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Global Lighthouse Network (GLN)

ActivePublished: 28 October 2026Updated: 28 October 2026Published
Key innovation
Established a global benchmark distinguishing manufacturers that have adopted Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies at scale across operations from those stuck at the single-pilot stage.
Category
Standard
Abstraction level
Benchmark
Operation level
DeploymentApplicationSystem
Use cases
Benchmarking of digital transformation in manufacturingScaling Industry 4.0 technology adoptionSupply chain transformationManufacturing sustainability and decarbonizationBuilding an operational transformation roadmap

How it works

Sites and value chains apply for Lighthouse status, and an independent panel of experts makes the selection based on at-scale adoption of 4IR technologies and documented impact. Each site applies under one of five award categories where it shows particular excellence: Productivity, Supply Chain Resilience, Customer Centricity, Sustainability and Talent. Recognized sites join a knowledge-sharing community — Lighthouses Live events, C-suite workshops, site visits and intelligence-platform sessions — coordinated by the World Economic Forum.

Problem solved

Most manufacturers fail to move beyond isolated digital-technology pilots ("pilot purgatory") and scale them across their whole operations. The Global Lighthouse Network identifies and documents the sites that have succeeded, creating a reference point and a source of proven practices for the wider manufacturing ecosystem.