Leaps by Bayer announces one of Investing.com’s largest global surveys of society’s attitudes towards revolutionary technologies

• The data reveal broad optimism, as well as major regional differences and cultural barriers in the West that must be addressed to increase public acceptance of breakthrough innovations
• More than 13,000 people were surveyed in 13 countries representing every continent except Antarctica
• The survey explored public perceptions of cell and gene therapy, artificial intelligence in medicine, new genomic techniques (NGT) in agriculture and cultured meat.

BERLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As leaders gather at the World Economic Forum 2025 annual meeting in Davos, Leaps by Bayer (OTC:), the impact investing arm of Bayer, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) announced the launch of one of the largest research that examines the mood of the global public towards transformative technology. The field work was carried out by a market research company Ipsos (EPA:). The study gathers useful insights for innovators and leaders who share responsibility for public engagement. The research results reveal the hopes, fears and concerns of people around the world, revealing challenges and opportunities for those working to advance new technologies for human health and nutrition.

Among the key findings:

• Optimism towards science is greater in certain regions: 72 percent of respondents are optimistic about the direction 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, such as France (53 percent), Germany (54 percent), Italy (66 percent) and the US (68). percentage). Japan agrees with other high-income countries (46 percent).

• The West suffers from a crisis of confidence: Overall, 62 percent of respondents trust health authorities to act in the public’s best interest, with levels of trust significantly lower in the West (France 48 percent and the US 56 percent) compared to middle-income countries (eg China 73 percent and Nigeria at 86 percent ).
• AI is least favored in the geographies where it is most advanced: US respondents are among the least likely to favor AI-assisted treatment decisions, with only 50 percent saying they would be happy for their doctor to use AI in their treatment. This is significant given that the US already has 950 AI/ML-enabled medical devices approved by the FDA, primarily in radiology.
• People overwhelmingly support NGT despite government restrictions: Most respondents (56 percent globally) feel positively about the use of new genomic techniques (NGT) in agriculture, especially if such techniques are used to make crops more resilient to climate change. 47 percent of European respondents have a positive opinion of the NGT, 34 percent are neutral, while only 12 percent have a negative opinion. This openness is reassuring, given that the use of NGTs remains strictly limited in the European Union.
• Skepticism is fueled by a lack of knowledge and trust: The study revealed a clear correlation between how much respondents know about a type of innovation and how optimistic they are about it. Likewise, the more they distrust their health authorities, the less optimism they feel about scientific discoveries.
• Widespread optimism for cell and gene therapies: Demographics ranging from Millennials (78 percent) to Boomers (70 percent) are optimistic about cell and gene therapies, and 59 percent of global respondents agree that it is worth developing a cure for a disease even if only a few can afford it.

We understand that tackling the world’s biggest challenges requires more than investing in transformative technologies – it requires building social buy-in. This starts with actively listening to people’s hopes and concerns about breakthrough science, said Dr. Juergen Eckhardt, Executive Vice President and Head of Leaps by Bayer. I am grateful to have collaborated with BCG on this groundbreaking study, and I am confident that it will empower innovators across our field to more meaningfully and effectively engage society. Despite the strong optimism regarding science and technology, many remain neutral towards revolutionary innovations, according to dr. Friedrich Moeckel, Managing Director and Partner, BCG Geneva. This neutrality is an opportunity: by building trust and closing knowledge gaps, we can foster a better understanding of how these advances improve lives and solve global challenges.

At a time when geopolitical transitions are in the spotlight, the societal need for solutions to climate change, strained health systems and global nutrition remains as strong as ever. But the new technologies themselves are only part of the answer. Increased knowledge and trust are paramount to public acceptance of new technologies that can improve human health and well-being.

Note:
Read the full report here:
leaps.bayer.com/breakthroughstudy.pdf

About Bayer
Bayer is a global company with core competencies in the fields of life sciences, healthcare and nutrition. In line with the 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 overcome the major challenges posed by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and creating a positive impact on its business. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand is synonymous with trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal year 2023, the Group employed around 100,000 people and achieved sales of 47.6 billion euros. Research and development costs before special items amounted to EUR 5.8 billion. For more information, visit www.bayer.com.

About Bayer’s jumps
Leaps by Bayer aims to solve ten of the world’s biggest challenges through scientific discoveries. As Bayer’s impact investment arm, we have invested more than $2 billion in more than 65 companies pursuing breakthroughs in healthcare and agriculture. Through these investments in emerging platforms and technologies, we aim to overcome ten significant challenges or ‘leaps’. www.leaps.bayer.com

About BCG
The Boston Consulting Group works with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capitalize on their greatest opportunities. BCG pioneered business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to take a transformational approach focused on the benefit of all stakeholders” empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage and drive positive social impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that challenge the status quo and drive change. BCG offers solutions through premium management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a unique model of collaboration across the company and at all levels of the client’s organization, driven by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

Forward-looking statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on the current assumptions and forecasts of Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial condition, development or performance of the company and the estimates provided herein. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports available on Bayer’s website at www.bayer.com. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or reconcile these forward-looking statements future events or developments.

See the original version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250120806580/en/

Contact for media inquiries:
Kira Peikoff, phone +1 973 791 3348
Email: kira.peikoff@bayer.com

Source: Bayer