ThinkSet | Aging Infrastructure, New Opportunities

Infrastructure is at a tipping point around the world. Governments, investors, developers, and utilities are attempting to rehabilitate aging systems amid a surge in funding, disputes, and pressures from the ongoing energy transition.

This will require immense investment, collaboration, and all the help that new technologies—like artificial intelligence (AI)—can offer. It will also require sharp and forward-looking counsel. That’s where our latest issue of ThinkSet—“Aging Infrastructure, New Opportunities”—comes in.

For instance, governments must play a role in addressing infrastructure needs, both within and outside their own borders. Three of the biggest—China, the European Union (EU), and the United States (US)—have launched massive subsidy programs as a result. But understanding where these initiatives stand, what they offer, and how to take advantage of them is easier said than done. Rob McDonald’s explainer piece provides a clear and insightful overview to help readers do just that.

More public money also means more public-private partnerships (P3s), which come with their own set of challenges—many of which fall on the shoulders of private contractors. As P3s pick up in the US on the back of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Ben Nolan offers strategies for mitigating risks, from a phased procurement approach to leveraging new AI tools. Pasha Ameli and Emily Lamm (Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher) discuss these tools, and their myriad benefits for construction, even more in depth.

Crucially, today’s landscape is not just about fixing infrastructure; it is about developing new projects. Some, like carbon capture, utilization, and storage, will facilitate the ongoing energy transition; Phillip Solomon and Athanasia Arapogianni Konisti break down how stakeholders can prepare for what’s next in this exciting area. Others relate to digital infrastructure, like 5G deployment. This is a particular focus in the EU, where, as Laurent Eymard writes, fierce debates are underway around how to pay for such infrastructure.

No matter the project, cybersecurity risks are a growing concern—especially when it comes to utilities’ industrial control systems. Christopher Stangl and Steve Chapin dig into the problem and offer best practices to secure these vulnerable systems. Similarly, construction disputes are climbing; in a set of infographics based on our Understanding Infrastructure Disputes series, BRG professionals outline why these disputes arise, the players involved, and how best to allocate risk.

2024 is a critical year for infrastructure across the globe. We hope this issue of ThinkSet will help interested parties advance their goals, seize new opportunities, and get ahead of potential risks.