The High Value Opportunities Programme run by UK Trade & Industry, the government’s export promotion agency, has identified a number of overseas projects in the construction sector.
UKTI calculates that the projects could offer UK companies access to more than £100bn of business.
The projects listed on the gov.org website earlier this month include:
China
Projects in the Chongqing, Wuhan, Changsha and Hangzhou areas, widening the scope of an existing HVO area centred on the Chongqing municipality.
Identified projects include Bioregional’s One Planet Living project and Two Rivers Technologies’ (TRT) low carbon industrial zone, as well as other infrastructure and New Town projects.
Denmark
Construction of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, a double-track railway and a four-lane motorway in an immersed tunnel connecting the German offshore island of Femern with the Danish island of Lolland.
As bridge links are already in place between Fermarn and the German mainland, and Lolland and the Danish province of Zealand, the Fehmarnbelt will allow more direct transport to Denmark from Germany, Sweden and Norway.
Hong Kong
Opportunities are linked to the construction of the Zhuhai-Macau bridge and related projects, where contracts are still being tendered.
UKTI highlights “considerable opportunities for specialist consultancy and supply chain opportunities”.
New Zealand
Infrastructure opportunities in Christchurch are highlighted, as it reconstructs following two major earthquakes on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011.
But New Zealand as a whole is in the midst of a major infrastructure investment programme centred on the two largest cities, Auckland and Christchurch. Investment by local and national government into transport, commercial and residential infrastructure is forecasted at £13.5bn in the next five years.
Philippines
The country has an ongoing PPP programme to tackle much-needed infrastructure development.
UKTI says that the projects offer opportunities for UK products, services and expertise that can be accessed by participating in the bidding process or tapping supply chain opportunities through direct supply opportunities, or partnerships.
United Arab Emirates
The six-month-long Expo 2020 event brings opportunities, and is likely to bring 25 million visitors and $23bn worth of economic benefits to the country over the next seven years.
UKTI says that Expo will put additional pressure on the country’s infrastructure, and a number of development projects are to be launched to cope with accelerating demand.
In addition it is estimated by Deutsche Bank that approximately £5.5bn of government funding will be needed in hotels and retail, bringing the total spend to up to £26bn.
Vietnam
A high value opportunity exists in urban regeneration projects and infrastructure projects in Ho Chi Minh City which has current population of 9 million. The city is embarking on three ambitious infrastructure projects with a new business and urban area; a new mass transit overhead and underground railway with six lines, and a new four-runway international hub airport.
The website also offers assistance with finance from the UK Export Finance agency, and case studies of how architects BDP and Brock Carmichael have successfully been supported by UKTI.
