Thirteen leading industrial clusters from Australia, Brazil, Colombia, India, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom have officially joined the World Economic Forum’s Transitioning Industrial Clusters initiative.
Launched at COP26 in 2021 and developed in collaboration with Accenture and EPRI, the initiative now consists of 33 clusters across 16 countries and five continents. It is the largest coalition of co-located companies and public institutions committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while promoting economic growth and job creation.
Together, these clusters represent potential carbon dioxide-equivalent reductions of 832 million tonnes, which is equivalent to Saudi Arabia's annual emissions. They also contribute $492 billion to global GDP and support 4.3 million jobs.
A new report, produced with Accenture and EPRI, highlights the importance of industrial clusters in deploying clean-energy solutions at scale. The report examines innovative, collaborative business models, including those leveraging digital technologies, and stresses the role of clusters in accelerating the energy transition.
“Action at both the individual cluster level and through regional collaboration can drive consistent infrastructure deployment, further reducing emissions and boosting economic growth,” said Roberto Bocca, Head of the Centre for Energy and Materials at the World Economic Forum. “Connecting clusters across regions and industries will expedite the energy transition and create a more resilient, sustainable global economy.”
The addition of new clusters from India, Thailand, and Australia highlights the initiative’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific region. New members also include port-based clusters like Rotterdam, Gothenburg, and the Solent Cluster in Europe, along with the Ports of Açu and Cartagena Industrial Cluster in South America, and Jubail Industrial City in the Middle East.
New members include:
“Industrial leaders are embracing decarbonization as a collective goal—one that drives business growth and industry transformation,” said Stephanie Jamison, Global Resources Industry Practice Lead at Accenture. “By leveraging digital technologies, they are optimizing net-zero infrastructure and creating new business models previously unfeasible.”
“The fastest route to technology deployment is through collaborative innovation,” said Neva Espinoza, EPRI Senior Vice-President. “The addition of these 13 clusters underscores the need to unite stakeholders in deploying advanced energy technologies and infrastructure for net-zero economies.”
The Forum’s new report, 'Unleashing the Full Potential of Industrial Clusters: Infrastructure Solutions for Clean Energies', highlights the role of strategic industrial ecosystems, particularly those based around port facilities, in accelerating clean energy production, distribution, and consumption.
The report identifies three key solution areas:
The Transitioning Industrial Clusters initiative aims to foster collaboration and a shared vision among co-located companies and public institutions. Its goals include driving economic growth, creating jobs, and reducing CO2e emissions.