Five Steps for Digital Collaboration in Industrial Clusters 2025

11This work is part of the T ransitioning Industrial Clusters initiative which aims to improve collaboration and develop a shared vision among co-located companies and public institutions to drive economic growth, employment and reduce CO 2 emissions. Launched in November 2021 by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Accenture and EPRI, at the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26, the initiative has become the largest coalition of co-located companies and public institutions pledging to reduce their GHG emissions while driving economic growth and employment. Gadi Benmoshe V ice-Chair of the Data Collaboration Committee, International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) David Glijer Chief Digital Officer, France, ArcelorMittal Glenn Gu Product and Development Senior Director, Envision Net-Zero Industrial Park Victor Guang Shi Supply Chain Resilience Lead, Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, University of Sheffield Megan Lehtonen Senior Director, Business Affairs & Strategic Initiatives, AVEVA Group Steve McGill Principal, Carbon Management, BHP Group Stephen McGurk Founding Director, Circular Ecosystems Saskia Mureau Director Customer Digital, Port of Rotterdam Douwe van der Stroom Programme Manager Smart Energy & Industry, Port of Rotterdam Song Yuyan Director and Secretary, Green Partnership of Industrial Parks (GPIP) Dylan Zhang R&D Director, Green Partnership of Industrial Parks (GPIP)Conclusion By collectively advancing their digital maturity, industrial clu sters can unlock transformative value that individual stak eholders cannot achieve alone. This includes strengthening energy resilience and security, boosting industrial competi tiveness, mitigating risks, enhancing local value chains, and acc elerating decarbonization—as demonstrated by numerous real-world examples. These case studies, together with the enablers and Digital Maturity Framework outlined in this paper, offer inspiration and actionable steps to strengthen digital collaboration within industrial clusters. By fostering adoption and scaling, clusters worldwide can unlock value, driving economic growth, job creation a nd decarbonization. Contributors Lead authors Pauline Steinbach Strategy Consultant, EMEA Energy and Utilities Group, Accenture Irene Varoli Lead Transitioning Industrial Clusters, World Economic Forum Advisers Gary Boyle Principal Director Industry X, Accenture Filippos Kaponis Strategy Principal Directo r, Accenture Catherine O’Brien Managing Directo r, Energy Transition and Sustainability Services, Accenture Charles Pacini Manager, Transforming Industrial Ecosystems, Industry Clusters, World Economic Forum Jörgen Sand ström Head, Transforming Industrial Ecosystems, World Economic Forum Miguel G. Torreira Global Utilities Strategy Lead, Accenture The World Economic Forum would like to express special gratitude to the following individuals for their contribution and insights shared during interviews. Organizations interviewed and acknowledged in this paper do not necessarily agree with every finding or recommendation.