Since 2012, the Global Infrastructure Initiative Summit has convened many of the world’s most senior leaders in infrastructure and capital projects to identify ways to improve the delivery of major projects and get more out of existing assets. Our eighth GII Summit took place in Tokyo, October 19–21, 2022, and focused on creating the pathway to sustainable infrastructure.
The challenges and uncertainties experienced over the pandemic have had an unprecedented impact on the $11.6 trillion global infrastructure industry. While the disruptions have been significant, COVID-19 also accelerated certain trends, resulting in an inflection point for the industry. Infrastructure investment continues to be seen as an important driver for multiple outcomes, but sustainability, digital technologies, and talent strategy have collectively moved to the top of the CEO agenda.
Decarbonization, the energy transition, social equity, resilience, digital transformation, and talent acquisition will be some of the biggest challenges to navigate in this next chapter. Solving these issues will require bold commitments, matched by action and collaboration across the value chain. Those organizations that step up their game now will be better prepared to confront future challenges and contribute to building a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive world.
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2022 Tokyo Summit recap
Our 2022 program was organized around four content pillars:
Decarbonization and the energy transition. Achieving net-zero carbon emissions targets has become not only an organizing principle for business, but a point of competitive differentiation. A successful decarbonization and energy-transition strategy will need to include policies and regulations, new investments and related risks, and a collaborative approach across the public and private sectors. This pillar focuses on the tangible actions that regions, countries, and organizations can take to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, deliver portfolios of net-zero assets, and accelerate the energy transition.
Digital and analytics transformation. The global pandemic has catalyzed industry reliance on digital connectivity and cybersecurity tools, and those companies that use data analytics to inform decision making are thriving. To move beyond pilot projects and experimentation, organizations must undertake comprehensive transformation efforts at both the enterprise and project levels. This pillar explores the role of technology and analytics in improving project and sustainability performance across the project lifecycle.
Leadership and workforce development. Organizational transformations are more likely to succeed with a combined focus on financial performance, leadership, culture, and talent. COP26 demonstrated that the industry has reached an inflection point with regard to sustainability and net-zero commitments. To deliver upon these commitments, organizations will need to double down on building the right culture while attracting, training, and retaining their talent. This pillar focuses on the actions and organizational values required to build the workforce for this next chapter.
Project development and delivery. Meeting net-zero targets, while recovering from the impacts of COVID-19, will require the industry to rethink project development and delivery. Industry leaders will need to evolve from delivering bespoke projects to delivering a global portfolio of projects at a scale and pace that is unprecedented. This pillar addresses the critical levers required to realize this goal, including policy, skills development, resilient supply chains, standardization, technology adoption, and trust-based collaboration.
In addition to the pillar sessions, we held cross-cutting sessions and sector roundtables. The cross-cutting sessions focused on improving infrastructure governance, capabilities, and delivery systems to enable sustainable infrastructure. The sector roundtables allowed leaders to do a deep-dive into their chosen sectors.
This CEO- and Ministerial-level event was by invitation only.
Our venue for the 2022 GII Summit was the Palace Hotel Tokyo. With a legacy going back more than half a century, the hotel is located in a tranquil central location, adjacent to the Imperial Palace gardens and close to Tokyo Central Station. All the GII sessions and functions took place in the Hotel.