The world’s leading engineers have proposed 14 “grand challenges” that would do the most to protect and enhance life during the 21st century. They range from engineering better medicines to making solar energy affordable.

The US National Academy of Engineering co-ordinated the international grand challenges project, using a selection panel of scientists and engineers including Craig Venter, the genomics pioneer, Ray Kurzweil, the inventor and futurist, and Larry Page, co-founder of Google. The results were released on Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston.