Global Technology Revolution

Global Technology Revolution 2020

Technology Trends and Cross-Country Variation

RAND RESEARCH AREAS THE ARTS CHILD POLICY CIVIL JUSTICE EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS NATIONAL SECURITY POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUBSTANCE ABUSE TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE

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he world is in the midst of a multidisciplinary technology revolution that shows no sign of abating in the near- to mid-term future. By 2020, this revolution could bring important changes in economic development, health, environmental quality, and military power. While the technology revolution is extensive, it will play out differently around the globe. That core realization is now quantitatively supported by a RAND Corporation study that has sought to elucidate what factors will influence the potential of the technology revolution in different countries and what general inferences might be drawn about the future of that revolution. The study was sponsored by the National Intelligence Council as an input to its broader report, Mapping the Global Future. The RAND research team identified 56 illustrative technology applications that might possibly be developed and implemented by 2020. Of these, the researchers selected for further analysis 16 applications scoring highest in a net assessment combining technical feasibility on a commercial basis, potential marketability, and, most important, the number of societal sectors influenced (see the table). To assess the implications of these technology developments, the research...