Global Value Chains Outlook 2026: Orchestrating Corporate and National Agility
Global supply chains face a new operating reality – one defined by persistent volatility and disruptions embedded in the global economy. Leaders face a defining challenge: how can supply chains be designed to remain resilient, competitive and investable when uncertainty is not temporary, but structural? Drawing on a multi-year collaboration between the World Economic Forum and Kearney, and informed by more than 100 expert consultations and insights from over 300 global executives, this report provides a practical, action-oriented playbook for corporate and public-sector leaders to navigate this shift.
Global supply chains face a new operating reality – one defined by persistent volatility and disruptions embedded in the global economy. Leaders face a defining challenge: how can supply chains be designed to remain resilient, competitive and investable when uncertainty is not temporary, but structural? Drawing on a multi-year collaboration between the World Economic Forum and Kearney, and informed by more than 100 expert consultations and insights from over 300 global executives, this report provides a practical, action-oriented playbook for corporate and public-sector leaders to navigate this shift.
For industry, it outlines how to redesign supply chains around orchestration, distributed scale and optionality to build structural agility and unlock growth under volatility. For governments, it offers a policy blueprint to strengthen industrial readiness, enable adaptive ecosystems and attract investment in future-ready manufacturing. It also introduces the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Readiness Navigator, a data-driven tool to support footprint decisions and policy execution.