Traditional industries are giving way to something bigger—and more valuable. New domains of growth are emerging at the intersection of technology, sustainability and human need, and these value pools are dwarfing the industries they’re replacing. PwC’s research shows $132.54 trillion will be in motion globally in the next decade, and we’ve mapped where that value is moving.
Nine domains of growth you need to know
Companies are no longer defined by what they produce, but by the problems they solve and the needs they satisfy. Barriers between sectors are falling and new partnerships are rising as the economy reconfigures into broad ‘domains’: how we make things, build, feed ourselves, care, move, fuel and power society, govern and serve, fund and insure, and connect and compute.
Consider the way electric vehicle manufacturing brings together electricity providers, battery manufacturers, tech firms and more, enabling them to create value alongside car manufacturers. The opportunities for Australia’s organisations are similarly boundless
By 2035, the Make domain could add over USD$34 trillion to global GDP, with more than half of this growth ($15.24 trillion) coming from Asia Pacific. The Build domain will add an estimated $13.76 trillion globally, again with more than half of this growth ($7.44 trillion) coming from our region. The Fund and Insure domain is set to boost global GDP by $17.04 trillion, with more than one quarter of this growth ($5.14 trillion) coming from Asia Pacific.
But knowing where value is moving is only half of the equation. Your next move is capturing that value, and savvy leaders are using three strategic imperatives:
1) Act now to thrive in the decade ahead
Our recent 29th Global CEO Survey – Australian Insights found leading CEOs are focusing on multi-year opportunities to reinvent for growth—forging ahead with AI investment, prioritising innovation and entering new sectors as industries converge. For everyone else, the window is narrowing. Leaders must re-evaluate current markets, identify which unmet needs their organisation can address, and move decisively to rethink their business models before their competitors do. Agility is key.
2) Harness AI as your competitive edge
Our research shows the global economy could be nearly 15% bigger than expected in 2035 if AI delivers a jolt to productivity comparable to the productivity booms ignited in the past by foundational technologies like electricity. At an organisational level, AI has the potential to turbocharge your company’s operating model—but success requires focusing on process innovation rather than cost-cutting alone. Leaders must accelerate their AI roadmaps beyond compliance, fundamentally rewiring functions and tasks to unlock productivity gains that create genuine advantage in emerging value pools.
3) Build cross-sector ecosystems
The winners in domains don’t go it alone. Success requires cross-sector partnerships, IP sharing, and collaborative capability building. In fact, we found that top performing organisations are more than twice as likely as their peers to generate at least 60% of their revenue through business ecosystems, and they’re 1.6 times more likely to use ecosystems to access new markets, capabilities and insights. Identify complementary partners, establish frameworks for shared value creation, and unlock opportunities that no single organisation could capture alone.
