Reflections from Davos: The next chapter of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is being written—we can shape the story

The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos is underway, and for the first time in two years it’s great to be surrounded by leaders from around the globe, talking about some of our most pressing challenges.

It’s also the first time in two years that we’ve been able to convene members of the Global Lighthouse Network—a World Economic Forum initiative in collaboration with McKinsey—in person, and the energy from being able to do so has been palpable. We’ve brought together leaders who’ve discussed their successes in applying digital and analytics to their operations, the challenges along the way, and their plans for tech-enabling operations in the future.

With manufacturing consuming 54 percent of energy worldwide, supply chains facing a month’s worth of disruption every 3.7 years, and 40 percent of employees considering leaving their job in the next 6 months, the need to make our supply chains more resilient, sustainable, and productive through technology adoption, has never been greater.

We need to scale adoption of technology and not leave companies stuck in pilot purgatory. We need to upskill our people to meet the changing demands of new roles and ensure that our workforces are at the center of every transformation. We need to accelerate our journey to net zero. We need to address these challenges, and the Global Lighthouse Network’s 100+ sites are giving us the playbook to do so.

They are showing us that the application of technology means that it’s not a choice between productivity, resilience, or sustainability, but that all can be addressed. They are showing us that technology isn’t just for the leaders, but that laggards can use it to catch up to them. They are showing us the results that can be achieved by empowering workforces with technology. And the 1500+ benchmarks from the Lighthouses are resetting benchmarks in all dimensions.

Just before traveling to Davos, I was watching the Giro d’Italia cycling race, and that put me in mind of the Global Lighthouse Network community. Watching the first group of cyclists creating distance and saving energy as they have only a fraction of the aerodynamic drag, reminds me of our 103 lighthouses. There is still chance to catch up into the group, but every moment you wait it gets harder.

The Lighthouse community has an obligation to lead by example. It can jointly have influence on what happens in thousands of factories impacting millions of workers. That is why I issued a challenge to the leaders at our sessions in Davos to move things forward. I’ve called on them to help with the push to scale the adoption of digital. I’ve called on them to lead the net-zero transition and push for another 100 Sustainability Lighthouses. And I’ve called on them to continue to upskill and engage workforces. The time is now to write the next chapter of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and by working together, we can make it a successful one.

Will you join them? Learn more about the Global Lighthouse Network here.