As leaders gather for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Leaps by Bayer, the impact investing arm of Bayer, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) announced the launch of one of the largest surveys examining global public sentiment towards transformative technology. The field work was conducted by market research company Ipsos. The Study gleans actionable insights for innovators and leaders who share a responsibility to engage the public. The survey results uncover people’s hopes, fears, and concerns around the world, revealing challenges and opportunities for those working to advance new technologies for human health and nutrition.
Among the key findings:
- Optimism Toward Science Is Higher in Certain Regions: 72 percent of respondents are optimistic about the direction in which the world is heading in terms of science and technology, far more than other forces in society, such as the economy (39 percent) or politics and global affairs (31 percent). Middle-income countries, e.g. China (86 percent) and Nigeria (94 percent), are more optimistic about science than high-income countries in the West, like France (53 percent), Germany (54 percent), Italy (66 percent), and the U.S. (68 percent). Japan aligns with other high-income countries (46 percent).
- The West Suffers From a Trust Crisis: Overall, 62 percent of respondents trust health authorities to act in the public’s best interest, with trust levels significantly lower in the West (France at 48 percent and the U.S. at 56 percent) compared to middle-income countries (e.g., China at 73 percent and Nigeria at 86 percent).
- AI Is Least Favored In Geographies Where It Is Most Advanced: U.S. respondents are among the least likely to favor AI-supported treatment decisions, with only 50 percent saying that they would be happy for their doctor to use AI in their medical treatment. This is significant given that the U.S. already has 950 AI/ML-enabled medical devices cleared by the FDA, primarily in radiology.
- People Are Largely Supportive of NGTs Despite Government Restrictions: Most respondents (56 percent globally) feel positively towards the use of new genomic techniques (NGTs) in agriculture, especially if such techniques are used to make crops more resistant to climate change. 47 percent of European respondents hold a positive view of NGTs and 34 percent are neutral, while only 12 percent hold a negative view. This openness is compelling, considering NGT usage remains heavily restricted in the European Union.
- Skepticism Is Fueled By a Lack of Knowledge and Trust: The study found a clear correlation between how much respondents know about a type of innovation and how optimistically they feel about it. Likewise, the more they distrust their health authorities, the less optimism they feel about scientific breakthroughs.
- Widespread Optimism for Cell and Gene Therapies: Demographic groups, from Millennials (78 percent) to Boomers (70 percent), are optimistic about cell and gene therapies, and 59 percent of global respondents agree it is worth developing a cure for a disease even if only a few can afford it.
"We understand that addressing the world's greatest challenges requires more than investing in transformative technologies - it demands building societal acceptance. This begins with actively listening to people's hopes and concerns about breakthrough science," said Dr. Juergen Eckhardt, EVP and head of Leaps by Bayer. "I'm grateful for the collaboration with BCG on the Breakthrough Study, and confident it will equip innovators across our field to engage society more meaningfully and effectively."
"Despite strong optimism about science and technology, many remain neutral toward breakthrough innovations," reflects Dr. Friedrich Moeckel, Managing Director and Partner, BCG Geneva. "This neutrality is an opportunity: by building trust and closing knowledge gaps, we can inspire greater understanding of how these advancements improve lives and address global challenges."
At a time when geopolitical transitions take the spotlight, society's need for solutions to climate change, strained healthcare systems, and global nutrition remains as strong as ever. But emerging technologies alone are only part of the answer. Increased knowledge and trust are paramount to public acceptance of emerging technologies that stand to improve human health and wellbeing.
Read the full report here: leaps.bayer.com/breakthroughstudy.pdf
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company's products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2023, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 47.6 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.8 billion euros.
About Leaps by Bayer
Leaps by Bayer aims to solve ten of the world's biggest challenges through scientific breakthroughs. As the impact investment unit of Bayer, we have invested over $2 billion in more than 65 companies pursuing breakthroughs in health and agriculture. Through these investments in emerging platforms and technologies, we aim to conquer ten significant challenges or 'Leaps'.
About BCG
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders - empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.