New Delhi: The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced a major step forward in steering the responsible development of cutting-edge technologies by launching five new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR). Revealed amid high-level discussions at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos, this expansion brings fresh momentum to the global 4IR Network and positions India as a growing force in the movement, with Andhra Pradesh hosting one of the newest facilities.
The initiative, detailed on January 23, 2026, builds on the WEF’s long-standing effort to unite governments, businesses, academia, and civil society around shared goals. By creating dedicated centres, the Forum aims to translate abstract technological promise into concrete policies, experimental projects, and cross-border partnerships that prioritize societal good while tackling inherent dangers.
The Essence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Coined by Klaus Schwab, the WEF’s founder, in 2016, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) captures an unprecedented convergence of digital, physical, and biological systems. Core drivers include artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) networks, quantum computing, biotechnology, 3D printing, and autonomous systems. Unlike past industrial shifts that emphasized mechanical power, electrification, or computerized automation, IR 4.0 fundamentally merges these realms, producing intelligent, interconnected ecosystems capable of self-optimization and real-time adaptation.
This fusion dismantles long-standing divides between the physical world, digital infrastructure, and even biological processes, enabling innovations once confined to science fiction.
Transformative Benefits Across Multiple Domains
IR 4.0 holds immense potential to reshape economies and societies for the better. Automation combined with sophisticated data analytics boosts industrial efficiency, shortens production cycles, and fortifies supply chains against shocks. Smart factories and predictive maintenance reduce downtime and waste, driving higher output with fewer resources.
Developing nations stand to gain disproportionately through technology leapfrogging. Countries like India can bypass expensive legacy infrastructure and directly adopt scalable digital tools, broadening access to essential services, closing urban-rural divides, and accelerating inclusive prosperity.
Sustainability forms a cornerstone of the revolution’s value proposition. IoT sensors, AI-driven optimization, and data-rich decision-making enable cleaner energy distribution via intelligent grids, precision farming that slashes water and chemical overuse, and circular production models that prioritize reuse and recycling. Pioneering “Lighthouse” facilities—showcase sites identified by the WEF—have already posted impressive gains, cutting CO₂ emissions and water consumption through real-time monitoring and predictive algorithms.
Perhaps most importantly, IR 4.0 redefines human contribution. Routine manual work gives way to roles centered on creativity, strategic thinking, complex problem-solving, and lifelong skill adaptation. Preparing workforces through robust education, vocational training, and continuous learning becomes essential to capturing the revolution’s upside.
Navigating the Risks and Downsides
The transformative power of IR 4.0 comes with serious caveats. A stark digital divide threatens to deepen global inequality. Current statistics reveal that only ten leading economies file 91% of patents in advanced digital manufacturing technologies, leaving most countries struggling to participate meaningfully in innovation.
Labor markets face upheaval. Forecasts suggest demand for repetitive, manual tasks could drop by almost 30%, while needs for digital proficiencies—coding, data science, AI oversight, and cybersecurity—may climb more than 50%. Without targeted reskilling, millions risk long-term unemployment and widening social gaps.
Greater interconnectivity heightens exposure to cyber threats. Digitized industrial control systems, once isolated, now present attractive targets for hackers seeking to disrupt operations, steal intellectual property, or compromise national infrastructure in critical sectors.
Paradoxically, the very technologies promoting sustainability carry their own environmental burden. Proliferating devices, expansive data centres, and constant connectivity demand substantial electricity and rare materials, raising questions about net ecological impact unless mitigated through efficient design and renewable powering.
Spotlight on the Latest Centres and Their Strategic Focus
The five newly announced centres will be distributed across France, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Andhra Pradesh, India. They join an already extensive international lineup that includes facilities in Azerbaijan, Colombia, Germany, Israel, Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, the United States, Ukraine, Vietnam, and others.
Each centre tailors its work to local strengths and needs while feeding insights into the broader network. Priority themes span artificial intelligence advancement, clean energy transitions, cybersecurity fortification, and exploration of frontier technologies. Through collaborative pilots, stakeholder roundtables, policy prototyping, and knowledge dissemination, the centres aim to produce replicable models that balance innovation speed with ethical guardrails.
Andhra Pradesh’s contribution is particularly focused. Partnering directly with the state government, the new Centre for Energy and Cyber Resilience will concentrate on two intertwined priorities: accelerating sustainable energy solutions and hardening industrial and digital systems against cyber risks.
Planned activities include demonstration projects, expert consultations, and structured exchanges to generate practical, scalable answers. These span deployment of renewable-integrated smart grids, robust cybersecurity architectures tailored to industrial applications, and comprehensive talent-building initiatives to equip local professionals for emerging demands.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu described the collaboration as a strategic alignment with the state’s ambitions to reinforce weak links in energy reliability, digital trust, cybersecurity posture, and large-scale skill creation.
WEF President Børge Brende highlighted the collaborative spirit driving the expansion, noting that uniting diverse stakeholders around common technological hurdles amplifies impact. Regional perspectives, he stressed, enrich and reinforce the worldwide push for responsible stewardship of powerful innovations.
Strengthening a Worldwide Platform for Responsible Innovation
With these additions, the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network—launched in 2017—continues evolving into a dynamic, multi-continental platform. It fosters dialogue and joint action among public institutions, corporations, researchers, and communities to ensure exponential technologies deliver broad-based benefits while minimizing harm.
The Andhra Pradesh centre elevates India’s footprint within the network to three dedicated facilities (joining established hubs in Mumbai and Telangana), signaling the country’s rising influence in shaping global technology governance, particularly in energy security and digital defense.
As breakthroughs in AI, quantum systems, biotechnology, and connected infrastructure accelerate, structured mechanisms like these centres become indispensable. They provide testing grounds for governance models, spaces for safe experimentation, and channels for sharing best practices across borders.
This latest chapter in the WEF’s 4IR journey underscores a collective determination to guide one of history’s most disruptive eras toward equitable, resilient, and sustainable outcomes—with Andhra Pradesh and India playing an increasingly prominent role on the global stage.
FAQs
What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0)?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution refers to the current era of rapid technological change where digital, physical, and biological systems merge. It includes technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), quantum computing, biotechnology, and advanced materials. The term was popularized by WEF founder Klaus Schwab in 2016.
Why is the WEF establishing five new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
These centres expand the global 4IR Network to promote responsible development and deployment of emerging technologies. They bring together governments, industry, and experts to create practical policies, run pilot projects, address local priorities, strengthen cyber resilience, support energy transitions, and advance international cooperation on frontier technologies.
Which countries will host the five new Centres announced in January 2026?
The five new centres will be established in France, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Andhra Pradesh, India (one centre in Andhra Pradesh). This brings the total number of centres in India to three, after existing ones in Mumbai and Telangana.
What will the new Centre in Andhra Pradesh focus on?
The Andhra Pradesh Centre for Energy and Cyber Resilience will concentrate on two main areas: accelerating the transition to green and secure energy systems, and strengthening cyber resilience across industries. It will develop scalable solutions through pilot projects, consultations, and knowledge sharing in green energy, cybersecurity strategies, and workforce development for future-ready talent.
How does the Fourth Industrial Revolution benefit India, and what are the main challenges?
Benefits include economic growth through higher productivity, opportunity for developing countries to leapfrog old technologies, improved sustainability via smart grids and precision agriculture, and a shift toward high-skill jobs. Challenges include widening global technology gaps, potential job displacement (especially in repetitive manual tasks), increased cyber-security risks, and the environmental footprint of data centres and connected devices.
