WEF Expands Global Lighthouse Network

On September 16, 2025, the World Economic Forum (WEF) announced the addition of 12 new manufacturing sites to its Global Lighthouse Network, bringing the total to 201. This network recognizes facilities that are leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) by successfully implementing advanced technologies at scale. The new cohort spans seven countries: China (6 sites), Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, Türkiye, Qatar, and France. These sites were designated for achieving significant impact across five categories: Customer Centricity, Productivity, Supply-Chain Resilience, Sustainability, and Talent.

Key Trends and Aggregate Performance

The latest additions to the Global Lighthouse Network show three prevailing trends in contemporary manufacturing.

• AI-Driven Innovation: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics is central to driving collaborative and effective decision-making.
• Hyper-Connected Supply Chains: Leading organizations are extending technological impact beyond their factory walls to create more resilient and transparent end-to-end supply chains.
• Talent and Sustainability: A dual focus on developing the workforce and embedding sustainability is becoming a key driver of performance.

This new group demonstrated impressive results, with an average labor productivity increase of 40% and a 48% reduction in lead time. The use of AI and generative AI (genAI) has grown, accounting for up to 50% of top use cases and leading to impacts such as a 41% decrease in product defects, a 28% decrease in energy consumption, and a 44% reduction in cycle time.

Detailed Breakdown of New Lighthouse Designations

Distinction in Customer Centricity (2 Sites)

• Eaton Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd. (China): To manage a highly complex product portfolio, Eaton used AI, simulation, and robotics to reduce its design and delivery lead time by 39% and increase operational efficiency by 50%.
• Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (China): Facing a fragmented market with many single-item orders, the site deployed 49 4IR solutions to achieve a 98.4% on-time delivery rate and reduce lead time by 22%.

Distinction in Productivity (4 Sites)

• GlobalFoundries Pte. Ltd. (Singapore): To counter talent shortages and high demand, the semiconductor fab implemented over 60 4IR use cases, improving labor productivity by 40% and accelerating new product prototyping by 30%.
• Haier Washing Electrical Appliances Co., Ltd. (China): At its new production base, Haier used its proprietary IoT platform and genAI to increase production by 37% and cut conversion costs by 33%.
• Qatar Shell GTL Limited (Qatar): The world's largest gas-to-liquids plant deployed over 45 4IR solutions to improve asset integrity, increasing site throughput by 9% and reliability to 99%.
• Tongwei Solar Co., Ltd. (China): In the competitive solar cell market, Tongwei used AI-driven process optimization to improve power conversion efficiency by 12%, cut defect rates by 41%, and reduce conversion costs by 37%.

Distinction in Supply Chain Resilience (4 Sites)

• Lenovo Centro Tecnologico (Mexico): Lenovo's largest North American site deployed over 60 4IR solutions (half AI-enabled) to manage 52,000 SKUs, reducing lead time by 85% and logistics costs by 42%.
• Midea Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd. (Thailand): The site implemented 72 digital and AI solutions to address cross-border supply chain complexities, resulting in a 43% reduction in order lead times and a 32% drop in customer complaints.
• Turkish Petroleum Refineries Corporation - Tüpraş (Türkiye): The refinery used AI-driven forecasting and logistics optimization to improve delivery reliability to 95%, shorten truck loading times by 75%, and reduce CO2 emissions by 8%.
• Yunnan Baiyao Group Co., Ltd. (China): To manage volatile e-commerce demand, the company used satellite sensing, IoT, and large language models to reduce raw material return rates by 78% and inventory days by 38%.

Distinction in Sustainability (2 Sites)

• Hisensehitachi Air-conditioning Systems Co., Ltd. (China): The site deployed 27 solutions to reduce emissions across the product lifecycle, cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 48% and Scope 3 (customer use) emissions by 28%.
• Schneider Electric Distribution Center (France): This facility was transformed into the company’s first circular distribution center, implementing a "use better, longer, and again" model that reduced single-use plastic by 40% and energy consumption by 18%.

Distinction in Talent (1 Site)

• Haier Refrigerator Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (China): Facing high workforce mobility, the site deployed 35 talent-empowerment solutions, including personalized career paths and a smart incentive platform, which reduced employee attrition by 40%.

Future Initiatives

The announcement is linked to the upcoming WEF insights paper, Empowering Frontlines: Retaining, Training, and Upskilling Industrial Workforce, which will highlight strategies for talent development pioneered by the Lighthouse sites.

Key Takeaways

• Network Growth: The World Economic Forum has added 12 new sites to its Global Lighthouse Network, now totaling 201 worldwide.
• Thailand Joins the Elite: A Midea refrigeration plant in Si Racha, Thailand, is among the new Lighthouses, recognized for its supply chain resilience.
• Dominant Trends: The new Lighthouses showcase three key trends: AI-driven innovation, hyper-connected supply chains, and a focus on sustainability and talent.
• Proven Impact: This cohort achieved significant results, including an average 40% increase in productivity and a 48% reduction in lead time.
• Standout Achievements:
  • Resilience (Thailand): Midea cut order lead times by 43%.
  • Sustainability (France): Schneider Electric reduced energy use by 18% at its new circular hub.
  • Talent (China): Haier reduced employee attrition by 40% through 4IR solutions.