McKinsey and the World Economic Forum 2023

Resilience and globalization in a fragmented world

The multitude of ongoing crises calls for bold collective action. Remaining true to the World Economic Forum’s spirit of multistakeholder cooperation, the Annual Meeting 2023 which took place January 16 to January 20, brought together top decision-makers from government, business, and civil society to address major global issues and priorities for the year ahead.

As a strategic partner to the World Economic Forum, McKinsey engaged with Davos 2023 participants in constructive, forward-looking dialogues and identified impact-oriented solutions that will contribute to a better world, focused on sustainable inclusive growth.

Latest themes

Resilience | Sustainability | Reimagining Globalization | Inclusion | Space

Our Davos insights

Continents on cogwheels, (digitally generated)

Article

Why Davos matters more than ever

January 12, 2023 -

Global challenges call for global leadership.

A businessman balancing on a tightrope tied between two peaks of a graph

Article

2023, a testing year: Will the macro-scenario range widen or narrow?

January 16, 2023 -

Will the world move to solve its structural problems and make superior short-term choices? Yes or no: that’s the first question on the test.

Article

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023

January 13, 2023 -

Leaders need clarity on what works to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our 2023 report shows success factors that contributed to significant, quantifiable, scalable, and sustainable DEI impact.

Discussion Paper - MGI Research

The China imperative for multinational companies

January 15, 2023 -

Multinational companies operating in China must reconfigure for opportunity and risk.

Article

What is Davos?

January 9, 2023 -

Davos, Switzerland, is where the World Economic Forum holds its annual meeting. Delegates from many sectors converge for several days of talks and meetings to address urgent global issues.

Article

Young Global Leaders on Davos 2023

The world was a dynamic place in 2022, with the Ukraine war, inflation, climate change, supply chain challenges, and COVID-19 dominating our attention. As we prepare for a new year and the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in January, what themes in business, economics, and policy can we expect to surface at Davos 2023?

Resilience

Aerial view of a yacht in a storm with a dramatic sky

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

A defining moment: How Europe’s CEOs can build resilience to grow in today’s economic maelstrom

October 12, 2022 -

Can leaders lift their companies to the next frontier of resilience—not only to survive but also to thrive?

Rear view of man with umbrella standing by railing against sea.

Article

Something’s coming: How US companies can build resilience, survive a downturn, and thrive in the next cycle

September 16, 2022 -

The US economy continues to throw off mixed signals. But one thing is becoming clear: executives should prepare for an extended period of higher interest rates.

Article

Resilience for sustainable, inclusive growth

June 7, 2022 -

Resilience should be seen as the ability to deal with adversity, withstand shocks, and continuously adapt and accelerate as disruptions and crises arise over time.

Sustainability

Illuminated outline of countries on earth from outer space

Report

The energy transition: A region-by-region agenda for near-term action

December 15, 2022 -

What practical actions could countries take now to ensure that the energy transition both accelerates and proceeds in an orderly...

The earth's image with green cover artistically included among clouds covering the globe

Report

Nature in the balance: What companies can do to restore natural capital

December 5, 2022 -

Specific corporate actions, many with a positive return on investment, could help reverse the trend of the depletion of natural...

A glowing, open doorway with two sets of footprints with circling paths at either side and a third set of footprints heading through the door.

Article - McKinsey Quarterly

A devilish duality: How CEOs can square resilience with net-zero promises

November 1, 2022 -

Amid turbulence on the path to net zero, leaders will have to be much nimbler to balance resilience with an energy future that...

Reimagining Globalization

Article - MGI Research

The complication of concentration in global trade

January 12, 2023 -

Concentration in the origins of traded products is widespread, prompting questions about whether to diversify or decouple.

Discussion Paper - MGI Research

Global flows: The ties that bind in an interconnected world

November 15, 2022 -

Economic and political turbulence have prompted speculation that the world is already deglobalizing. But the evidence suggests...

Discussion Paper - MGI Research

On the cusp of a new era?

October 20, 2022 -

Current economic and political turbulence could presage the start of a new era that is structurally very different with a new...

Inclusion

Article

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023

January 13, 2023 -

Leaders need clarity on what works to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our 2023 report shows success factors that contributed...

Portrait of a mature businesswoman having a meeting with her team in a modern office

Article

Women in the Workplace 2022

October 18, 2022 -

Women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rates we’ve ever seen, and ambitious young women are prepared to do the...

Article

The state of diversity in global private markets: 2022

November 1, 2022 -

New research captures regional differences in the state of diversity in private equity and discusses the role of institutional...

Space

Blog Post

Your guide to navigating the space economy

December 19, 2022 -

It’s been 50 years since the Apollo 17 crew returned to Earth following a historic lunar landing.

Collection

The Next Normal – The future of space: It’s getting crowded out there

March 29, 2022 -

Could you soon be taking trips to outer space? Some experts think so. Rocket launches have become much less expensive, so thousands...

The horizon line of planet Earth as seen from space

Article

A different space race: Raising capital and accelerating growth

November 16, 2022 -

As innovation accelerates within the space sector, companies may benefit by taking a disruptor’s mindset to accessing and...

World Economic Forum – McKinsey Collaborations

The Global Lighthouse Network

Seeks to shape the future of advanced manufacturing and production through “lighthouse” factories.

The Future of Sustainable Mobility

Looks to bridge the public trust gap and accelerate the transition to cleaner, safer, more inclusive mobility systems.

Critical Building Blocks for a Sustainable Concrete Market

Cement is essential for construction but accounts for approximately 7% of global CO₂ production. The World Economic Forum–McKinsey knowledge collaboration on the decarbonization of cement looks to lower emissions through circularity solutions and reducing the need for new virgin components.

Our core team

2023 Delegation

Featured collaborations

Seizing the momentum to build resilience for a future of sustainable inclusive growth

To secure a sustainable, inclusive future in a world of continuous, overlapping disruptions, leaders are recognizing the critical need to invest in long-term resilience.

Download the report

Seizing resilience momentum: our existential opportunity

Global disruption is ramping up, everywhere from geopolitics to food and energy. Addressing these disruptions cannot be done in a piecemeal manner—we must confront them systemically. Sustained collective action by the public and private sectors is the only path forward; a resilient growth strategy is not only a necessity, but it also represents an opportunity.

Read the article

Investing in women and diverse entrepreneurs to boost the post-pandemic recovery

Women and diverse individuals often run up against systemic challenges and resource scarcity when pursuing entrepreneurship and small business ownership. The greater presence of women and diverse fund founders should mitigate some of the demographic and cultural biases in the distribution of financing.

Read the article

The incumbent business as a startup machine

For the past three decades, the business world has intently watched the growth and innovation fueled by startups – and rightly so. Six of the top 10 tech companies today didn’t exist back then. But in fixating so much on this one segment of value creation, we may be collectively overlooking an even bigger opportunity: the incumbent business as a startup machine.

Read the article

Nature and net zero

This report explores natural climate solutions, which offer an opportunity to address both climate and nature crises and generate significant additional environmental, social and economic benefits.

Download the report

The Next Wave: Green Corridors

Green corridors are specific trade routes between major port hubs where zero-emission solutions are supported. A new report shows that accelerated decarbonization for the shipping industry is feasible, and could provide stakeholders with the confidence to invest, coordinate, and deliver solutions at scale by 2030.

Read the report

Road Freight Zero: Pathways to faster adoption of zero-emission trucks

This report identifies three groups of solutions can act as accelerators for faster adoption: new policy frameworks, innovative financing and service models, and coordinated roll-out of trucks and infrastructure.

Read the report

Critical insights on the path to a net-zero aviation sector

Dramatically reducing CO2 emissions by 2050 in the aviation industry will not be easy, but advanced modeling shows that it is possible—with the right ambition and investment.

Read the article

Forging ahead: A materials roadmap for the zero-carbon car

The systems-wide change needed to create circularity in the automotive sector and sometimes seem costly and prohibitive. However, as this report demonstrates, significant abatement is possible for the auto industry with very little additional added vehicle material cost.

Download the report

Clean skies for tomorrow: Sustainable aviation fuels as a pathway to net-zero aviation

A transition to carbon-neutral flying is possible and sustainable aviation fuels are the most promising decarbonization pathway in the near term.

Download the report

Ramping up operations and business activity post-COVID-19

June 4, 2020 -

Four strategic actions can help companies to effectively prepare and ensure a successful ramp-up of production and business activity for a post-COVID-19 world.

Read the executive briefing

Resuming operations and business activity post-COVID-19

June 4, 2020 -

Perspectives on how companies can return to work and resume operations and business activity as early as possible, while ensuring employees’ safety and preventing new infections.

Read the executive briefing

Global Lighthouse Network: Insights from the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution

January 10, 2020 -

This paper looks closer at 14 “Lighthouse” manufacturers that show how end-to-end innovation in the value chain can improve productivity, operating cost, and speed to market.

Read the report

Industry’s fast-mover advantage: Enterprise value from digital factories

Manufacturing’s leaders in applying Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) digital technologies are building on their head start—generating even more value across the entire enterprise.

Read the article

The future of the last-mile ecosystem

What’s ahead for urban deliveries? This new report analyzes interventions—such as the use of electric vehicles and parcel lockers—that could lower emissions and congestion considerably.

Read the report

3 ways we can help women join the age of automation

The public, private, and third sectors need to work together to support women to make the transitions they need to thrive in the automation age, write Anu Madgavkar, Vivian Hunt, and Lareina Yee in World Economic Forum.

Read the article

How AI can improve disaster resilience and relief

Natural disasters are increasing in frequency and ferocity. Here's how AI can come to the rescue.

Read the article

How to incentivize food systems to meet the realities of the 21st century

Today’s food systems don’t address the needs of people or the planet. New research from the World Economic Forum and McKinsey lays out a road map to create the needed incentives.

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DAVOS ARCHIVES

Ask an expert: The future of manufacturing in America

Blog Post

In Davos, shining a light on the economic future of America: Manufacturing.

Manufacturing was once thought to be a declining industry in the US—but according to our North America managing partner, the US industrial technology sector is booming.