The reach of technology has expended considerably since the beginning of the 20th century and more particularly since the 1990s. The use of technology is ever-growing and in industrialized countries permeates almost every single sector of people lives. Currently, basic technologies are accessible to the majority of the world population. Technologies can include basic and everyday objects such as cars, coffee machines or credit cards while new technologies range from nanotechnology, smartphones, drones and 3D printers to artificial intelligence. Developments in information and communication technology have the most extend. In 2016 ICT services are becoming increasingly affordable and covering ever larger areas, available to two-thirds of the world’s population. This extensive development is advancing progress towards goal 9 of the SDGs which seeks to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”.

Key Insight

• The use of new technologies and their increasing availability will have major “transformative consequences” for the humanitarian sector.