The World Economic Forum is expanding its global Fourth Industrial Revolution Network with the launch of five new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as governments seek to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies while managing their economic and societal risks.
The new centres, to be established in France, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and India, will focus on areas including artificial intelligence, the energy transition, cyber resilience and frontier technologies. They are designed to help policymakers and industry translate innovation into practical regulatory frameworks, pilot projects and scalable solutions.
In France, the European Centre for AI Excellence in Paris will focus on advancing responsible artificial intelligence across sectors, supporting Europe’s competitiveness in technology and industrial applications. The United Kingdom centre, based at Imperial College London, will develop AI-driven innovation while exploring its convergence with quantum computing, biotechnology and generative AI.
The UAE will host two centres. In Abu Dhabi, the Centre for Frontier Technologies, hosted by the Technology Innovation Institute, will concentrate on quantum technologies, robotics and space, with an emphasis on public-private collaboration and responsible deployment. A second centre, the Centre for Intelligent Future at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, will strengthen AI research and infrastructure, linking frontier research to economic and societal priorities.
In India, a Centre for Energy and Cyber Resilience in Andhra Pradesh will focus on innovation-led approaches to the energy transition and cybersecurity. The centre aims to develop scalable solutions in green energy systems, cyber risk management and workforce skills through pilot programmes, policy consultations and knowledge exchange.
Together, the five centres will expand the World Economic Forum’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Network, launched in 2017, which now spans Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The network brings together governments, businesses and experts to promote the responsible development and deployment of emerging technologies worldwide.
