Innovation

"Governments, organisations and investors who understand the interaction between digital, EVs, energy storage and smart mobility will be the ones to capitalise on the opportunities presented by our connected future."
KRISTY DUANE 
Partner Infrastructure & Projects CMS London

Technology-driven transformations are not only disrupting our everyday lives but also radically transforming the infrastructure around us. Across the sector, innovation is driving an upgrade of existing infrastructure and determining the emergence of new investment opportunities.

CMS has published Connected Future, a report examining how new asset classes are coming to the fore to respond to tech, government and consumer demand: energy storage, electric vehicles, digital infrastructure and smart mobility.

In the digital and broadband space, 4G – the fourth generation of mobile phone technology – has already witnessed robust deal flow; the advent of 5G is set to lay the foundations for a range of innovation.

In the energy sector, storage technologies – particularly batteries – are providing a number of flexible services that are required in our increasingly decentralised, distributed and intermittent electricity systems.

Meanwhile in the transport sector, long considered a cornerstone of infrastructure investment, the smart mobility revolution  is gathering pace. The rise of electrified, connected and autonomous vehicles  is likely to represent the most significant transformation of transport since the invention of steam locomotives and internal combustion engines in the 19th century. Investment in cybersecurity is required, as transport infrastructure will become vulnerable to security attacks.

CMS London partner Kristy Duane said, “A radical transformation in the infrastructure sector is already under way. Governments, organisations and investors who understand the interaction between digital, EVs, energy storage and smart mobility will be the ones to capitalise on the opportunities presented by our connected future.”

As our report examines in detail, not all countries are receptive to technology innovations to the same degree. In Europe, the UK is securing its role as a centre of infrastructure innovation, thanks to its forward-looking regulatory framework; while in Asia, Singapore is becoming  a testing ground for new technologies, given its thriving start-up ecosystem and  its business-friendly legislation.