COVID-19: Optimism and apprehension from the infrastructure sector

Despite the unprecedented disruption, infrastructure hubs are proving resilient to the high demand or actively adapting to enable businesses to continue operating, people to work remotely, or those to return from locations away from home.

While there is less demand for some forms of transport currently, others remain at usual or increased levels, such as: power, telecommunications, utilities and defence sectors.

Media reports currently highlight the challenges in sectors such as aviation (and rail to a limited extent) and to date these appear to have been most heavily impacted across Europe, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas over the last fortnight.

Like us, clients’ primary concern is the health and well-being of their people, and the resilience of systems and supply chains to enable ongoing delivery. We are seeing clients begin to consider what their organisation, investment portfolio and supply chain will look like during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring they are set up for success, to respond in an agile and effective way.

Emerging COVID-19 trends 

• Desire to sustain industry to maximise a faster recovery over the medium to long term
• Keeping critical works live, however, balancing delivery with reducing manpower on non-critical tasks
• Encouraging close monitoring and control of live projects and working with supply chains to understand concern areas proactively
• A willingness to work with shareholders and government to create immediate solutions and enable longer term resilience

Further resources

Please visit our COVID-19 response page for all of our resources relating to the impact of COVID-19 on the construction sector.