Technological Capacity

Global Challenges Excerpt from the 2010 State of the Future reports

This section includes indicators that can measure change of the following challenges:

Information Technology

How can the global convergence of information and communications technologies work for everyone? [Challenge 6]

Energy

How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently? [Challenge 13]

Science and Technology

How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelarated to improve the human condition? [Challenge 14]


Globalization of Information Technology

How can the global convergence of information and communications technologies work for everyone? [Challenge 6]

 -- Indicators --

The suggested indicators for this challenge were:

  1. Volume of e-business
  2. Percentage of people with telephones, TV, computers, and Internet
  3. Measures of the state of information and communications technologies (e.g. average annual Internet user cost, progress of Moore’s law, cost of bandwidth, modem speeds, etc.)
  4. Investments in information/ communication projects that foster local developments
  5. Results of research that demonstrates the social consequences of TV and Internet programming
  6. Measurements of the extent and properties of international networks
  7. Number of robots
  8. Monopolization rate of the communications industry
  9. Number of students per computer(s)
  10. Computer instruction; quantity and assessment of quality of information technologies taught at all levels in schools
  11. Levels of Internet security, cases of on-line fraud
  12. Measurements that depict the concentration of the telecommunications industry
  13. Number of public libraries with free Internet access
  14. Assessment of the levels of regulation over Internet content
  15. Worldwide adoption rate of information technology

The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability were:
[The numbers in brackets represent the order number of the indicator in the original (above) list.]

  1. Percentage of people with telephones, TV, computers, and Internet (2)
  2. Number of public libraries with free Internet access (13)
  3. Volume of e-business (1)
  4. Number of students per computer(s) (9)
  5. Investments in information/ communication projects that foster local developments (4)
  6. Measures of the state of information and communications technologies (e.g. average annual Internet user cost, progress of Moore’s law, cost of bandwidth, modem speeds, etc.) (3)
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Energy

How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently? [Challenge 13]

 -- Indicators --

The suggested indicators for this challenge were:

  1. Energy/GDP ratio
  2. Total and per capita energy consumption by type of user
  3. Total and per capita energy usage by category of source (fossil, wind, solar, nuclear, etc.)
  4. Energy production by source, including particularly the amount generated by fossil, hydro, nuclear and alternate energy sources (e.g. wind, solar)
  5. Percentage of recycling by category (metals, etc.)
  6. Number of nuclear plants waiting to be closed
  7. The number and extent of limitations placed on the use of various forms of energy
  8. Transportation energy by source (petroleum, natural gas, electricity, etc.)
  9. Level of social dependence on energy to maintain the existing structures
  10. Efficiency and production of non-polluting energy generation technologies
  11. Expenditures on energy related R&D, including disposal of nuclear wastes and advanced energy systems
  12. Type and amount of initiatives to change behavior, rather than just reducing energy consumption
  13. Types of active and retired plants: nuclear, hydropower, etc.
  14. Environmentally adjusted net domestic product
  15. Share of manufactured goods in total merchandise exports
  16. Share of natural-resource intensive industries in manufacturing
  17. Environmental protection expenditures as a percent of GDP
  18. Level of support being given by governments to actively encourage renewable sources
  19. Energy prices and levels of subsidies by governments that affect energy prices artificially
  20. Projected future energy demand by category of user and source, and potential energy capacity from renewable and non-renewable sources

The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability were:
(The numbers in brackets represent the order number of the indicator in the original (above) list.)

  1. Energy/GDP ratio (1)
  2. Total and per capita energy usage by category of source (fossil, wind, solar, nuclear, etc.) (3)
  3. Energy production by source, including particularly the amount generated by fossil, hydro, nuclear and alternate energy sources (e.g. wind, solar) (4)
  4. Total and per capita energy consumption by type of user (2)
  5. Transportation energy by source (petroleum, natural gas, electricity, etc.) (8)
  6. Number of nuclear plants waiting to be closed (6)
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Science and Technology

How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition? [Challenge 14]

 -- Indicators --

The suggested indicators for this challenge were:

  1. Investments in R&D (both basic and applied) by governments and companies, counting particularly expenditures in advanced areas including solar, health; in a) absolute terms, b) percentage of GDP, and c) per capita
  2. Expenditures for research into consequences of technology (e.g. the ethics component of the Human Genome Project)
  3. Measurement of the pace of new announcements in popular and scientific media and assessment of their applicability to major and mega problems
  4. Number of patents in selected fields
  5. Assessment of emphasis on 'quality' of life issues in popular and scientific media
  6. Number of researchers and percentage, by field and country
  7. Count of new problem solving technologies and their use (e.g. ecological technologies, hectares of reanimated soil, levels of public health, reduced number of working days, etc.)
  8. Number of students following science and technology careers, and the level of “ethics” education these students receive
  9. Level of technological investments outside of large companies and large cities
  10. Income from R&D investment per capita
  11. Number of scientists having papers in well-known publications in the world; number of papers published on international journals each year
  12. Number of countries or corporations adopting the "Bootstrap" strategy (analogous to number of companies adopting "Total Quality Management" strategies
  13. Standard of life indicators (public health, reduced number of working days, aged population socially active, etc.)
  14. Level of funding to adapt inventions to local conditions
  15. Level of social and participatory approaches involved in assessing and funding technology
  16. Assessment of progress on all technological frontiers
  17. Science road maps depicting the likely future course of several disciplines
  18. Extent of international scientific collaboration
  19. The cost of transportation to orbit

The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability were:
[The numbers in brackets represent the order number of the indicator in the original (above) list.]

  1. Investments in R&D (both basic and applied) by governments and companies, counting particularly expenditures in advanced areas including solar, health; in a) absolute terms, b) percentage of GDP, and c) per capita (1)
  2. Number of researchers and percentage, by field and country (6)
  3. Extent of international scientific collaboration (18)
  4. Number of scientists having papers in well-known publications in the world; number of papers published on international journals each year (11)
  5. Number of patents in selected fields (4)
  6. Standard of life indicators (public health, reduced number of working days, aged population socially active, etc.) (13)
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