21st Century Technologies Revisited: What is Happening and What is Next: Summary & Key Insights

Between 1998 and 2008, globalization reached unprecedented intensity. The Internet matured from a research network to the central nervous system of the global economy. Financial capital circulated at digital speed, production dispersed across continents, and information replaced material flows as the prime mover of value creation. The early optimism of a 'new economy' gave way to a more complex realization: technological advance alone did not guarantee equitable prosperity.

The OECD report situates technology within this evolving social context. The expansion of connectivity altered governance, education, and public discourse, while also exposing vulnerabilities—cybersecurity threats, data monopolies, and a growing digital divide. The period was marked by geopolitical shifts, as emerging economies became laboratories for new technological adoption. Environmental limits grew starkly visible; climate science entered politics and policy.

This contextual reassessment underscores that technology does not evolve in isolation. Institutions, regulation, and culture mediate its trajectory. The 1998 report was correct that the 21st century would be defined by cross-cutting technologies, but it could not yet imagine how intimately they would mesh with social dynamics, nor how urgently environmental sustainability would frame every innovation debate.

The decade after 1998 saw ICT transform from infrastructure to ecosystem. Broadband replaced dial-up, mobile telephony became pervasive, and computation migrated from desktops to pockets. What started as a communications revolution matured into an ambient intelligence revolution—one where processing became embedded in objects, transport, and homes.

From the OECD perspective, ICT’s impacts radiated across productivity, governance, and lifestyle. Networked business models redefined competition, enabling leaner supply chains but also demanding constant innovation. Government services began moving online, enhancing transparency yet exposing new vulnerabilities. The report highlights the paradox that as information becomes more abundant, attention and privacy become more scarce. Managing digital inclusion thus emerged as a central policy challenge.

Looking forward, the notion of 'ubiquitous computing' foreshadowed the later Internet of Things. Already by 2008, sensors, RFID systems, and early data analytics were transforming logistics and health care. The OECD encouraged member governments to invest not merely in hardware but in digital literacy and open standards—to ensure that technological infrastructure remains a public good rather than a private enclosure.