In this episode we are going to look at how can infrastructure stay called as transition towards responsible business models to ensure inclusivity in infrastructure development. This episode is going to tackle how infrastructure investors and operators can ensure that infrastructure assets are accessible, inclusive, and equal for all users, how can we reconcile the pursuit of economic growth with the imperative of inclusivity so we can assure that infrastructure serves all members of society equally and what role do responsible business models and innovative investment strategies play in navigating these complex challenges?
Our expert guests today are Sebastien Petithuguenin who is the CEO of Paprec, Simon Whistler (Head of Real Assets PRI) and Pr. Dr Bryan T. Adey (Professor for Infrastructure Management and the head of the Institute for Construction and Infrastructure Management at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ)).
Let’s jump straight to the conversation which is about how business models should evolve so that we have more inclusive infrastructure, how to develop infrastructure to maximize the access of people needs.
Time code :
| Beginning | End | Content |
| 00:00 | 2 :12 | Introduction by Matthew Bishop |
| 2 :12 | 3 :43 | Bryan, as a professor of infrastructure management, how would you describe the concept of inclusive infrastructure, and would you say that social inclusion concerns have gained importance in recent years? |
| 3:43 | 4:40 | Where do you see the biggest opportunities for growth where there is possible biggest problems in terms of lack of inclusivity |
| 4:40 | 6:32 | Sebastian, as a business leader, how do you define inclusive infrastructure, and do you feel that the infrastructure needs to be intentionally designed to be inclusive? |
| 6:32 | 8:38 | And Simon, the UNPRI decided to bring sustainability and social responsibility into the investment system, do you see a more concerted focus among the investors on requiring inclusivity as part of their interaction with the building, maintenance, and development of infrastructure. |
| 8:38 | 9:08 | And you feel there is that conversation a lot more among the infrastructure investment community? |
| 9:08 | 13:07 | The Infravision Think Tank is producing a report to highlight best practices in infrastructure to create shared value for business and for society to leave no one behind. Bryan, could you provide a few examples of successful inclusive infrastructures and their impact on communities? |
| 13:07 | 16:01 | Sebastian are there any case studies or successful stories in the waste management business that have really reduced inequalities and what lesson did you learn from that? |
| 16:01* | 18:30 | And Simon, on the PRI once asset managers have signed the principles you can offer them support on the executing of these principles: what kind of support, do you have examples? |
| 18:30 | 20:37 | How big priority should inclusive infrastructure be compared to some of the other issues of our time particularly the climate challenge, Bryan ? |
| 20:37* | 22:00 | Sebastian, as a business leader how do you juggle these different challenges? What do you wish to prioritize ? |
| 22:00 | 24:42 | Simon, the UN brought range of different goals for 2030 on climate change, biodiversity… How do you advice on what should be prioritized when they are trade-offs to be made between several issues ? |
| 24:42 | 27:56 | Sebastian, can you pick up on that point ? As you look up at the business sector and his role in promoting inclusive infrastructure, where are the opportunities and needs for collaborative approach, for government to take the lead or for industries to look at a more collaborative approach to get the design of the infrastructure right ? |
| 27:56 | 28:37 | When you say that there are contradictions between the policies the government are wanting, is there other solid points that should be addressed urgently ? |
| 28:37 | 30:51 | Another area where you see a lot of innovations is in data and technology. Bryan, I want to ask you how the data revolution is being used in the infrastructure world to improve equality and inclusivity? |
| 30:51 | 31:49 | Simon, do you see IA and data reaching infrastructure in a way that makes you feel more optimistic about inclusivity? |
| 31:49 | 34:34 | In this podcast we’ve been mostly focusing on OECD countries. In some parts of the world infrastructure is not yet developed. It is an opportunity to build more inclusive infrastructure from scratch. What do we see in the global South in terms of the conversation: are they going to catch the opportunity or the same mistakes will repeat ? Simon, as head of real assets PRI, what do you think? |
| 34:34 | 37:23 | The research Infravision is doing is focusing on the role that cities and urban centers can play in building infrastructure that is or isn’t inclusive. Simon you gave the example of Medellin, they had a city that didn’t initially have inclusive infrastructure and was designed to let poor people out in favelas and then they switched, what can we learn from that examples both in terms of political leadership and how the corporate sector is playing the role for driving that change ? |
| 37:23 | 41:00 | Sebastian, do you see what the emerging world can learn from our experience in terms of waste management infrastructure ? |
| 41:00 | 42:42 | Last question for each of you : at this moment of time what should people in the infrastructure business prioritize in terms of things that they could do to increase inclusivity ? I start with you Simon. |
| 42:42 | 44:12 | Sebastian, same question to you. |
| 44:12* | 45:58 | Bryan, the last word is to you. |
| 45:58 | 47:32 | Sebastian, could you tell us about Paprec’s joint venture with Petit Plus, what does it tell us about how collaboration can help delivering inclusive infrastructure ? |
| 47:32 | 48:15 | Conclusion by Matthew Bishop. |
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