UK-Australia Infrastructure Symposium
UKTI hosted a half day UK-Australia Infrastructure Symposium in Sydney on 12 February 2015.
Consul General and Director General of UKTI Australia & NZ, Nick McInnes
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Australia joined forces with peak industry body, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia (IPA), to host a half day Infrastructure Symposium in Sydney on Thursday 12 February 2015.
The event was attended by approximately 80 senior industry professionals and featured an impressive line up of senior keynote speakers from both the UK and Australia’s largest infrastructure projects spanning rail, roads and urban development. There was also a panel discussion on strategies to simplify project financing. Keynote speakers included Sir David Higgins, Chairman of High Speed 2 and James Stewart OBE, Chairman of Global Infrastructure at KPMG.
The symposium formed part of a series of events UKTI Australia has held with IPA, focusing on the strengths and opportunities in both countries at a time when the respective governments are heavily investing in this area. It followed on from the successful Infrastructure Business Breakfast which UKTI and IPA held when Prime Minister David Cameron visited Sydney in November 2014. Prime Minister Cameron encouraged Australian companies to invest in UK infrastructure and vice versa.
Consul General and Director General of UKTI Australia & New Zealand, Nick McInnes said:
“The similarities between the UK and Australia’s contestable infrastructure markets mean that both countries can benefit from increased collaboration and the sharing of best practice and experience in delivering major projects.
“We hope we can help companies in both countries form valuable partnerships which enable the UK and Australia to realise their ambitious infrastructure plans.”
Keynote speakers:
Sir David Higgins, Chairman, High Speed 2 (UK)
David Pitchford CBE LBO, CEO, UrbanGrowth NSW
James Stewart OBE, Chairman, Global Infrastructure, KPMG
Peter Duncan AM, Chief Executive, Roads and Maritime Services
Dr Uwe Krueger, CEO, Atkins
Brendan Lyon, CEO, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia
Nick McInnes, Consul General and Director General, UK Trade & Investment Australia/NZ (British Consulate General Sydney)