The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and relate to one another. It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances commensurate with those of the first, second and third industrial revolutions. These advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that create both huge promise and potential peril. The speed, breadth and depth of this revolution is forcing us to rethink how countries develop, how organisations create value and even what it means to be human. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is about more than just technology-driven change; it is an opportunity to help everyone, including leaders, policy-makers and people from all income groups and nations, to harness converging technologies in order to create an inclusive, human-centred future. The real opportunity is to look beyond technology, and find ways to give the greatest number of people the ability to positively impact their families, organisations and communities.
Education and Skills
How education technology can help foster social and emotional skills
Social and emotional skills can strengthen the labour force, boost academic performance, and produce long-term benefits such as higher rates of employment.
Nature and Biodiversity
This chart shows the circle of life with every known species on Earth
This diagram illustrates all known animal species, and their evolutionary relationship to one another.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
If there's life on Mars, what happens next?
Manish Patel, Senior Lecturer in Planetary Sciences at The Open University, explains what would happen if we found microbial life on Mars.
Geographies in Depth
The tech revolution taking place in eastern Europe
There is little doubt that progressive tech products make our lives better. Crowd-funding platforms help raise money for numerous social initiatives (even for presidential campaigns in th...
Fourth Industrial Revolution
How a bionic fingertip allows an amputee to feel textures
A bionic fingertip has allowed an amputee to feel textures via electrodes implanted into nerves in his upper arm.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Could the next frontier of biometric security be your ears?
Ear scanning biometrics solves a key authentication problem – it lets someone verify who you are continuously, instead of at a specific moment.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Could wearable technology save your life?
A medical-quality consumer wristband monitors stress signals to detect potentially deadly seizures and alert wearers and caregivers.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
How will 5G internet change the world?
The mobile connectivity will be on the forefront of change and will remain a silver bullet of social inclusion and economic competitiveness.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Does digital technology improve governance?
E-government systems increase budget transparency but some of the most common applications of digital technology have ambiguous effects.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Should countries have a 'minister of future'?
As we enter the fourth industrial revolution, it's time to think about future-proofing countries.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
How machine learning can improve understanding of global poverty
A new machine is learning how to map poverty using satellite images.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
3 ways a 3D printer could save your life
These are some of the potential medical applications of 3D printing.