The continuing evolution of the Global Lighthouse Network

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The Global Lighthouse Network is a World Economic Forum initiative cofounded with McKinsey. It examines the future of operations and considers how Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies are shaping production. This growing community of organizations is setting the trends of the future with their use of digital and analytics tools across the value chain to drive growth and productivity, improve resilience, and deliver environmental sustainability.

The Global Lighthouse Network marks seven years of progress in industrial transformation. Since its launch in 2018, the network has grown to more than 220 Lighthouses across 35 countries and more than 30 industries, spanning manufacturing and end-to-end supply chains. In 2025, 36 new sites were awarded, joining the network and reflecting continued momentum and rising ambition across the industrial landscape.

The 2025 Lighthouses demonstrate a clear step change—moving from isolated digital initiatives to enterprise-wide, AI-driven transformation. Recognized across five categories—productivity, supply chain resilience, sustainability, customer centricity, and talent—these sites are scaling analytical AI, agentic AI, and generative AI across capital-intensive operations, embedding intelligence directly into core processes and decision-making. This cohort is progressing decisively from pilots to enterprise-wide deployment, reinforcing resilience across the organizational ecosystem. AI, machine learning, and robotics are embedded in many of their highest-value use cases, with generative AI scaling rapidly year over year and moving beyond experimentation.

By prioritizing vertical, domain-specific applications, they overcome the “gen AI paradox,” translating experimentation into tangible performance gains. Leaders are focusing investments on three AI-enabled priorities: building scalable digital and data foundations for network agility, empowering people through hybrid human–AI ways of working, and amplifying impact through collaboration and purpose. As these sites evolve from smart factories into cognitive networks, they master critical trade-offs—balancing speed and standardization, autonomy and visibility, and connectivity and cybersecurity—to ensure AI delivers business value at scale.

The impact is tangible. Lighthouses deliver meaningful gains in productivity, lead times, quality, and energy efficiency, while strengthening their ability to operate through ongoing disruption. At a time when many industrial organizations struggle to move beyond pilots, Global Lighthouse Network members are showing what it takes to scale change—combining technology, people, and execution discipline to turn ambition into sustained performance.

The Global Lighthouse Network spotlights companies that have achieved exceptional productivity and sustainability outcomes through digital transformation.

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