Infrastructure is an important driver for the growth of economy of any region. Electricity, roads, water systems, public utilities, airports, railways, and telecommunications are essential services that drive the economic activity, by channelizing trade and mobility.
Growing urbanization in developing countries will help boost the infrastructure in sectors such as transport and power. Economic prosperity will channel finances towards manufacturing and transportation sectors, which primarily provide and distribute raw materials for the manufacture of consumer goods.
Increased spending on infrastructure has a multiplier effect on the overall economic growth, as it demands industrial growth and manufacturing. This, in turn, boosts the collective demand, by improving living conditions.
According to research, the current infrastructure spending at the global level is USD 4.3 trillion.
A lot of emphasis has been laid on connecting institutional investors (banks, development banks, insurance companies, pension funds, hedge funds, REITs, endowments, mutual funds and a few others) with projects that need the investors’ capital, as well as creating an expanded role for public-private partnerships. However, a majority of infrastructure will most likely continue to be financed by the public and corporate sectors.
Technological innovations are changing the very nature of infrastructure investing, as well as the promptness and efficiency of the investments.
Infrastructure development in United Kingdom is driven by certain social, economic and environmental factors, referred to as the enabling environment.
Social Factors
- Social sustainability of infrastructure investments
- Public ethics and transparency
- Collaboration between the public, private, and civil society sectors
- Society’s willingness to pay for infrastructure services
- Track record of infrastructure investment
Economic Factors
- National vision for infrastructure projects
- Macroeconomic attractiveness
- Stable legal and regulatory framework
- Sustainable financing of infrastructure projects
- Risk mitigation instruments
- Capacity for infrastructure project creation, execution, and management
Environmental Factors
- Environmental regulations and permitting process
- Environmental impact mitigation opportunities
- Magnitude of environmental activities
Source: World Economic Forum, PWC
In our report on the infrastructure sector in United Kingdom, five key infrastructure sectors have been identified - social infrastructure, transportation, extraction, utilities and manufacturing. Each of these five sectors has been further segmented.
For key deliverables of our report, refer to the table of contents.
