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Large investments are foreseen in the energy, water and telecom sectors. In OECD countries, ongoing growth in demand and the need for renewal and innovation call for substantial injections of capital. Economic growth in the East is paralleled by a rapid expansion of the basic infrastructures. In developing countries, the necessary roll-out of networks towards communities of users, as a pre-requirement for development, is demanding new approaches for funding and attracting finance.
The need to attract new investments is inspiring a shift in the debate on the restructuring of infrastructure industries and its focus on efficiency improvement through competition. Today, the new question is arising as to how these industries can be enabled to invest in expanding and modernizing their systems. Our past conference did address the relation between modernization and the regulation of infrastructure networks. It was concluded that the way in which the notion of risk is incorporated in regulatory approaches is a critical element in bringing about investments. This years’ conference will explicitly connect the issues of investment, risk and regulation.
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