What: A comprehensive analysis reveals how unbalanced multipolarity, economic battlegrounds, and ongoing global shocks are fundamentally transforming how companies operate and compete globally in 2025.

Why it is important: With BCG projecting massive disruptions to global trade and supply chains, companies across sectors must urgently adapt their strategies to navigate unprecedented complexity.

The global business landscape faces transformation through three interconnected forces. Unbalanced multipolarity emerges as Trump's America First policies, China's economic pivot, and the Global South's rise reshape international commerce. Meanwhile, economic battlegrounds intensify around trade, technology, and nationalism, creating new competitive dynamics. Ongoing shocks from conflicts, climate change, and societal polarization add further complexity. Companies are responding by establishing geopolitical nerve centres and implementing AI-driven analytics to navigate this new reality. The stakes are particularly high as traditional market assumptions evolve - from supply chain configurations to stakeholder relationships. Success increasingly depends on developing sophisticated approaches to cross-border operations while maintaining agility in an uncertain environment. This shift demands not just technological adaptation but a fundamental rethinking of how businesses create and protect value in a fragmenting global economy.

IADS Notes: Market data from early 2025 validates these strategic shifts. Companies implementing AI-powered analytics for operations have seen significant improvements, though successful scaling remains a challenge with only 10% achieving full implementation. The Global South's emergence as a powerful economic force is reshaping trade patterns, with new corridors emerging as businesses adapt to geopolitical pressures. BCG's projections of massive trade disruptions are already materializing through regulatory changes and market access barriers. These developments are forcing companies to adopt more nuanced approaches to international operations, balancing local requirements with global efficiency.

Ten forces reshaping global business