The future infrastructure of Scotland

[edit] Introduction

ICE President Paul Sheffield brought together industry leaders to discuss the ambitions, opportunities and challenges surrounding Scotland’s future infrastructure. "A really important conversation” was how one participant described the ICE Scotland Leaders Debate on Scotland’s Future Infrastructure,

[edit] Infrastructure and economic recovery

Covid-19 has highlighted the fundamental importance of our existing infrastructure systems and has placed a renewed emphasis on infrastructure as the backbone of economic recovery.

There remains too a focus on climate change. As has become clear with the Stonehaven train derailment, landslips at the Rest and be Thankful and the breach of the Union Canal, modern infrastructure must adapt if it is to be climate resilient.

Participants focused on three fundamental questions:

• What does Scotland’s Future Infrastructure look like? Do we understand our infrastructure requirements moving forward?
• What are the challenges, practical steps and the costs associated with making that vision a reality?
• What can industry, as well as government, do to deliver the right infrastructure landscape in Scotland?

[edit] Funding for the future

Following presentations from Scottish Futures Trust, the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland and ICE Scotland – a vibrant discussion covered diverse topics from regulatory effectiveness, infrastructure delivery mechanisms and – critically – funding possibilities.

After the event, ICE Scotland Director Hannah Smith, said: “It was excellent to gather key figures across Scotland’s infrastructure landscape for this incredibly thought-provoking debate. It’s clear that there are no easy answers to the difficult questions facing the sector, so opportunities like this to collaborate and share knowledge are increasingly important.

“This session will help inform our work going forward and I thank all those who took part.”

This article originally appeared on the ICE website under the title, "ICE Scotland Leaders Debate – Scotland’s future infrastructure." It was written by Gordon Brown and published on 11 September 2020.

--The Institution of Civil Engineers

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Climate change science.
• ICE articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
• Infrastructure.
• Is a bridge needed between Scotland and Northern Ireland?
• Mechanisms of structural failure.
• Scottish Government urged to review infrastructure.
• Scottish planning policy.
• State of the Nation Scotland 2018: Infrastructure investment.
• Structural failures.
• Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002.