One of the announcements made by the World Economic Forum at its recent Annual Meeting in Davos was that it will this year establish three new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) – in South Africa, Oman and Saudi Arabia, reinforcing its global leadership in leveraging technology for transformative change.
The South Africa Centre for Industry and Technology will advance the country’s readiness for future global value chains and the energy transition.
The new centres, in Pretoria, Muscat and Riyadh, will tackle critical global challenges with innovative solutions tailored to national and regional needs. Additionally, the C4IR in the United Arab Emirates has been renewed.
This announcement was made at the same time as the Forum released its C4IR Network 2023-2024 Impact Report, which highlights how the expanding global network is advancing technological solutions to humanity's most pressing challenges.
"The upcoming launches of three new C4IR Centres underscores our commitment to shaping a future where technology better serves humanity," said Børge Brende, President and CEO, World Economic Forum. "Together, with our growing network of global partners, we will continue to harness the power of innovation to address society's most pressing challenges and create localised solutions with global reach.
South Africa Centre for Industry and Technology
The South Africa Centre for Industry and Technology, hosted by the University of Pretoria, will be run in collaboration with other South African academic institutions to advance the country’s readiness for the future of global value chains and the energy transition, with a focus on the twin challenges of inclusive cross-industry digitisation and decarbonisation.
Driving innovation in pursuit of this mission, the centre will partner with government and business, and leverage the WEF’s global communities and initiatives, notably those led by the Centres for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains and Energy and Materials and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, said: “The launch of the Centre for Industry and Technology, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, is a major step in driving technological progress and industrial transformation. The centre will help position South Africa for manufacturing readiness and support its sustainable energy transition towards net zero.”
C4IR Oman
Hosted by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of Oman, C4IR Oman will be aligned with the country’s ‘Vision 2040’ and spearhead its technological and digital transformation. Once launched, the centre – the first in the country – will focus on AI competitiveness, governance, and the energy transition.
Said Mohammed Ahmed Al-Saqri, Minister of Economy of Oman, said: “Guided by Vision 2040, we're equipping youth with tools, technologies, education and training to excel in the digital era. Through innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities, we aim to build skills that drive growth and advance Oman.”
Riyadh Centre for Cyber Economics
Hosted by the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh, the Centre for Cyber Economics (CCE) will focus on the economic aspects of cybersecurity. It will drive research, foster cross-sector collaboration and develop evidence-based frameworks to enhance global cybersecurity resilience and economic stability. Another key area of focus will be reducing cyber disparities across geographies and industries.
Majed bin Mohammed Al-Mazyed, Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority of Saudi Arabia, acting on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Global Cybersecurity Forum, said: “The Centre for Cyber Economics marks a decisive step towards advancing knowledge and understanding of the economic dimension of cybersecurity, to safeguard economic growth, unlock new opportunities and reveal new pathways for cross-sector collaboration towards a resilient future for global economies.”
2023-2024 C4IR Impact Report
The C4IR 2023-2024 Impact Report, highlights the transformative global impact of the WEF’s C4IR Network. The report sets out the network’s achievements across seven core thematic areas:
- Ushering in the Intelligent Age through advances in AI and automation
- Transforming agriculture and food systems to address global food security
- Revolutionising health and biotechnology by expanding access to health innovation and education
- Accelerating the energy transition and sustainability to support global climate goals
- Innovating mobility with autonomous systems to improve efficiency in the movement of people and goods
- Upskilling tomorrow’s workforce to ensure society progresses alongside technological advances
- Fostering investments in competitiveness and emerging technologies by exploring areas like digital assets, quantum computing and space innovation.
The thematic areas highlight 12 case studies from eight countries: Azerbaijan, India, Israel, Malaysia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and the United States. These demonstrate the forum’s commitment to harnessing technology to address pressing challenges and foster sustainable, inclusive global growth. As the forum expands its global reach, establishing new centres in 2025, these themes remain central, with new centres tailoring their work to meet the needs and strengths of their host nations.
The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network
The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a platform for multistakeholder collaboration, bringing together public and private sectors to maximise technological benefits to society while minimising the risks. It explores exponential technologies and drives their responsible adoption and application, leveraging a global network of independent national and thematic centres.
The World Economic Forum launched the first Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco in 2017, followed shortly by centres in Japan and India. The network now includes centres around the world.
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