on sustainab...
Decades of exposure to toxic air have worsened the health of communities globally. Millions have been left with respiratory and other health problems which leave them predisposed to the m...
The Future of Real Estate – Pathways for Industry Recovery and Transition. COVID-19 has devastated communities and economies across the globe. As the pandemic slowly begins to ebb, the c...
Goal: The Food Innovation Hubs are aimed at leveraging technology and broader innovations to strengthen local innovation ecosystems accelerate transformation for the Food Systems. Overvie...
Water is the ultimate systems challenge. It is a unique resource that underpins all drivers of growth – be it agricultural production, energy generation, industry or manufacturing. It als...
This report provides a global framework and recommends an integrated energy approach, defined as “systemic efficiency”, as a solution to the current environmental, economic, health and so...
As economic powerhouses, cities drive growth and innovation, create jobs, improve livelihoods, and advance prosperity. In India, cities contribute around 70% of the country’s GDP and appr...
Spurred by continued technological advancement, the world today is more connected than ever. This presents a tremendous opportunity to build a more sustainable and prosperous future for a...
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...
A home is more than a building or a place of shelter. It is where we take care of the people and things that mean the most to us. Turning a physical structure into a place of comfort, saf...
Recent technological advancements have ushered in a new era of the “internet of bodies” (IoB), with an unprecedented number of connected devices and sensors being affixed to or even impla...
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 white paper aims to raise awareness about the key systemic challenges to cyber resilience in the aviation industry in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to highlight...
To help SMEs keep up with the pace of technological change in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the World Economic Forum has launched a new policy protocol: Accelerating the Impact of Ind...
Our new guidebook exploring major questions about how to bring the Fourth Industrial Revolution to infrastructure.
About 90% of cities around the world do not provide affordable housing or of adequate quality. The cost of housing, as well as location, prohibits people from meeting other basic living c...
At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017, global leaders highlighted the development of the internet of things (IoT) as one of the most significant emerging technologies, harbourin...
The world is urbanizing and the Fourth Industrial Revolution is transforming life at an unprecedented rate. Cities must be “agile” – able to move quickly and easily – to enable their citi...
The IIoT Safety and Security Protocol generates an understanding of how insurance can facilitate the improvement of IIoT security design, implementation and maintenance practices.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Urban Development and Services Initiative has released its new whitepaper on the Circular Economy in Cities: evolving the model for a sustainable urba...
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Urban Development and Services Initiative has released its new whitepaper on Collaboration in Cities: From Sharing to ‘Sharing Economy’ . This report ...
The need for cities to fully harness the potential of data constantly flowing through them has never been more urgent. Data Driven Cities: 20 Stories of Innovation, highlights examples fr...
The World Economic Forum has released a report taking a deep dive on migration and cities, exploring the types, causes and patterns of migration, the most affected corridors and cities, t...
As this World Economic Forum report emphasizes, the future of cities largely depends on the way urbanization is managed and public-private collaboration is leveraged to implement the New ...
The report highlights the reforms required at state and local levels to implement smart cities in India. It recommends institutional, business-environment and sector-specific reforms to e...
The World Economic Forum has released a new report, Inspiring Future Cities & Urban Services
10 of the best urban innovations that are having a positive effect on quality of life and economic development.
During the past 15 years, the Internet revolution has redefined business-to-consumer (B2C) industries such as media, retail and financial services. In the next 10 years, the Internet of T...
With 54% of the Chinese population living in cities, China has six megacities of more than 10 million inhabitants and 103 cities of more than one million inhabitants. This presents China ...
Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, was selected as the inaugural Champion City of the World Economic Forum’s Future of Urban Development Initiative in January 2012. As the inaugural...
Sir Tim Berners-Lee is designing a web, where people have a single sign-on for any service and personal data is stored in “pods” controlled by the user.
Educational technology like AR, VR and AI has become increasingly important after the COVID-19 pandemic closed classrooms across the world.