The World Economic Forum (WEF) is set to launch four new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), including C4IR South Africa, which will be hosted at the University of Pretoria (UP).
The Forum announced the signing of agreements for the four new Centres on 23 January 2025.
C4IR South Africa, which will be formally known as the South African Centre for Industry and Technology, will be run in collaboration with leading South African academic institutions and will advance the nation’s readiness for the future of global value chains and energy transition. The Centre will focus on the twin challenges of inclusive cross-industry digitisation and decarbonisation. Once launched, it will be the first C4IR Centre in South Africa and the second on the African continent.
“The upcoming launches of four new C4IR Centres underscores our commitment to shaping a future where technology better serves humanity,” said Børge Brende, President and CEO of the Forum. “Together, with our growing network of global partners, we will continue to harness the power of innovation to address society’s most pressing challenges and create localized solutions with global reach.”
To accelerate innovation and partnerships in pursuit of this mission, the SA Centre for Industry and Technology will partner with government and business and leverage the Forum’s global communities and initiatives, notably those led by the Forum’s Centres for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains and Energy and Materials and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“The launch of the Centre for Industry and Technology, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, is a major step in driving technological progress and industrial transformation,” said Professor Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UP. “The Centre will help position South Africa for manufacturing readiness and support its sustainable energy transition towards net zero. The University of Pretoria is proud to sign this agreement today.”
