The pandemic has sparked disruptive global change - and the rapid adoption of disruptive technologies. While these solutions are addressing critical needs in the present, they may also raise major concerns over the long term, if not deployed in a responsible way..

Many leaders who spoke at this year’s Davos Agenda meeting understood that, saying innovations should be embraced, but in a way that ensures things such as fair access and security.

At the World Economic Forum’s first Global Technology Governance Summit, leaders from more than 125 governments and 600 companies (as well as more than 2,000 participants) will convene to discuss the steps that must be made to harness the latest technologies for our greatest challenges in the fairest and most responsible ways through public-private cooperation.

“The goal of the Forum’s inaugural GTGS is to create a shared neutral space where we can discuss the governance and protocols surrounding new emerging and frontier technologies, and to share those insights with policymakers while connecting in those voices of innovators, entrepreneurs and civil society who are actually experimenting with these new technologies,” says Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director & Head of the Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR).

What is GTGS?

The inaugural GTGS comes at a pivotal moment. Technologies have advanced to the point where solutions to long-held problems can be truly scalable. At the same time, these burgeoning technologies, still in their early phases, must be designed in a way that addresses problems rather than exacerbates them for true survival and sustainability.

Leaders will discuss technology’s evolution with three pillars in mind: the readiness for a healthy future; true resilience for companies, countries and regions; and how every stakeholder can help reimagine how business is done. Themes will include:

Industry Transformation: As every company becomes a technology company, businesses will need to find new ways to share growth, share insights and collaborate.

Government Transformation: As technology services become an essential public utility (comparable to electricity, water, or roadways), governments must consider how to build and maintain this new digital infrastructure.

Global Technology Governance: To maximize technology’s benefits, we must mitigate risks and develop policies, norms, standards, and incentives that shape its responsible development and deployment.

Frontier Technologies: Embracing frontier technologies will be essential across all sectors, revolutionizing supply chains, enabling mass customization and offering new pathways to increase the circularity of products. and halt environmental damage and climate change.

Beyond these themes, co-chairs will shape the agenda of the summit. Reflecting the multifaceted, global nature of the challenges we face, the summit has brought together leaders from a diverse range of voices and backgrounds, who can speak with fresh perspectives.