A UK Trade & Investment Infrastructure Summit being held at Lancaster House today will bring together business leaders from across the world to debate emerging trends, examine best practice and identify opportunities across infrastructure sectors such as construction, water, airports and rail.
The sessions will focus on large scale urban regeneration projects, looking at sustainability in design, operation and equipment provision, and high-value opportunities in high-growth markets. Speakers at the event include Dr Uwe Krueger, CEO of Atkins, and Paul Skinner, Chairman of Infrastructure UK.
At the summit, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, will set out progress on UK Guarantees, announced on 18 July, which will provide guarantees for major UK infrastructure projects and could potentially support up to £40 billion of investment.
Danny Alexander will say:
“Our early action to get a grip of the public finances is allowing us to support up to £40 billion worth of UK infrastructure investment by putting our hard-won fiscal credibility behind major projects. To ensure public-private partnership projects can proceed without delay, we are also launching a temporary lending programme that could benefit up to £6 billion worth of projects. Already we have had over 30 expressions of interest in the UK Guarantees scheme and we continue to receive more on a daily basis.
At the conference, Bluewater Bio International, a provider of innovative water and wastewater technologies to projects such as Bahrain’s biggest sewage treatment plant, will announce that it has entered into a technology alliance with Thames Water, the UK’s largest water and sewerage company.
Engineering consultancy Mott Macdonald meanwhile has announced that it has been appointed by the Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company to provide contract administration and site overview services for the development of one of the world’s largest underground pumping stations. The project will involve a capital expenditure of $360 (£232) million and is creating 40 jobs and safeguarding 10 existing jobs in the UK.
The Secretary of State for the Environment will address the conference on the topic of water infrastructure. This will be followed by a series of discussions on global water opportunities.
UK Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman will say:
“Access to clean water is a critical issue for every nation on this planet. Within the next 20 years 3 billion people will be living in water-stressed countries and if we fail to address the issue of water supply, the consequences for those living in poverty are grave.
“British companies have unparalleled technological and commercial skills to help the world address these issues. London’s Olympic Park is a clear example of British ingenuity, where rainwater harvesting capabilities, the wastewater treatment plant and water efficient fixtures and fittings reduce the Park’s dependence on potable water by 65 per cent. British firms can offer our expertise, ingenuity and insight to help all nations address this most pressing of problems facing the world’s population.”
The Infrastructure Day is one of 18 global business summits being organised by UK Trade & Investment in the course of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:
“Today's announcements are a welcome boost to British business. This is an exciting time for the UK infrastructure sector -companies are winning contracts across the world as British skills and expertise are becoming a trademark of the industry’s excellence and quality.
“Our construction sector is one of the world’s biggest and best which means UK-based companies are ideally placed to build on these excellent opportunities.”