构建地缘政治实力：企业如何将洞察力转化为战略优势

In collaboration with Building Geopolitical Muscle:How Companies Turn Insights W H I T EP A P E R Images:Adobe Stock Contents Foreword Executive summary Introduction 1The case for geopolitical muscle 1.1From signals to strategy1.2From risk management to competitive advantage 2From awareness to execution 2.1Establishing the mandate132.2Activating the radar and sonar152.3Designing the operating model172.4Staffing the function192.5Embedding in decision-making21 3What next? ConclusionContributorsEndnotes Disclaimer This document is published by theWorld Economic Forum as a contributionto a project, insight area or interaction.The findings, interpretations andconclusions expressed herein are a resultof a collaborative process facilitated and ©2026 World Economic Forum. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or transmitted in any formor by any means, including photocopying Foreword Maroun KairouzManaging Director,World Economic Forum David BachPresident and Nestlé Professor ofStrategy and Political Economy, Aparna BharadwajGlobal Leader, BCG Global AdvantagePractice; Managing Director and Senior Forecasting geopolitical developments has alwaysbeen difficult, and managing their consequences isnow a strategic necessity. Over the past few years,companies have faced profound disruption fromtrade reconfiguration, economic fragmentation, Here the focus is on execution, examining howleading companies are institutionalizing geopoliticswithin their organizations and building the capability Drawing on more than 55 executive interviewsacross industries and geographies, the paper offersa practical guide for leaders seeking to translateawareness into action. It is intended for geopoliticalofficers and executives with a geopolitical role, aswell as for board members and senior business This white paper,Building Geopolitical Muscle: HowCompanies Turn Insights into Strategic Advantage, isthe third edition in a series developed by the WorldEconomic Forum in collaboration with IMD BusinessSchool and Boston Consulting Group. The firstpaper explored how firms understood geopolitics Executive summary Building the capabilities to detect, assess andtranslate geopolitical signals into decision-making With rising uncertainty, growing trade tensionsand weakening international economic institutions,more executives now acknowledge the need forstronger capabilities to sense, interpret and respondsystematically to geopolitical dynamics. Geopoliticshas climbed up the corporate agenda, and for good 3Translation into business implicationsis a prerequisite.The ability to connectgeopolitical developments to corporatevalue creation and express them in standardcommercial, financial or operational terms is aprerequisite for relevance. Without this bridge, This paper offers a pragmatic toolkit for executivesseeking to build or strengthen their geopolitical This research, based on more than 55 interviewswith senior executives across sectors and 1Mandate:Anchor responsibility at the CEOand board level with delegated authorityand a clear mission going beyond crisis 1Leadership attention is high, but structurelags.Geopolitics has long been the purviewof the board and CEO, but leadership aloneno longer has the bandwidth to managethe speed and scale of today’s disruptions.Many companies are now building their 2Radar and sonar:Combine internal andexternal intelligence into relevant businessinsights. Quantify exposure, link it to financial 3Operating model:Design a function byemploying archetypes – watch tower, influencenetwork, command cell(s) or nerve centre –that fit the company’s structure and culture.Proximity to the CEO and cross-functional There is no single blueprint for institutionalization.More than half of thecompanies interviewed locate their geopoliticalcapability within government or corporateaffairs, while fewer than 20% have a dedicatedgeopolitics or international relations/affairs unit.Firms pursue different operating models: taskforces, senior advisers, full-time dedicated 4Talent:Appoint leaders with deep businessexperience, supported by teams blendingdiplomacy, strategy, intelligence, regulatory 5Decision integration:Embed geopoliticalinputs into strategic planning, capital allocation,supply chains and logistics, communications Introduction Interviews with senior executives from morethan 55 global businesses inform a pragmatictoolbox to build geopolitical capabilities. IMF Global World Uncertainty Index (WUI) and World Trade Uncertainty Index (WTUI)(January 2008–August 2025) In 2025, global uncertainty reached a 20-year peak(Figure 1), more than four times higher than duringthe global financial crisis and around 50% aboveCOVID-19 levels. This uncertainty is deeply felt inthe business community. In April 2025, 82% of chiefeconomists surveyed by the World Economic Forumcharacterized current levels of uncertainty as “veryhigh”, and 45% expected this uncertainty to remainuncha