Future-Proofing Global Value Chains: Country Preparedness and Beyond

Case studies

Total number of case studies

299

Sectors

21

Locations

59

Topics

9

To meet the demand for fully customized hydraulic supports and faster delivery, Zhengzhou Coal Mining implemented 48 4IR use cases, including IoT, machine learning and adaptive automation. These innovations transformed the site into a smart factory capable of high-flexibility, high-efficiency production, cutting lead times by 66%, boosting output per worker by 205% and reducing defect rates by 73%. 
People's Republic of China | Other
Zhengzhou Coal Mining Machinery Group - Zhengzhou
To meet surging global demand and address delays in R&D, delivery and after-sales service, Haier Jiaozhou optimized its entire value chain with big data, advanced algorithms and generative AI. Supplying 90% of its products globally, the site achieved a 49% reduction in design cycle time, a 19% decrease in order delivery time, and a 28% drop in overseas failure rates. 
People's Republic of China | Other
Haier - Qingdao
Faced with a surge in global orders and a fourfold increase in SKUs from new energy markets, Schneider Electric Shanghai responded by boosting automation by 20% and integrating advanced technologies like ML-enabled prototyping, smart planning and GenAI-driven maintenance. These efforts led to a 63% improvement in speed-to-market, a 67% reduction in make-to-order lead time and an 82% increase in labour productivity.  
People's Republic of China | Technology
Schneider Electric - Shanghai
Serving 160 countries, GE HealthCare Beijing tackled complex manufacturing and quality demands by implementing 45 digital solutions across 26 production lines. By deploying AI for defect detection and deep learning, the site reduced cycle times by 66%, slashed scrap by 66% and lowered customer complaints by 73%. 
People's Republic of China | Health
GE HealthCare - Beijing
Jubilant Ingrevia deployed 4IR technologies in global brownfield specialty chemical manufacturing and reskilling over 2000 employees. Through 30+ integrated use cases leveraging artificial and machine learning, IoT-based digital twin and predictive platforms, Jubilant Ingrevia’s site reduced the overall process variability by 60% and almost doubled production volume.     
India | Chemicals
Jubilant Ingrevia - Bharuch
To meet rising consumer demand for fresher, more nutritious dairy products, Mengniu Dairy’s Ningxia factory implemented over 30 advanced 4IR use cases, from intelligent decision-making to flexible automation. These initiatives, covering milk processing, packaging and testing, led to a 55% reduction in delivery lead time, a 60% decrease in quality defects and a 32% reduction in operational costs, significantly enhancing both efficiency and product quality. 
People's Republic of China | Food & Retail
Mengniu Dairy - Ningxia
To meet global market demands, Hisensehitachi’s Qingdao site implemented 40+ 4IR use cases, boosting product development speed by 37%, increasing labour productivity by 49% and reducing manufacturing costs by 35%. 
People's Republic of China | Other
Hisensehitachi - Qingdao
Committed to zero accidents, Sanmen Nuclear Power deployed 40+ 4IR cases, including AI and robotics, to improve operational safety. These efforts maintained a 0% safety accident rate, increased capacity factor by 1.5%, and cut major overhaul periods by 46% while improving labour productivity by 18%. 
People's Republic of China | Energy
Sanmen Nuclear Power - Sanmen
Facing various challenges in producing and transporting large wind turbine blades, SANY deployed 29 4IR use cases, including AI and intelligent automation. This resulted in a 20% reduction in defects, a 33% boost in productivity and a 34% cut in delivery time, demonstrating digital technology's transformative impact on clean energy. 
People's Republic of China | Energy
Sany Renewable Energy - Shaoshan
To meet the growing demand for complex products, Schneider Electric’s Monterrey facility integrated digital technologies such as ML-driven forecasting and autonomous robots. These enhancements led to sustained annual growth, a 20% reduction in defects and a 30% reduction in water consumption. 
Mexico | Technology
Schneider Electric - Monterrey
Siemens Erlangen developed its Green Lean Digital strategy to lead in mid-volume, high-mix manufacturing. With over 100 AI algorithms and extensive use of digital twins, powered by a flexible and modular IT architecture, the site improved labour productivity by 69%, cut time to market by 40% and reduced energy usage by 42%. 
Germany | Technology
Siemens - Erlangen
To meet stringent safety and quality standards for high-speed railways, TZ implemented 40+ 4IR use cases enhancing quality and productivity through the use of AI and flexible automation. These advances led to a 33% reduction in defect rates, a 29% decrease in unit costs and a 33% increase in throughput. 
People's Republic of China | Transportation
Taiyuan Heavy Industry - Taiyuan
The Data Security Council of India (DSCI), which was set up by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), launched CyberShikshaa in 2018 in partnership with Microsoft to equip young female engineers across India with essential cybersecurity skills. Operating through classroom, blended and fully virtual modes in multiple cities and states, CyberShikshaa not only facilitates successful job placements but also narrows the diversity gap in the cybersecurity workforce. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CyberShikshaa seamlessly transitioned to an online format, expanding its reach to aspiring cybersecurity professionals even in smaller cities. Moreover, the programme has evolved to cater to diverse needs, introducing initiatives such as the “Women on Break” programme, providing training to women professionals re-entering the data-privacy workforce after career breaks. Additionally, CyberShikshaa has extended its impact through specialized modules such as CyberShikshaa for BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) and CyberShikshaa for AI/ML (artificial intelligence/ machine learning), catering to different segments of learners and addressing the specific cybersecurity challenges faced by particular sectors.
India | IT and Communications (ICT)
CyberShikshaa
DSCI, Microsoft
Dubai Cyber Innovation Park (DCIPark), as the research and knowledge division of the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), aims to create a world-class integrated cybersecurity ecosystem, empowering the next generation of experts in cybersecurity from the public and private sectors along with academic institutions. To that end, it runs projects such as the Cyber Security Competency Framework (Qudraat), which, among other things, maps all cybersecurity employees in the city to the framework, linking employee assessment and evaluation with training and development. Qudraat also ensures that capacity-building extends to academic institutions and maintains a balance between the city’s demand and the supply of skills. The training and upskilling initiatives are delivered through the CyberNode programme, a partnership between the government, private sector and academia, to empower cybersecurity capabilities in the city and beyond. Another DCIPark project is Emirati Capture The Flag, which aims to promote cybersecurity skills among Emirati students and youth as well as invest in their cybersecurity innovations. DCIPark also runs 100-day cybersecurity challenges during which participants are required to address a given challenge by developing a working solution. At the end of the period, contestants submit their solutions to DESC. DESC has achieved a 50% reduction in time-to-fill critical cybersecurity roles and recorded a 95% increase in employee satisfaction and retention, attributed to ongoing learning opportunities. Through practical skills development, the nurturing of cybersecurity talent and the creation of a pipeline for future experts, the initiatives align seamlessly with DCIPark as a scalable model, collectively contributing to the cultivation of a skilled and resilient cybersecurity workforce for Dubai’s digital future through internal training, external partnerships and a robust competency framework.
United Arab Emirates | Government
Dubai Cyber Innovation Park
Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC)
To close the gender gap in technology, Girls Who Code is leading a movement to inspire, educate and equip students who identify as girls or nonbinary individuals with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st-century opportunities. Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 580,000 students. In 2021, Girls Who Code piloted Work Prep, an experiential, virtual programme for college students designed to build career skills and confidence and expose students to partner company culture, opportunities and role models. The three-week programme is designed to be flexible for busy college students, featuring a combination of asynchronous activities (i.e. students working independently according to their own schedule) and synchronous work (i.e. students engaging simultaneously in realtime work). As part of the cybersecurity Work Prep, students are introduced to multiple cybersecurity roles and work together to complete the mitigation, response and recovery phases of an incidentresponse plan framework while also meeting cyber leaders at the partner company. As a result of the programme, the overwhelming majority of students said they were more likely to pursue a career in technology and that they felt more prepared to apply for and be interviewed for technical internships and jobs.
USA | Civil society
Work Prep
Girls Who Code
To educate schools on how to navigate the digital landscape securely, Fortinet has extended its commercial security awareness and training service at no cost to schools in countries around the world. Recognizing the unique educational context, the company tailored staff training to the academic sector and hired teachers to develop a security awareness curriculum that addressed the learning needs of all students aged four to 18. The education edition was initially developed in alignment with the US’s White House Cyber Education and Workforce Initiatives in 2022. The following year, the initiative expanded to include Canada, the UK, Australia and Brazil and is now available to 11.8 million education staff and 64 million students, with further plans for global outreach. In addition to its collaboration with educational institutions worldwide, in 2020, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fortinet amplified its existing efforts by offering all self-paced technical certification training at no cost, in response to the escalating threat landscape. The response was staggering, with course registrations peaking at one every seven seconds during the initial weeks.
USA, Brazil, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada | IT and Communications (ICT)
Security Awareness and Training Service
Fortinet
Inclusive Cyber, an initiative of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community, aims to build a cyber talent pipeline as diverse as the challenges that will be faced. The initiative spans Montreal, Kigali and London and mobilizes atypical and under-represented non-STEM talent to jumpstart their cyber interest and careers. Inclusive Cyber does this through: 1) leading skills workshops and using a transferable skills toolkit built on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s National Initiative for Cyber Education (NICE) framework; and 2) representing the youth voice on cyber capacity-building and with leading policymakers, such as the UK Cyber Security Council and Quebec’s CyberEco. At the heart of the initiative is the transferable skills toolkit, which helps individuals from disciplines including literature, fine arts and political sciences reframe and translate the value of their existing skills to best-match cybersecurity roles. Over five years, Inclusive Cyber has run 27 workshops and directly coached some 1,315 students on breaking into cybersecurity. These workshops took place in non- STEM faculties across leading universities, including McGill University, University of Toronto, London School of Economics, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Holloway and University College London. In Kigali, Inclusive Cyber built a new curriculum to equip young underprivileged professionals with competitive cybersecurity and transferable skills.
Canada, United Kingdom, Rwanda | IT and Communications (ICT)
Inclusive Cyber
Global Shapers Community
In collaboration with the eurobits women academy (ewa), the Institute for Security and Safety aims to inspire women to pursue a career in cybersecurity. At 11%, the proportion of women in cybersecurity in Germany is far below the international average. As part of a three-year project, the objective is to create a platform for female career changers to: – Provide orientation and guidance on the career opportunities available in cybersecurity using their existing strengths. – Offer an in-service, modular training programme that can run alongside their current job to help them acquire the most important knowledge in the field of cybersecurity over several months and give insights into various areas of expertise. – Facilitate access to a cybersecurity network with contacts in the industry for internship placements and job offers. The aim is to make it easier for women to enter cybersecurity and support them in achieving their career goals.
Germany | IT and Communications (ICT)
eurobits women academy
Institute for Security and Safety (ISS)
In response to the high demand for cybersecurity talent, Siemens has created the CyberMinds Academy to attract and nurture new talent with no prior experience in cybersecurity into cybersecurity specialist roles. Running in two locations, in Portugal and Spain, the academy delivers a one-year training programme combining learning and practical on-the-job training. Participants also have the opportunity to work closely with cybersecurity experts and participate in a diverse cultural environment. The CyberMinds Academy not only contributes to the development and training of professionals who can bring fresh perspectives and ideas to cybersecurity but also promotes diversity and inclusion in the workforce. So far, the two CyberMinds Academies have trained 26 participants from different backgrounds. Eight of those individuals have been hired to work in cybersecurity for Siemens.
Spain, Portugal | IT and Communications (ICT)
CyberMinds Academy
Siemens
As a cybersecurity company, Trellix aims to bringing awareness to the purposeful work of cybersecurity and create pathways for under-represented groups to fill the talent gap. Spearheading Soulful Work, Trellix fosters diversity and inclusion through partnerships and initiatives aimed at combating unconscious bias and expanding opportunities for all. In collaboration with Gotara, Trellix launched a programme focused on empowering women to navigate and advance their careers, addressing the challenges of gender inequality in the industry. Trellix joined forces with the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) to create a cybersecurity accelerator programme that includes a mentorship and development initiative tailored specifically to Latinos, equipping them with the necessary skills to thrive in cybersecurity roles. Trellix also collaborated with the National Cybersecurity Alliance to create the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Cybersecurity Career Program, which actively engages in mentoring projects with the aim of raising awareness of cybersecurity careers among students and providing them with the support needed to successfully navigate the job search process. Through these efforts, Trellix is working towards creating a more diverse and inclusive cybersecurity workforce.
USA | IT and Communications (ICT)
Soulful Work
Trellix

Future-Proofing Global Value Chains: Country Preparedness and Beyond

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