White Paper Shaping the Sustainability of Production Systems

The report argues that Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies can decouple industrial growth from resource intensity, enabling manufacturers to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals while increasing profitability. Through case studies in Andhra Pradesh and Michigan, the document quantifies billions of dollars in potential annual value from technologies such as cobotics, augmented reality, and 3D printing. It proposes the creation of Regional Platforms for Sustainable Production to facilitate public-private cooperation and the scaled implementation of these technologies.

• The manufacturing sector has a significant environmental impact, accounting for 54% of global energy use and 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
• In Andhra Pradesh, India, six 4IR technologies could unlock $5 billion in annual sustainable value by 2022 across the electronics and automotive sectors.
• Within Andhra Pradesh's electronics sector, Advanced Electronic Design Automation (AEDA) represents the largest value opportunity at $1 billion annually through reduced prototyping and product failures.
• In Andhra Pradesh's automotive sector, an augmented workforce and cobotics 2.0 are the highest value drivers, potentially generating $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion annually respectively by 2022.
• In Michigan, USA, the implementation of four 4IR technologies in the automotive sector could generate over $7 billion in additional annual value by 2022.
• For Michigan's automotive industry, an augmented workforce is the most significant opportunity, with a potential commercial impact of $2.6 billion in additional revenue.
• Cobotics 2.0 in Michigan could provide $2.1 billion in value and potentially create 7,300 jobs by 2022 by reducing the labour cost advantage of emerging economies and enabling reshoring.
• Smart digital twins and metal 3D printing in Michigan could reduce CO2 emissions by 620,000 tonnes and 370,000 tonnes respectively through better maintenance and vehicle lightweighting.
• Circular economy business models, including 'product as a service' and 'product life extension', represent a global economic opportunity valued at $4.5 trillion.
• The report identifies three critical success factors for implementing 4IR technologies: systems leadership, collaborative innovation, and a human-centred approach.

APA

World Economic Forum (2019). White Paper Shaping the Sustainability of Production Systems. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shaping_the_Sustainability_Production_Systems.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. White Paper Shaping the Sustainability of Production Systems. 2019. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shaping_the_Sustainability_Production_Systems.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=White Paper Shaping the Sustainability of Production Systems |date=January 2019 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shaping_the_Sustainability_Production_Systems.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2019white, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{White Paper Shaping the Sustainability of Production Systems}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2019}, month = jan, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shaping_the_Sustainability_Production_Systems.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }