From Shock to Strategy 2025

insights to a wide set of stakeholders. Building on this foundation, analytics technologies such as AI and advanced analytics will further process and interpret data, uncovering deeper insights, for tasks such as predictive decision-making and waste minimization that drive collaboration and sustainability. This ongoing loop – where knowledge informs action, and action generates further knowledge – will create a self-reinforcing system of progress. Enabling technology-driven cycles will enhance adaptability, resilience and competitiveness, helping businesses to grow with greater agility in an increasingly data-driven future. This advanced technology will play a critical role in enabling data sharing, which will be essential for providing the visibility needed between value chain companies from end to end to synchronize operations and enhance efficiency. Real-time data exchange will enhance monitoring processes and performance tracking and quickly detect potential disruptions and inefficiencies, critical for manufacturers and their partners for joint value creation. This level of data-based collaboration should improve decision-making, strengthening coordination throughout supply chains and building trust among partners. Additionally, real-time data will allow companies to respond proactively and jointly to shifting market conditions, improving overall operational agility. For seamless data sharing to be effective, robust data security measures will be essential to protect companies and consumers, build trust and enable long-term collaboration. Integrated sustainability. Standards and governance with regard to sustainability will be increasingly shaped by the ability to collaborate across industries and regulatory bodies. Cross-industry collaboration will help establish standardized reporting frameworks that ensure transparent reporting, easing supplier confusion. Trade standards and regulations will be centred on climate and circularity considerations. As future trade relations develop, sourcing decisions will be increasingly driven by a focus on human rights and ethical labour practices, ensuring that supply chains avoid the exploitation of vulnerable communities and violation of labour standards. End-to-end collaboration. With the growth in multi-local value chains, trade regulations will be essential for effective collaborations, ensuring that international trade adheres to agreed standards and requirements across borders and governments. Countries and regions will increasingly depend on one another to align regulatory frameworks and ensure the effective cross-border flow of goods. Additionally, companies will trend towards sharing resources to address challenges collectively. Through these corporate collaborations, countries will form new alliances uncovering market opportunities. With companies continuing to rewire their value chains in markets with fewer disruptions, new cross-border partnerships will emerge that increase global interdependency. Data sharing will enable informed decision-making and the reinforcing of collaborative efforts between companies and countries, enabling the pre-emptive resilience-building of trade corporations and data- driven compliance-monitoring of environmental and social regulations. Technology adoption. Tracking technologies will be increasingly used to address uncertainties in global trade. These technologies will enhance visibility and connectivity, enabling real-time monitoring and control of goods and shipments across borders. This data will be shared among trade partners via a digital platform, facilitating cross-border collaboration. Data privacy will remain a critical concern in trade collaborations, particularly information from tracking technologies, as it plays a vital role in protecting sensitive business and personal information throughout the value chain. Data privacy will also be a vital prerequisite for companies considering collaborations on trade regulations. Without guarantees of privacy, companies may hesitate to engage, fearing exposure to legal issues, regulatory violations or competitive disadvantages.4.1 Global relations and trade From Shock to Strategy: Building Value Chains for the Next 30 Years 15