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Positive Outcomes

23 Nov
14:27

London's Transport - Beyond the Spending Review...

Submitted by Brian Fitzpatrick, EC Harris, Head of Highways

I’ve just got back from presenting at New London Architecture’s Transport Conference.  The theme was London’s Transport: Beyond the Spending Review and I followed Peter Hendy, Commissioner, Transport for London; Rob Holden, CEO Crossrail; Robin Gisby, Ops Director Network Rail; and Tony Travers, Director at the London School of Economics.  They all had the flashy slides, talking about the mega projects and government insight (with plenty of Boris and Dave references)... Read More

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London's Transport - Beyond the Spending Review...
24 Nov
14:38

Middle East: An Emerging PPP Market

Submitted by Chris Hinton, EC Harris, Partner

At the recent Construction Week Abu Dhabi conference,  I participated in a panel discussion based on the format of Question Time and chaired by Sachin Kerur of Pinsent Masons. The panel took questions from the chair, and audience, relating to the infrastructure market in the Middle East, as well as how infrastructure projects might be best procured and financed in what is an emerging PPP market. With increasingly tightened federal / treasury purse strings, new projects may find it difficult... Read More

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Middle East: An Emerging PPP Market
16 Dec
05:29

Time Certainty Key to 2022 World Cup Plan

Submitted by Chris Hinton, EC Harris, Partner

As the euphoria of winning the 2022 World Cup Bid recedes, the focus is rapidly turning to the enormous challenge of delivering on the promise: 12 air conditioned stadia (nine new and three to be refurbished), 64 team base camps and 140 new hotel properties, not to mention US$20bn of road upgrades, completion of New Doha International Airport, and a US$25 bn light rail/metro system. My view is that the 2022 plan will need to be about certainty of delivery to time, and that whilst cost should... Read More

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Time Certainty Key to 2022 World Cup Plan
9 Feb
17:01

The way forward or old news for UK Infrastructure?

Submitted by Mark Prior, EC Harris, Head of Transportation

Today I participated in the UK Infrastructure Summit 2011 on a panel alongside the Chairman of Arup Transport, the President of the ICE and former RIBA President . The event provided a platform to debate on the way forward for the Infrastructure Cost Review and recognised the issues raised by the report.  But the challenge to us as a panel was whether this was actually old news and that there was likely to be no substantive shift in the way infrastructure is programmed, financed and delivered... Read More

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The way forward or old news for UK Infrastructure?
30 Mar
08:31

Hong Kong... Victim of its own success?

Submitted by Wade Cruickshanks, EC Harris, Partner

Carrie Lam, Secretary for Development hosted a seminar on Office Development in Hong Kong last week.  John Tsang gave the opening address and several highly respected speakers from the industry. The seminar was held in response to a growing concern in the private sector: Hong Kong is facing a crisis of quality office space. Predictions are that the annual average supply of new office space over the next 3 years will be 50 % of the past 15 year annual average which will... Read More

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Hong Kong... Victim of its own success?
8 Jul
13:20

Global research shows BRICs still considered an investment risk for transport infrastructure

Submitted by Mark Prior, EC Harris, Head of Transportation

Global Study - Investment in Transport Infrastructure With the OECD upwardly revising it’s estimated growth outlook for Brazil, Russia, India and China, there’s no doubt that the so-called BRIC economies have a very bright future ahead of them. If they are to capitalise on their inherent potential and emerge as the world’s future superpowers then a modern, state of the art transport infrastructure will be fundamentally important. However, a recent piece of EC Harris research... Read More

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Global research shows BRICs still considered an investment risk for transport infrastructure
21 Sep
07:16

U-Airport or shall we say i-Airport?

Submitted by Caspar Baum, EC Harris, Head of Aviation, Asia

While I was attending Smart Airports World Asia Conference few days ago, Sei-Chang Sohn did a very informative presentation on how Incheon Airport is focusing on optimising IT services for customers. The U-airport framework includes U-Fast passenger (self check-in, immigration and cyber Terminal) and U-Dynamic Guide (signage, board and mobile) increasing significantly customers’ satisfaction. While there is definitely a need for technology, I tend to agree with Fraport’s opposite response... Read More

1 Comment (1 Rating)
U-Airport or shall we say i-Airport?
29 Nov
15:15

Quick Wins to Arrest UK Infrastructure Deficit

Submitted by Mark Prior, EC Harris, Head of Transportation

With an overall £30bn set aside for national infrastructure investment, including 35 new road and rail projects, the government can ill-afford to get wrong any attempts it makes to arrest the UK’s so-called ‘infrastructure deficit’.  From a transport perspective the need for ‘quick wins’ has seen the government look more favourably upon highways projects, for not only do they deliver rapid economic benefits and create additional jobs, they also... Read More

1 Comment (4 Ratings)
Quick Wins to Arrest UK Infrastructure Deficit
11 Jan
10:02

Middle East to take the lead on Intelligent Transport Systems

Submitted by Brian Fitzpatrick, EC Harris, Head of Highways

As a young boy in the 70’s there wasn’t much else to do apart from play football and read, both of which I did constantly.  I read a book, ‘Time for the Stars’ which told a story of fantastic technology called ‘Torch ships’ able to travel at the speed of light to distant stars.  It envisaged communication between the ships and earth by telepathy using twins, with one twin going on the space ship whilst the other stayed on earth. The launch place for... Read More

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Middle East to take the lead on Intelligent Transport Systems
21 Mar
16:24

Budget 2012: Reaffirms Infrastructure Investment but More Detail Required

Submitted by Mark Prior, EC Harris, Head of Transportation

In the Autumn Statement at the end of last year George Osborne pinpointed investment in infrastructure as a fundamental component in the UK’s wider growth strategy. In today’s Budget review he reaffirmed this vision and confirmed that talks are now ongoing with a dozen pension funds. Equally positive was the commitment to streamline the UK’s onerous planning process and remove many of the barriers that make it so difficult to get ‘spades in the ground.’ However,... Read More

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Budget 2012: Reaffirms Infrastructure Investment but More Detail Required
30 Mar
04:06

Leading by example

Submitted by Christopher Chew, EC Harris, Senior Project Manager

 As I walked pass the contractor’s site office this morning, lights were turned on, computers flashing graphics and the air-conditioning working hard (maybe since yesterday?!). And there’s hardly anyone in yet! Here’s a reality check - It is Earth Hour tomorrow and this is a gentle reminder we all need to watch out our energy consumption. This month also marks one year since the tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan. As we take a solemn moment... Read More

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Leading by example