Fourth Industrial Revolution

What is the theme of Davos 2016?

Fon Mathuros Chantanayingyong
Head of Media, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum Geneva

Over 2,500 leaders from business, government, international organizations, civil society, academia, media and the arts will participate in the 46th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on 20-23 January. The theme of the Meeting is “Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

Earlier Industrial Revolutions advanced human progress through new forms of power generation, mass production and information processing. Building on a ubiquitous and mobile internet, smaller, cheaper and more powerful sensors, as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is distinct in the speed, scale and force at which it transforms entire systems of production, distribution, consumption – and possibly the very essence of human nature.

“There are many challenges in the world today, and I feel that one of the most intense and impactful will be shaping the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ – driven by the speed, the breadth and the complete ‘systems innovation’ of technological change underway. The challenges are as daunting as the opportunities are compelling. We must have a comprehensive and globally shared understanding of how technology is changing our lives and that of future generations, transforming the economic, social, ecological and cultural contexts in which we live. This is critical, in order to shape our collective future to reflect our common objectives and values,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Central questions that will be asked of the Fourth Industrial Revolution include: how will it transform industry sectors, including health, mobility, financial services and education? How can technology be deployed in ways that contribute to inclusive growth rather than exacerbate unemployment and income inequality? How can breakthroughs in science and technology help in solving problems of the global commons from climate change to public health? How will emerging technologies transform the global security landscape? How can governments build institutions capable of making decisions when the challenges they face are more complex, fast-moving and interconnected than ever before?

Taking a formative role in shaping the discussion at the Annual Meeting 2016 will be Co-Chairs:

  • Mary Barra, Chief Executive Officer, General Motors, USA
  • Sharan Burrow, Secretary-General, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Belgium
  • Satya Nadella, Chief Executive, Microsoft, USA
  • Hiroaki Nakanishi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hitachi, Japan
  • Tidjane Thiam, Chief Executive Officer, Credit Suisse, Switzerland
  • Amira Yahyaoui, Founder and Chair, Al Bawsala and Global Shaper of the Tunis Hub

Among the 2,500 participants at the next Annual Meeting will be business leaders from the Forum’s 1,000 member companies, heads of state and government, leaders of international organizations, civil society and religious organizations, academia, the media and the arts. Alongside will be recognized leaders from other Forum communities, including Global Shapers, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Young Global Leaders and Technology Pioneers.

The Annual Meeting programme comprises over 250 sessions of which over 100 sessions will be webcast live. As well as generating ideas and solutions to help shape global, regional and industry agendas, the programme will also support the Forum’s work in harnessing public-private cooperation in nine key challenge areas.

Author: Fon Mathuros, Head of Media, Public Engagement, World Economic Forum

Image: The Swiss mountain resort of Davos is seen on December 30, 2009. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Fourth Industrial Revolution

Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Fourth Industrial Revolution is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

1:55

How countries and platforms are making the internet safer for children

AI at work: A practical guide to implementing and scaling new tools

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum