ACE Group's Delivering Infrastructure 2050 conference put the sector's challenges and opportunities firmly in the spotlight on 30 June 2026. ACE's Director of Policy, Marie-Claude Hemming, was the event's programme lead and compere. She reflects on the day’s discussion and looks ahead to the sector’s future.

Infrastructure does not wait for certainty. 

Climate pressures are increasing. Technology is transforming how we work. Demand for energy, transport, housing and digital connectivity continues to grow. Communities expect more from the systems that support everyday life. The question facing our sector is not whether change is coming, but whether we are ready to deliver through it. 

That was the central question behind ACE’s Delivering Infrastructure 2050 conference. Bringing together industry leaders, government representatives, clients and experts from across the sector, the day explored what it will take to turn ambition into outcomes over the next 25 years. 

As programme lead and compere, what struck me most was how consistently the same themes emerged across every discussion. Whether we were talking about resilience, investment, procurement, major project delivery, artificial intelligence or skills, the message was clear: infrastructure delivery depends on collaboration, capability and the confidence to act. 

Resilience must be built in from the start 

We began with Climate Resilient Infrastructure in Action panel, sponsored by Mott MacDonald, which set the foundation for the conversations that followed. 

The discussion highlighted that resilience is no longer something we can consider separately from infrastructure planning. Climate risk, environmental pressures and system vulnerability are already shaping decisions today. The infrastructure we design now must be capable of adapting to changing conditions over decades. 

A key reflection from the session was the need to recognise the value of resilience investment. Protecting communities, strengthening systems and working with nature are not additional considerations; they are essential parts of creating infrastructure that delivers long-term value. 

The role of nature-based solutions also demonstrated how the future of infrastructure requires a broader understanding of systems, where the built environment and natural environment work together. 

Creating the conditions for investment and growth 

The conversation then moved to infrastructure investment and the role of collaboration in unlocking growth. 

Infrastructure is increasingly interconnected. Transport, energy, water, housing and digital systems cannot be planned independently, yet many of the structures around funding, governance and delivery still reflect a more fragmented approach. 

The challenge is to move beyond traditional silos and create a more coordinated approach to decision making. 

The discussion also reinforced the importance of certainty. Clear pipelines, consistent policy signals and effective collaboration between government and industry are essential if we are to attract investment, develop supply chain capacity and deliver the infrastructure the UK needs. 

Procurement as a driver of better outcomes 

Our procurement session explored how we need to rethink the way we commission and deliver infrastructure. 

The conversation moved beyond procurement as a contractual process and focused on its role in shaping behaviours, relationships and outcomes. 

If we want more innovation, better collaboration and improved delivery, we need procurement models that support those ambitions. The complexity of future infrastructure challenges requires partnerships built around shared goals rather than simply individual transactions. 

Procurement has the potential to be a powerful tool for improving delivery, but only if we continue to challenge established approaches and focus on the outcomes we want to achieve. 

Learning from delivery 

A recurring theme throughout the day was that ambition only matters when it translates into delivery. 

The session, Delivering World-class Projects sponsored by Infrastructure Matters, brought this into sharp focus. Successful infrastructure depends on strong leadership, effective collaboration, informed decision making and the ability to learn from experience. 

The sector has enormous expertise, but we must ensure that expertise is fully used. Reducing unnecessary delays, improving coordination and creating better conditions for delivery will be critical if we are to meet future infrastructure demands. 

The message was simple but important: delivery is where strategy becomes reality. 

AI, digital transformation and future capability 

The final discussion looked at one of the biggest transformations facing our sector: artificial intelligence and the future of infrastructure capability. 

AI is already changing how we design, plan and deliver projects, but the discussion made clear that technology itself is only part of the solution. 

Behind every digital platform, data centre and AI application is a complex physical infrastructure ecosystem requiring engineers, planners, project managers, environmental specialists and skilled professionals. 

The opportunity is significant. AI has the potential to improve productivity, help us work more effectively and enable us to deliver more with limited resources. 

But the conversation also highlighted the importance of human judgement. Experience, creativity, collaboration and leadership cannot simply be automated. As technology develops, we must ensure that future professionals have both digital capability and the practical experience needed to make sound decisions. 

This is not just a skills challenge. It is a capability challenge. 

Delivering infrastructure 2050 together 

Looking back across the day, one message stood out above all others: we know what needs to be done. The challenge now is delivery. 

Meeting the infrastructure needs of 2050 will require stronger partnerships between government, industry, clients and communities. It will require investment in skills, confidence in innovation and a willingness to work differently. 

Most importantly, it will require us to use the collective expertise of our sector. Every project, consultation, conversation and partnership strengthens our ability to shape better outcomes. 

Events like Delivering Infrastructure 2050 matter because they create the space for those conversations. They bring together the people responsible for designing and delivering the future and allow us to share challenges, solutions and ideas. 

The future of infrastructure will not be delivered by one organisation or one sector acting alone. 

It will be delivered by working together, with ambition matched by action.

• Delivering Infrastructure 2050 will be back next year - returning to the IET, Savoy Place, London on 29 June 2027.