Foreword, Impact Report: Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network 2023–2024, January 2025

The second iteration of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network Impact Report offers an opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved since the inaugural report last year. The network is dedicated to the mission of helping stakeholders harness the full potential of technological progress for equitable and human-centred transformation of industries, economies and societies. It is in this context that we present this second edition, celebrating the accomplishments of the centres in our network from September 2023 to August 2024.

From increasing artificial intelligence (AI)-literacy among citizens in Malaysia to piloting drone delivery of healthcare resources to remote regions in India, from promoting alternative proteins to address food insecurity in Israel to developing a decision-making large-language model in Kinyarwanda for the benefit of community health workers in Rwanda, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network remains committed to making profound and widespread impact through responsible applications of technology. The stories featured in this report are just the beginning of the lasting impact that our network of centres can create, showcasing the power of technology and collaboration in improving the state of the world.

As the network continues to grow, with eight new centres across the globe and a centre on every continent, new initiatives and collaborations introduced this year will continue to expand the possibilities for positive impact. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has the capability of improving lives globally through technology, with collaboration between people and organizations powering this impact. This report and the impact of our network would not be possible without collaboration, so we extend our thanks to all who have engaged with our network so far.

With: Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, World Economic Forum

Image: Getty Images for Unsplash