Building Geopolitical Muscle 2026

2 Institutionalizing learning through peer-to- peer engagement and “lessons learned” When developing geopolitical capabilities, firms benefit from structured engagement with private- sector peers from different geographies and sectors, notably those with a long history of dealing with geopolitics or those that have been most impacted in recent years. To prepare for this, companies can: –Attend collective fora and events to exchange best practices and learnings with other CEOs and business executives, thereby validating perceived emerging geopolitical factors and providing mutual support in determining potential courses of action –Establish “lessons-learned” reviews following geopolitical events that disrupt business conditions to institutionalize a muscle memory outlasting any individual executive 3 Framing geopolitics through economic security to enhance dialogue effectiveness Corporate geopolitical functions should develop assessments of economic security considerations relevant to their businesses. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines economic security as “a nation’s ability to protect and sustain its economic stability and growth by strengthening its resilience against external and internal threats”. It includes the ability to “safeguard key economic assets, maintain critical infrastructure and ensure access to essential resources such as energy, food and technology”.9 G7 governments and the European Commission frequently frame geopolitical matters through an economic security lens.10 Understanding this perspective facilitates more productive engagement with these governments. 4 Mutual learning through public–private engagements The evolution of corporate geopolitical capabilities since the COVID-19 pandemic presents significant learning opportunities. Both public and private sectors can benefit from this development. In that regard, trusted public–private platforms fulfil an important convening role, enabling experts to share ideas and assessments. Of course, competition law restrictions must be respected in all such engagements. Vanguard firms have adopted more sophisticated approaches to geopolitical assessment. They increasingly employ whole-of-value-chain perspectives. This analytical focus aligns with broader governmental concerns about the wide- ranging knock-on effects of geopolitical disruption. Governments can gain valuable insights from firms with advanced geopolitical capabilities. Private- sector syntheses may reveal new ways in which diverse signals can be integrated into achievable assessments. This represents an area where government and business can exchange and learn from each other’s experiences. Governments might consider combining enhanced integration of insights from their national security apparatus with private-sector analysis. Some classified intelligence may not be appropriate for sharing with the private sector; however, sophisticated private-sector assessment of economic interdependencies and market dynamics offers complementary value. The resulting insights could better illuminate how geopolitical developments affect societies. In many fraught situations, both government officials and corporate executives have a strong stake in business continuity. Building Geopolitical Muscle: How Companies Turn Insights into Strategic Advantage 25