Future cities may experience extreme heat precisely when electricity and water systems are least able to support cooling. The challenge is coordinating urban design, demand management, public health, and energy policy under compound stress. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
climate-environment
public-health
water-scarcity
cities
heat
water
climate
adaptation
simultaneous
scarcity
low-income
communities
future
technology-computing
economics-resources
systems
society-governance
infrastructure
Public systems using legacy cryptography will eventually face long-term exposure as quantum computers improve. The challenge is coordinating migration across ministries, vendors, archives, and critical infrastructure without breaking public services. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
society-governance
asia
indonesia
systems
migration
informal
settlements
governance
post-quantum
state
public
legacy
cryptography
technology-computing
climate-environment
across
Large quantum computers may require specialized materials, cooling systems, and high-energy facilities. Their lifecycle impact, component reuse, and end-of-life management are not yet adequately designed. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
technology-computing
asia
japan
reuse
quantum
safe
disposal
cryogenic
hardware
low-income
communities
large
computers
economics-resources
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
infrastructure
open
Mexico, North America
Synthetic biology and AI-assisted design may create biological capabilities that are both socially valuable and potentially dangerous. The unresolved problem is building oversight that reduces misuse risk while keeping legitimate research open and productive. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
mathematics-logic
north-america
mexico
informal
settlements
regulating
frontier
biosecurity
blocking
innovation
oversight
synthetic
biology
society-governance
systems
technology-computing
public
climate-environment
Claims about quantum advantage often depend on narrow benchmarks or idealized assumptions. The challenge is creating reproducible measurements that identify when quantum systems deliver meaningful benefits over classical alternatives. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
technology-computing
quantum
benchmarking
algorithms
against
societal
needs
low-income
communities
identify
claims
economics-resources
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
infrastructure
science-space
safe
Digitizing land records can improve access while also enabling new forms of fraud, corruption, and system failure. The challenge is designing registry governance that protects ownership claims, customary rights, and dispute resolution over decades. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
society-governance
europe
germany
land
fraud
informal
settlements
making
registries
resilient
against
data
loss
systems
technology-computing
public
across
climate-environment
Future quantum networks will need coexistence with conventional fiber, satellites, and noisy metropolitan infrastructure. A major unresolved problem is developing practical repeaters, interfaces, standards, and operational security for real-world deployment. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
science-space
asia
japan
quantum
infrastructure
networking
over
ordinary
telecommunications
low-income
communities
deployment
future
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
Public agencies will buy models, datasets, inference services, and automated workflows from vendors whose systems may not be easy to inspect. The unresolved problem is creating contract standards that make public AI procurement auditable, portable, and lawfully contestable. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
society-governance
asia
bangladesh
standards
procurement
informal
settlements
designing
open
contracting
public
systems
agencies
technology-computing
climate-environment
across
institutions
Quantum capabilities could transform optimization, chemistry, intelligence, and cryptanalysis while becoming concentrated in a few states. The challenge is preventing destabilizing secrecy and unequal access without blocking peaceful scientific collaboration. The solution must produce useful coordination and accountability while minimizing collection of sensitive personal and behavioral data. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
society-governance
asia
india
quantum
international
governance
advantage
mass
surveillance
while
capabilities
transform
optimization
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
without
Quantum capabilities could transform optimization, chemistry, intelligence, and cryptanalysis while becoming concentrated in a few states. The challenge is preventing destabilizing secrecy and unequal access without blocking peaceful scientific collaboration. The design must remain functional when standards, trade routes, data access, and diplomatic cooperation are unreliable. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
society-governance
asia
india
quantum
international
governance
advantage
under
geopolitical
fragmentation
access
capabilities
transform
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
infrastructure
Quantum capabilities could transform optimization, chemistry, intelligence, and cryptanalysis while becoming concentrated in a few states. The challenge is preventing destabilizing secrecy and unequal access without blocking peaceful scientific collaboration. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
society-governance
quantum
international
governance
advantage
low-income
communities
capabilities
transform
optimization
chemistry
technology-computing
economics-resources
climate-environment
systems
infrastructure
science-space
safe
Future political manipulation may be conducted by large networks of bots, synthetic personas, and microtargeted propaganda. The challenge is detecting and deterring these campaigns without undermining legitimate civic participation. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
society-governance
informal
settlements
protecting
local
democracy
automated
influence
operations
future
political
systems
public
technology-computing
across
climate-environment
climate
without
Quantum sensors may detect hidden water, minerals, leaks, tunnels, and structural anomalies, but their cost, calibration, and interpretation remain barriers. The open problem is converting laboratory sensitivity into dependable field services. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
economics-resources
asia
japan
quantum
deployment
sensor
underground
infrastructure
low-income
communities
services
sensors
may
technology-computing
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
science-space
Private companies may increasingly run water, transport, energy, communication, and housing systems with public consequences. The open problem is designing regulation that ensures reliability, accountability, and public recourse when essential services fail. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
society-governance
africa
nigeria
private
informal
settlements
governance
high-risk
infrastructure
operators
systems
public
companies
technology-computing
climate-environment
across
climate
Quantum randomness could improve high-stakes public processes, but its value depends on independently verifiable hardware, transparent protocols, and protection against manipulation at the measurement and software layers. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
technology-computing
verifiable
quantum
randomness
public
lotteries
elections
low-income
communities
improve
high-stakes
economics-resources
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
infrastructure
safe
science-space
As benefits move online, errors can become opaque and difficult to reverse. The challenge is creating fast, accessible grievance systems that help ordinary people correct eligibility mistakes without requiring legal expertise. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
technology-computing
asia
indonesia
systems
grievance
informal
settlements
trustworthy
redress
digital
welfare
benefits
move
society-governance
public
climate-environment
across
economics-resources
Post-quantum authentication must work on inexpensive devices, intermittent networks, and systems with limited technical support. A practical solution must avoid forcing vulnerable populations to replace all hardware at once. The solution must work with limited capital, intermittent services, and local maintenance capacity. The research opportunity is to define measurable success criteria, test the approach in realistic settings, identify failure modes, and create a pathway from prototype to accountable deployment.
economics-resources
asia
japan
communities
must
quantum-safe
identity
low-connectivity
low-income
work
intermittent
limited
solution
technology-computing
climate-environment
society-governance
systems
quantum
open
Mexico, North America
States may invest in national AI systems for education, law, defense, planning, and public administration. The unresolved problem is ensuring such systems remain bounded by law, reviewable by citizens, and resistant to capture by narrow interests. The challenge is especially acute in informal settlements, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
society-governance
north-america
mexico
public
oversight
informal
settlements
systems
sovereign
infrastructure
law
states
may
technology-computing
climate-environment
across
governance
institutions
Digital commerce, cloud services, and AI platforms can generate value across borders while escaping clear tax authority. The challenge is creating fair tax rules that smaller states can enforce without being excluded from the digital economy. The challenge is especially acute for low-resource administrations, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
technology-computing
asia
indonesia
digital
low-resource
administrations
managing
cross-border
taxation
fairly
tax
commerce
cloud
society-governance
systems
public
across
low
open
South Africa, Africa
Digital commerce, cloud services, and AI platforms can generate value across borders while escaping clear tax authority. The challenge is creating fair tax rules that smaller states can enforce without being excluded from the digital economy. The challenge is especially acute across fragmented municipalities, where legacy systems, coordination failures, and weak oversight can magnify harm.
technology-computing
africa
south-africa
digital
fragmented
municipalities
managing
cross-border
taxation
fairly
tax
commerce
cloud
society-governance
systems
across
public
climate-environment
