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.
Forum Institutional
The next big cloud competition is the race to zero emissions
Cloud computing and data centres are responsible for most emissions of many tech companies, creating competition to provide cleaner cloud services.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
We are closing the gap between technology and policy
The C4IR Network centres are building scalable models to positively pilot and integrate regulations in law and industry standards.
Forum Institutional
SDIS21: Tech for Good - What are the challenges in making technology more sustainable?
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we must address challenges like universal internet access, cybersecurity and the proliferation of e-waste.
Forum Institutional
How 4IR is enabling policy-making for a more sustainable and agile future
The application of 4IR and agile governance can equip governments to ‘turn the tide’ so businesses and public can transition to a sustainable future.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Lessons learned from COVID-19 vaccines could advance synthetic biology. Here's how
Intellectual property waivers for COVID-19 vaccines could change the course of synthetic biology, enabling the democratic distribution of technologies.
Forum Institutional
12 steps to decarbonise your city
Cities have a major role to play in the race to reach net zero – and plans must include decarbonising existing infrastructure. Here's how they can do it.
Emerging Technologies
Can robots improve export quality in developing countries?
The World Bank has created a working paper which explores the advantages of incorporating robots into developed and developing countries.
Forum Institutional
This company is tackling Kuwait's 'tire graveyard' problem by tire recycling
A plant run by the EPSCO Global General Trading recycling company is using the process of pyrolysis for tire recycling in Kuwait's massive tire graveyard.
Wellbeing and Mental Health
The pandemic saw the rise of remote mental health care. It may be here to stay
Without telehealth, many people would not have had access to the remote mental health care they needed or faced delays in treatment during the pandemic.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Could autonomous drones be the future of search and rescue missions?
A research team have been exploring how autonomous drones could aid rescue teams searching for people after hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
How a robot's gaze can affect the human brain
New research shows that a robot's gaze can trick us into thinking we're socially interacting and slow our decision-making process, with implications for the deployment of humanoid robots.
Health and Healthcare Systems
Tiny robots could deliver drugs directly to our central nervous system
New research has developed soft robots that can be controlled using magnetic fields. It's hoped the robots could be used for targeted drug delivery.