Government Must Shape Emerging Tech, Not Just Adopt It

Adoption vs. Shaping: A Fundamental Split

The new report The Top Emerging Technologies For Public Sector And Government, 2026 categorises each of the emerging technologies into these three response types, providing a roadmap for officials who “cannot just adopt emerging technology.”

Contrasting Cases: Agentic Development and AI Supercomputing

Agentic software development is presented as a near-term adoption priority. Aging legacy systems and limited delivery capacity make it a practical way for agencies to accelerate digital services and demonstrate “measurable mission value now.” By contrast, AI supercomputing raises sovereignty and security questions that extend beyond direct adoption. Few agencies will run sovereign-scale AI clusters, yet the government must shape infrastructure policy, economic competitiveness, and national resilience.

Outcome-Driven Agenda

The article cites recent research in the U.S. Department of the Navy, concluding that “successful adoption is not about chasing new technology.” Instead, agencies should connect pilots to mission outcomes, scale what proves valuable, and discontinue what does not. The author urges officials to replace the binary “Should we adopt it?” with a series of outcome-focused questions.

Our read: Forrester’s argument reframes public-sector tech strategy as a disciplined, outcome-oriented process rather than a technology-first sprint. By mapping each emerging tool to a specific government response, the framework forces leaders to allocate resources where they generate the clearest mission impact and to engage in policy shaping where market forces alone would fall short. This approach could steer procurement, budgeting, and regulatory agendas toward measurable public value.