ACE Group today welcomed the UK Government’s launch of its ambitious 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, a comprehensive blueprint designed to modernise the nation’s core economic infrastructure such as transport, energy, water and digital networks, and importantly social infrastructure.  

In line with ACE Group’s own aims, the strategy sets out a decade-long programme of investment underpinned by funding pipelines and an emphasis on outcomes, innovation and sustainability.

A vital part of the strategy outlines a vision for leveraging private capital and capability through public-private delivery models, which will be crucial for delivery said ACE Group - which comprises the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) and the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC).

ACE Group chief executive, Kate Jennings, said: “This strategy marks a step change in how the country plans, funds and delivers the infrastructure critical to our future success. The industry now has an element of certainty and will soon have a pipeline of investable projects. The consultancy and engineering sector stands ready to deliver — drawing on both domestic talent and world-class global capability. 

“ACE Group members, many of which lead complex infrastructure programmes from Toronto to Tokyo, are best placed to help realise the strategy’s goals. SMEs are often at the forefront of delivery which will require the agile expert engineering resources and innovation offered by British SMES. 

“Our members have a track record in delivering large-scale, complex infrastructure through innovative approaches such as alliancing, outcome-based contracting, and digital-first project management.  

“From pioneering digital twins to decarbonising infrastructure at scale, UK engineering consultancies are already exporting best-in-class thinking around the world. If we want the private sector to step up, we need to create the right conditions: certainty, continuity, and collaboration. This strategy is a strong start to achieving exactly that and strong private sector involvement will be mission critical.” 

Members of ACE Group also warmly welcomed the announcement.  

Richard Risdon, executive board director and regional managing director for UK and Europe at Mott MacDonald, said: “The confirmed plans for significant investment across a wide range of sectors is most certainly welcome. I have always been clear that the private sector will need to play an increasingly involved role in major projects.

“However, the industry must demonstrate confidence in its ability to deliver on the plan in order to attract the investment needed for the strategy to be successful too”. 

Rachel Skinner, UK director of government relations and corporate ESG at WSP, added: “The ambition and direction of travel set out in the UK’s 10-year Infrastructure Strategy is exactly what we need - a move towards clear, contextual planning that reflects the realities of place and sector.

“Finding ways to embed new private sector investment alongside stable Government funding commitments will be key to the decade ahead, as will a far stronger emphasis on the creation of more resilient, reliable and low-carbon infrastructure systems. Unless our built and natural systems are ready to cope with the reality of increasing weather extremes, the UK's pathway to sustainable, inclusive growth is fundamentally at risk.

“Every disruption—from transport to digital to water—affects real people, communities and businesses. We are strongly supportive of a bold, joined-up approach that unites infrastructure, industrial strategy, sustainable outcomes and spatial planning.” 

As the Government looks to establish delivery pathways over the coming months, ACE Group said it will continue to work with ministers, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) and industry to help shape a delivery framework that combines public leadership with private excellence.