To meet the world’s need for materials and industrial goods, manufacturing must reinvent itself through innovation, digitisation and automation.

How we make

An epochal transformation of manufacturing is underway

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, manufacturers are a beacon of innovation - embracing the use of such as automation, 3D printing and AI to boost their productivity, efficiency and agility. Companies - for example within wholesale, agriculture, mining and technical services, together forming the Make domain - are already using these advances to reinvent themselves. As a result of these efforts, up to US$1.8 trillion of manufacturing revenues could be redistributed in 2025.

Other powerful catalysts include the need to insulate supply chains from climate shocks, the push to improve sustainability and circularity, the growing demand for workers with specialised skills, and the impact of geopolitical tensions on trade routes. Together, they’re combining to forge a major sectoral reconfiguration in manufacturing.

Capturing the value in the decade ahead

Businesses that grasp the full potential of the Make domain will have the edge in 2035.

The extent of that growth will depend on how megatrends play out.

To obtain a quantitative picture of what the Make domain might look like in 2035, we modelled the potential global economic impact of two of the most pressing megatrends: technological disruption (specifically disruption from AI) and climate change. The result is three divergent scenarios, corresponding to a range of outcomes, from a low of $33.91 trillion to a high of $36.84 trillion.

Sizing the Make opportunity

The nature and scale of the new business opportunities that emerge in the Make domain will depend on how AI adoption and climate action progress. Your strategy should account for a range of possible outcomes. Three scenarios can help leaders in the Make domain consider what the future might bring.

Trust-Based Transformation

Global alignment | Responsible Tech | Sustainable Solutions

In Trust-Based Transformation, a coordinated, conscientious approach to tech deployment and climate response fosters productivity growth, job creation and environmental health.

Tense Transition

Regional alignment | Fragmented Tech | Subscale sustainability

In Tense Transition, regionalisation and nationalism give rise to technology systems and sustainability efforts that deliver benefits without the economies of global scale.

Turbulent Times

Atomised interests | Disruptive and divisive tech | Suspended sustainability

In Turbulent Times, atomised interests, divisive uses of technology, and suspended sustainability initiatives hamper economic growth.

Learn more about the three divergent tomorrows

Learn more

To reinvent for multiple tomorrows, take action today

The process of reinvention needs to start now, with a focus on priorities that respond to the reconfiguration that’s already underway. This means driving hard towards a set of innovation imperatives, securing competitive advantages in areas such as technology and trust, and turning obstacles such as climate threats into enablers of growth.

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