Skip to main content

New report highlights investment potential in US

A new report from international consultancy EC Harris says that highway investors consider developed nations to provide the best economic benefits at present.
February 28, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A new report from international consultancy EC Harris says that highway investors consider developed nations to provide the best economic benefits at present. Despite fast expansion in certain nations; Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC), the report shows that the US is seen as offering good commercial prospects for highway investment.

EC Harris has released research ranking 17 key countries across the globe on the relative attractiveness of their transport sector to potential investors. Greater stability and more effective regulatory systems pushed many Western countries towards the top of the table despite the huge investment plans being proposed in many developing countries. Canada, Germany and France all followed closely behind the US due to their willingness to consider a PPP financing mechanism, as this proved significant in establishing investor confidence. India and Russia are planning significant programmes to improve their highways infrastructure, however a lack of clarity on a fiscal, political and operational level and difficulty in accessing these markets, are all combining to deter inward financial investment.

However Chile ranked fifth overall and second in the highways sector as an investment prospect, reflecting its strong economic growth. Despite a more modest investment programme, Chile scored consistently high throughout, with its PPP framework particularly strong in building investor confidence. The criteria used to judge each country covered a broad range of factors typically considered by various investor groups including the political and economic stability in each market, the government incentives and policies on offer, and the private finance funding channels already in place to support inward investment. Each country was assessed across the four main transportation sectors and the overall ranking was then calculated based on the sum of these figures.

Related Content

  • European equipment sales up 15% in 2017, according to the CECE
    June 15, 2018
    European construction sales grew by 15% in 2017, according to the Annual Economic Report 2018* from the CECE After a strong first quarter, growth slowed in Q2, before rising in Q3 and Q4, according to the CECE - Committee for European Construction Equipment. Current levels of sales are on par with the levels seen in 2006 and 2008, but the industry is still 20% below the 2007 peak.
  • Highway developments to boost east-west transport
    April 4, 2012
    Huge highway developments are being planned and carried out to further improve East-West transport, with Central Asia a key region as Patrick Smith reports History was made in late 2010, when one of the biggest road building projects ever envisaged in Eastern Europe was given the green-light. It was the occasion when Russian president Dmitry Medvedev signed a law that would allow his country to build its segment of a huge highway around the Black Sea. The idea is to complete the 7,140km highway, wi
  • India’s road to safety
    September 5, 2012
    India's growth rate is the envy of the world, and its infrastructure is rapidly improving, but its road safety record is the world's worst. Patrick Smith reports on a conference aimed at finding answers to the problems Ambling through the gardens and marble magnificence that is the Taj Mahal or gazing down on the city of Jaipur from the hilltop Jaigarh Fort is far removed from the world outside.
  • Infrastructure investment will help construction jobs
    February 23, 2012
    The construction equipment manufacturing industry has been hit hard by the recession worldwide. Profits for 2009 reveal the sharp drop in business that began escalating around the globe during the third quarter of 2008. The problems have been most acute in the market for compact utility equipment