Executive summary In today’s volatile global landscape, resilience is no longer a defensive strategy – it is a driver of growth and innovation. The Resilience Consortium, launched in 2022, promotes collaboration among companies, governments and multilateral development banks (MDBs)2 to build resilient economies and firms. This year’s white paper explores how collective action can turn shared challenges into opportunities for resilient and inclusive growth, particularly in emerging markets. Resilient leadership is equally vital. Leaders must take a proactive stance – championing innovation, foresight and coordinated action to embed resilience as a lasting competitive advantage.Companies, governments and multilateral development banks can strengthen resilience and unlock growth and innovation through collaboration. The latest Pulse Check Survey shows steady progress: organizations report a 13-percentage-point rise in overall preparedness since 2024, reflecting a growing commitment to strengthen capabilities and embed resilience as a core capability. However, the journey is far from complete. Only one in four companies feels prepared to manage disruptions across resilience dimensions, and readiness drops further to one in five for capability areas. Emerging markets face distinct barriers. Yet, accounting for nearly 60% of global gross domestic product (GDP), these economies hold vast potential.3 MDBs play a critical role in unlocking this opportunity: by mobilizing capital at scale, bridging investment gaps and acting counter-cyclically during downturns, they can lay the foundation for sustained stability and growth. Systemic challenges require coordinated actions among companies, governments and MDBs. The Resilience Consortium draws on the annual Pulse Check Survey insights, a quantitative analysis, structured interviews with community members and the consortium’s Leadership Group, and global convenings hosted in 2025 to identify four priorities for collaboration: –Strengthening infrastructure and supply chains –Advancing digitalization and skills development –Closing the financing gap –Enabling policies for growth Unified leadership from corporate boards, policy- makers, and MDBs is critical to embed resilience as a foundation for sustainable growth. By aligning investments, deepening partnerships and creating more enabling regulatory conditions, these actors can facilitate stability and long-term competitiveness. Through shared commitment and coordinated action, resilience can become the cornerstone of thriving organizations and stronger emerging markets.Resilience should be seen as the ability to navigate adversity while advancing a growth-oriented and innovation-driven agenda that enables continuous adaptation, acceleration, and the pursuit of long-term development. Børge Brende, President and CEO, World Economic Forum Resilience is like a muscle. You build it up and make it stronger through consistent effort. Our resilience index shows that we are getting stronger over time. The direction we’re heading in is promising, but commitment will be critical to turning resilience into a lasting advantage and a growth driver. Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company Resilient Firms and Economies 4

Resilient Firms and Economies 2025