This article is part of:Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

• Technologies such as artificial intelligence are accelerating change across industries, but regulation often remains at a standstill.
• This regulatory gap can lead to missed opportunities, unclear standards, and a failure to safeguard citizens and ensure inclusive progress.
• The World Economic Forum and the UAE’s General Secretariat of the Cabinet has launched the Global Regulatory Innovation Platform (GRIP) in a bid to address this gap and foster globally coordinated approaches to regulation.

We are living through one of the most transformative moments in human history. Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and synthetic biology are accelerating change at a pace few institutions are prepared to manage. Yet while innovation is leaping forward, regulation often remains standing still – constrained by outdated models, fragmented approaches and a reactive mindset.

This regulatory gap can result in missed opportunities, unclear standards and most critically, a failure to safeguard citizens and ensure inclusive progress. The world needs a new approach to governance – one that matches the speed and complexity of the innovations it is designed to manage and support.

Consider a startup in an emerging market that has developed a drone-based delivery system that could revolutionize access to essential medical supplies in remote areas, or a fintech firm leveraging blockchain to expand banking access in underserved communities, or an AI diagnostic tool could help detect diseases earlier and more accurately than ever before.

Without a clear and enabling regulatory environment, these innovations may stall, be misused or never reach the people who need them most. This isn't just about missed business opportunities. When regulation can't keep pace with innovation, is not just a technical failure; it's a societal one.

A collaborative approach to agile regulation

To address this growing challenge, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the UAE’s General Secretariat of the Cabinet, has launched the Global Regulatory Innovation Platform (GRIP).

GRIP is a new initiative designed to foster human-centred, forward-looking and globally coordinated approaches to regulation. Its goal: to build trust, reduce uncertainty and accelerate innovation that serves the public good.

This platform builds on the World Economic Forum’s broader body of work on agile governance. As outlined in the Forum’s 2020 report, Agile Governance: Reimagining Policy-making in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, traditional regulatory approaches – characterized by top-down control and infrequent updates – are increasingly unfit for the pace, scale and complexity of modern technological change.

What is required instead is a transition towards regulatory systems that are iterative, responsive and co-created with a range of stakeholders. GRIP aims to help scale this model globally, offering a practical mechanism through which regulators and innovators can work together to manage risk while fostering societal benefit.

Some governments are already showing what's possible. The UAE has emerged as a pioneer in innovation-friendly governance, from creating one of the world's first AI ministries to pioneering flexible licensing models for startups.

The regulatory sandbox model, pioneered by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority for fintech innovation, has now been adopted in more than 50 jurisdictions worldwide. These safe testing environments prove that innovation and safety can work together, not against each other.

Other countries are experimenting with models of adaptive or outcome-based regulations that enable regulations to evolve with technological advancements and market changes.

Why GRIP matters for technology governance

Public expectations around technology governance are evolving rapidly. People are increasingly demanding transparency, accountability and inclusivity in how technology is governed. They want to know that the systems affecting their lives – from facial recognition to algorithmic decision-making – are fair, safe and subject to oversight.

GRIP puts these concerns at the centre of regulatory innovation, working to ensure that emerging technologies serve society rather than disrupt it.

This approach recognizes that in our interconnected world, regulatory innovations developed in one jurisdiction can benefit others facing similar challenges. A breakthrough in AI governance from Singapore can inform policy in São Paulo, while an innovation in digital identity from Estonia can guide approaches in Ethiopia.

As we look ahead, GRIP is not just a platform – it is an invitation. It calls on regulators, innovators and communities to reimagine how we govern technology together. It seeks to create a global movement for agile regulation that learns continuously, adapts quickly and prioritizes human outcomes over bureaucratic processes.

What is the World Economic Forum doing about the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

The World Economic Forum was the first to draw the world’s attention to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the current period of unprecedented change driven by rapid technological advances. Policies, norms and regulations have not been able to keep up with the pace of innovation, creating a growing need to fill this gap.

The Forum established the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network in 2017 to ensure that new and emerging technologies will help—not harm—humanity in the future. Headquartered in San Francisco, the network launched centres in China, India and Japan in 2018 and is rapidly establishing locally-run Affiliate Centres in many countries around the world.

The global network is working closely with partners from government, business, academia and civil society to co-design and pilot agile frameworks for governing new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles, blockchain, data policy, digital trade, drones, internet of things (IoT), precision medicine and environmental innovations.

Learn more about the groundbreaking work that the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network is doing to prepare us for the future.

Want to help us shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Contact us to find out how you can become a member or partner.

In practice, this means GRIP will support the co-design and testing of new regulatory tools, produce case studies and insights, and facilitate peer learning among governments and stakeholders. It will serve as a global hub for regulatory sandboxes, innovation offices and public-private partnerships. And, most importantly, it will champion a shift in mindset: from reactive rule-making to anticipatory, agile governance.

The opportunity is significant. When regulatory frameworks are clear, proportionate and responsive, they don't just allow innovation, they accelerate it. They give entrepreneurs confidence to invest, citizens trust in new technologies and leaders the tools to guide technological progress in the public interest.

At a time when our systems are being stress-tested by both technological disruption and geopolitical instability, the case for modernizing regulation is stronger than ever. With GRIP, we hope to catalyse a new wave of innovation-friendly governance that empowers societies to harness the full potential of the intelligent age – safely, inclusively and ethically.