Technologies That Could Be the Solution to Some of the Biggest Global Risks

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report that was released this January featured the perspectives of almost 750 experts on global risks such as poor sanitation and underemployment.

This report prompted a response from the Nordic think tank, Sustainia, in the form of a Global Opportunities Report that took a more positive approach to solving many of the problems that were addressed in the WEF report. The focus of the Sustainia report centered on three particular innovations that prove to have great potential to improve health, opportunities, and security around the world.

Here are the three technologies that have the potential to solve some of the biggest global risks today:

Smart Water Technology
About half of the world population make their home in cities and these also account for around 80% of the total GDP. This suggests that city infrastructure is beyond important.

Sustainia polled over 5,500 global business leaders for their report and they found that smart water technology was proven to be a top priority for three consecutive years as a tool to ensure that people around the world can have safe and healthy lives. Smart water technology could live in pipes that are sensored and that include storage to save the data that the pipes receive.

This kind of technology allows cities to check toxicity levels, regulate water flow and deal with leaks. For this reason, Sustainia’s report predicts that smart water technology will grow to $20 billion by 2020.

E-learning Software
Even when almost half of the world has access to the Internet, a great part of the population still lacks high-quality education. Sustainia has found that education is considered by leaders to be one of the main means to combat inequality around the world.

Massive Online Open Courseware, also known as MOOCs, which can be found on sites like Coursera, Class Central, and Khan Academy, offer people around the world an alternative to learn new skills even if they can’t afford traditional education.

The report claims that the Internet offers endless opportunities for businesses to approach potential students and provide them with educational opportunities through computers, tablets, and smartphones, instead of just relying on the standard classroom approach to education.

Blockchain and Cybersecurity
Sustainia has found that blockchain and cybersecurity is one of the most vital tools for a business to keep its transactions logged and tracked. This technology is also a great way to reduce the risk of cybercrime and the exchange of energy and finance, as it was observed by the residents of sub-Saharan Africa.

Blockchain technology is one of the top 15 opportunities listed by Sustainia, mainly because the Internet is integrated in almost every aspect of life. Without a sturdy and reliable security, the systems that hold everything together could fall apart.

Sustainia report states that intelligent cyber security is one of the most promising opportunities because it makes it possible to detect and deal with threats in real time, which allows for breaches to be handled before they become a more serious problem. All thanks to the adaptive algorithms that this technology can provide.