Global Lighthouse Network: 223 sites and the first Talent Lighthouses

2026-01-15 · Publisher : World Economic Forum · Domain : Industry 4.0 & 5.0

Ahead of Davos, the WEF expands its network of benchmark factories to 223 sites in over 30 countries. "Talent" and "customer centricity" awards bring people into the criteria: Schneider Electric Wuhan is one of the first three Talent Lighthouses.

### Background On 15 January 2026, ahead of the Davos meeting, the World Economic Forum published its report "Global Lighthouse Network: Rewiring Operations for Resilience and Impact at Scale" and announced new awards. The network marks eight years and reaches **223 sites** in over 30 countries and 40 industries. ### Key features - Two categories introduced in 2025, **"talent"** and **"customer centricity"**, join productivity, supply chain resilience and sustainability. - **Schneider Electric Wuhan** is one of the **first three Talent Lighthouses**: workforce readiness up from 20% to 76%, technician turnover down from 48% to 6%, 56% of employees upskilled. - **Siemens Nanjing**, a factory designed entirely in simulation before construction: time-to-market **−33%**, lead times **−78%** versus 2022, productivity **+14%**, field failures **−46%**, emissions **−28%**. - Report themes: operational resilience, AI for "cognitive networks", scaling from pilots to enterprise-wide deployments. ### Why it matters A "talent" category marks a shift toward Industry 5.0: the best factories are judged not only on technology but on their ability to train, retain and equip operators. For industrial management, the Wuhan figures give concrete benchmarks to justify investment in training and assistance tools. ### Key takeaway The club of the most advanced factories now measures workforce upskilling alongside productivity.

Tags : Lighthouse, Compétences, Industrie 5.0, IA, Chine