The New Era of Industrial Strategies: Tackling Grand Challenges through Public-Private Collaboration

The world is undergoing significant changes resulting from emerging technology, geopolitical tensions and climate change. Industrial strategies are once again being recognized as multifaceted tools that impact economic, social and national security dimensions. However, despite diverse approaches across sectors and regions, stakeholders face similar challenges in this new era.

Last year’s World Economic Forum report on The Future of Industrial Strategies, in collaboration with Cambridge Industrial Innovation Policy (CIIP) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), identified five grand challenges that are fundamentally shaping the future of industrial strategies. These include environmental sustainability, supply chain resilience, technology scale-up and adoption, securing future workforce skills, and linking social and business value.

This report is a continuation, drawing on insights from government officials, companies and research organizations to highlight consensus-driven approaches and areas of debate, providing concrete examples and case studies. As an extension of this, the aim is to catalyse dialogue and collaboration between public and private sectors, promoting the co-creation of next-generation strategies to ensure inclusive growth amid evolving global dynamics.

This report is linked to the ongoing work of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains and the Centre’s Future of Industrial Strategies Initiative.