Global Lighthouse Network 2026

Foreword Biological evolution teaches that survival and progress depend not on speed, size or strength alone, but on the capacity to adapt. The same is true of industrial operations, where evolution is ceaseless. To survive, let alone thrive, players across the value chain must find the courage, will and agility to adapt their operations amid ongoing change – that is, to rewire. Such adaptation is no small feat, yet it has always been the engine of progress. Each industrial revolution was powered by transformative technology that demanded new ways of working. Adoption, often hard-won, unlocked the innovations that shaped each new era. But technology alone has never been enough. It has always been people who drive lasting transformation, with a willingness to take risks, adapt, learn, reskill and collaborate. However, even with the most engaged workforce, industrial operations remain deeply physical systems. Transforming them at scale involves contending with complex, capital-intensive assets – machines, materials and production lines – that require considerable effort and precision to evolve. Unlike technology firms that move at the speed of software, industrial operators must master the coupling of digital and physical at scale. That’s where Lighthouses come in. Since the inception of the Global Lighthouse Network eight years ago, it has illuminated the path forward for transformative operational rewiring. Lighthouses are unlocking more value from artifical intelligence (AI) than most of their peers and in ways that strengthen both human capability and system performance. With the Network now 223 members strong, its blueprint for scaling-up has never been more important. The Global Lighthouse Network remains true to its vision: to light the way forward towards a more adaptive, human-centred and tech-empowered future of operations. Kiva Allgood Managing Director; Head, Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, World Economic Forum Global Lighthouse Network: Rewiring Operations for Resilience and Impact at ScaleJanuary 2026 Meshal Almashari Executive Managing Director, Late Stage Venturing Program, Aramco Ventures Gunter Beitinger Senior Vice President, Manufacturing Excellence, Siemens Haldun Dingeç Vice President, Production & Technology, Beko Corporate, group company of Koç Holding Jimmy Gu Vice President, Smart Supply Chain and Innovation, Schneider Electric Ruth Heuss Senior Partner; Global Co-Leader, Operations Practice, McKinsey & Company Zongchang Liu Rotating Chief Executive Officer, Foxconn Industrial Internet Global Lighthouse Network: Rewiring Operations for Resilience and Impact at Scale 3