The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a hub for global, multistakeholder co-operation to accelerate the benefits of science and technology. With Centres in 14 countries around the world, the C4IR Network is working with government, business, academia and civil society to develop, prototype and test pioneering collaborations and governance models to ensure the benefits of technology are maximised, and the risks accounted for.

As the world undergoes a great reset, our ability to harness and disseminate the new technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) will play a key role in ensuring our recovery from the pandemic and the avoidance of the future crises.

The possibilities of new 4IR technologies, deployed appropriately, should be used as the baseline to reinvent the way we operate in the new context: everything from government services, education and healthcare, to the way business interacts and provides value to its customers.

However, if not directed with purpose, the 4IR has the potential to exacerbate inequality. Human-centricity, Inclusion and Trust must be key principles guiding action - we must take proactive steps to ensure technology adoption does not heighten abuse of power, bias, wealth disparities, exclusion and loss of livelihoods.

Technology will play a critical role in the adoption of stakeholder capitalism and ESG reporting. Whilst technology comes with risks, such as cybersecurity or fraud, it can also provide vast opportunity, such as enhancing education systems, reducing corruption in supply chains or accelerating the adoption of clean energy.