New Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Why in News?

The WEF has decided to establish 5 new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR or Industry 4.0), including one in India's Andhra Pradesh.

• Fourth Industrial Revolution Network – It is a platform for multi-stakeholder collaboration, bringing together public and private sectors to help ensure emerging technologies deliver benefits for society, while minimising risks.
• Launched by – World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2017.

Industry 4.0 - Refers to the current era of rapid technological advancement characterised by the blurring of lines between the physical, digital, and biological worlds, coined in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, founder of the WEF.

• Purpose – To create a global network that will work with governments and industry to deliver practical policy frameworks and pilots, address regional priorities, and advance international cooperation.
• Focus areas – AI innovation, the energy transition, cyber resilience, and frontier technologies.
• Present global status –
  • Existing Centres – Azerbaijan, Colombia, Germany, Korea, Israel, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, the US, Ukraine, Vietnam.
  • New Centres Announced – Andhra Pradesh (India), France, UK, UAE.
  • India’s Existing Centres – Mumbai and Telangana.

India’s Centre (Andhra Pradesh)

• Established in – Partnership with the Andhra Pradesh government, the Centre for Energy and Cyber Resilience.
• Objective – To promote innovation-led approaches to the energy transition while strengthening cyber resilience across industries.
• Focus – The centre will develop scalable solutions spanning green energy systems, cybersecurity strategies and workforce development.
• Significance – It helps India use new technologies responsibly, boosting its role in clean energy and cybersecurity, while also supporting global goals like sustainability, safety, and inclusive growth.

Reference

The Hindu | WEF to launch five new Centres for Fourth Industrial Revolution