News Archives

ULI, PwC survey ranks Singapore as fair for investment, development prospects

16 December, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

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Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Asia Pacific 2016, a real estate forecast is jointly published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC.

Real estate activity in Asia next year will reflect a continuation of trends seen in 2015 – an abundance of capital flowing to core space, as well as a flight to safe havens in the region’s most developed and liquid markets, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Asia Pacific 2016, a real estate forecast jointly published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC. Japan and Australia remain the favorite countries for investment and development, with Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne and Osaka taking four of the top five spots for promising markets in the Asia Pacific region. Ho Chi Minh City, rated fifth, rounds out the list of most favored markets.

“Asia’s real estate markets are the product of almost eight years of easy money from the world’s central banks. Although easing in the U.S. may be ending, both Japan and the European Union continue to provide liquidity, while interest rates in many Asian countries are lower than one year ago,” said ULI North Asia Chairman Raymond Chow, Executive Director, Hongkong Land Limited in Hong Kong. “

Emerging Trends, released during ULI Singapore’s 2015 Annual Meeting, provides an outlook on Asia Pacific real estate investment and development trends, real estate finance and capital markets, and trends by property sector and metropolitan area. It is based on the opinions of 343 internationally renowned real estate professionals, including investors, developers, property company representatives, lenders, brokers and consultants.

Survey respondents ranked Singapore eleventh for investment prospects and ninth for development, placing the city in the middle of the list of the 22 markets covered by the report. It attributes Singapore’s rating to the market’s loss of traction in 2015 following a surge in commercial rents in 2014. The report notes that businesses in the city are having problems expanding due to a tight labour market and ongoing restrictions on hiring foreign staff.

In addition, it points to a slow residential market, mainly due to government actions in 2013 to stem soaring home prices. Still, despite the tepid enthusiasm, “Singapore is always a market where institutions are looking to buy,” says Emerging Trends, adding that a number of major property purchases are expected to be complete before the end of 2015.

Click HERE to read more about the top five markets for 2016 plus other findings.

Singapore receives top regional accolades at AFEO

16 December, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

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The annual awards pay tribute to engineering achievements that have demonstrated outstanding engineering skills and made significant contributions.

For the first time for Singapore, a total of five engineering projects across multiple industries clinched the prestigious ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Awards 2015 presented at the Conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (CAFEO) held in Penang on 25 November 2015.

Presented by AFEO, the annual awards pay tribute to engineering achievements that have demonstrated outstanding engineering skills and made significant contributions to the engineering progress and the quality of life in ASEAN. All winning projects from Singapore this year had been selected by IES for this award from amongst the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2015 recipients.

“IES is proud of our local engineering teams for bringing honour not only to themselves, but to the Singapore engineering fraternity. The winning of five awards adds jubilation to Singapore’s 50th birthday and recognises the remarkable engineering work being conducted in Singapore,” said Er. Chong Kee Sen, President of IES, who led a 33-member contingent to represent Singapore at CAFEO.

The five winning projects are:

Speak to Me in My Language by A*STAR, Institute for Infocomm Research
Towards Better Living and Greater Sustainability through “Smart Planning”- Urban Environmental Modelling (UEM) by Building Research Institute, Housing & Development Board
Jurong Rock Caverns by JTC Corporation
Innovative Hybrid Membrane Dehumidifier (MD)-Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IEC) System For All-Weather Air-conditioning Without Compressors by National University of Singapore & King Abdullah University of Science & Technology
Samwoh Eco-Green Building – First Building in the Region Constructed Using Up to 100 percet of recycled concrete aggregate by Samwoh Corporation Pte Ltd

The event also saw the conferring of the AFEO Honorary Fellowship title upon five eminent persons from Singapore, in recognition of their outstanding services, greatness of spirit, integrity and devotion to the engineering profession, IES and Singapore. They are:

Prof. CHEONG Hee Kiat, President, SIM University, Singapore
Mr. Brian CHANG, Chairman, Blue Capital Pte Ltd
Er. ONG See Ho, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Building Control), Building and Construction Authority
Er. NG Say Cheong, Director (Upgrading Construction Management), Building Quality Group, Housing & Development Board
Er. TANG Kin Fei, Group President & CEO, Sembcorp Industries Ltd

IES represented Singapore at the 33rd Conference of the CAFEO held in Penang from 23 to 26 November 2015. Since 1982, the annual CAFEO has been hosted with rotation by 10 ASEAN member countries including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.

KONE opens one of world’s tallest elevator test towers

14 December, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

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The Kunshan test tower is the tallest among KONE’s eight global testing facilities.

KONE, one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry, recently celebrated the opening of one of the world’s tallest elevator test towers. The new 36-floor tower is centrally located at the KONE Park manufacturing site, engineering facility and research and development (R&D) center in the Kunshan New and Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone in Eastern China.

Reaching a height of 235.6 meters, the tower contains 12 shafts that can be reconfigured for testing new high-rise solutions and components. Permanent features include a high-speed elevator that carries visitors to a sky lobby and showroom at speed of up to 10m/s. This is the world’s first double-decker elevator to feature KONE UltraRope(TM) super-light rope technology.

“The new test tower demonstrates our strong commitment to developing R&D in mid- and high-rise elevator technology. We are the industry leader in China, and this investment will further strengthen our position in a rapidly changing market. Now that we have additional capacity and capability to test our innovations, we will be able to deliver new products faster than ever before,” says Henrik Ehrnrooth, CEO and President at KONE.

The Kunshan test tower is the tallest among KONE’s eight global testing facilities. KONE’s underground testing facility in Tytyri, Finland, is 305 meters deep, allowing the company to test elevators at speeds up to 17 m/s – the only testing facility in the world where such speeds can be reached. In the new Kunshan test tower, the maximum speed is 15 m/s.

The Kunshan R&D team works in close collaboration with KONE’s existing high-rise laboratory researchers in Finland. “It will bring our R&D units in Finland and China closer together. Geographically it benefits us to have two separate laboratories near our markets in Europe and Asia, serving both hemispheres,” adds Ehrnrooth.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Olli Rehn, the Vice Mayor of Suzhou Xu Huimin, as well as KONE Chairman Antti Herlin, and KONE President and CEO Henrik Ehrnrooth.

ISOTeam adds to outstanding track record with $20.49 million in new contract wins

8 December, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

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The Group’s “Others” segment continues to gain traction and break new ground.

ISOTeam Ltd. an established eco-conscious Repairs and Redecoration (R&R) and Addition and Alteration (A&A) specialist in Singapore, recently announced that it had secured 14 new private and public sector contracts in Singapore totalling an aggregate of $20.49 million

These latest contract wins show that ISOTeam continues to maintain an established track record for reliability and excellence in public sector R&R and A&A works with $9.38 million worth of projects secured from town councils alone. Its recently expanded “Others” segment, which comprises four complementary businesses it acquired in October 2014, also continues to gain traction and break new ground for the Group with projects secured from new sectors and new clients.

ISOTeam CEO, Mr. Anthony Koh. Image courtesy of ISOTeam.

Said Anthony Koh, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of ISOTeam, “We are very encouraged by the latest slew of contract wins. The slowing Singapore economy has caused competition in the industry to be a lot more intense but I believe our strong track record and reputation for quality and reliability will definitely tip things in our favour. I am glad that we were able to bag these contracts and end 2015 with a bang, and I look forward to a good 2016.”

For more information, visit www.isoteam.com.sg.

Arup bags top structural engineering award for Singapore Sports Hub

8 December, 2015/in Design, News /by Editorial Staff

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Singapore Sports Hub shines in the night. Image courtesy of Arup.

Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm with a reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable designs, was recognised with the highest accolade at the The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Structural Awards 2015 on 13 November 2015.

The Singapore Sports Hub, for which Arup was the structural engineer, won the Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence. This is the highest accolade of the ceremony and is given at the judges’ discretion, to the project that has distinguished itself from all submissions in 2015, and for being the finest global example of structural engineering design in the year.

Stunning retracting roof at Singapore Sports Hub in action. Image courtesy of Arup.

The Singapore Sports Hub is home to the world’s largest free-spanning dome of 310 metres, the approximate width of four A380 aeroplanes parked wing to wing. The roof, which covers the 55,000-seat sports stadium, also sets new benchmarks in efficiency of design and material usage, utilising a third of weight of steel normally used in a span of this size.

“It is a rare honour to have worked on and led the design for the Singapore Sports Hub – a fantastic project, with contributions from so many talented people. I am elated with the recognition the project and team have received, and am particularly proud of the work Arup has done on the National Stadium roof. Working under intense pressure, the team delivered exceptional technical work with a brilliant outcome. They pushed the boundaries of technology and thoroughly deserve this recognition,” said Andrew Henry, Project Manager at Arup.

The firm also won in four other categories: the Award for Sports or Leisure Structures, again, for the Singapore Sports Hub; the Award for Arts or Entertainment Structures for the Vegas High Roller in the USA; the Award for Regional Groups for the SSE Hydro in Glasgow; and the Housing for Low-Income Communities project in El Salvador was presented with the Award for Sustainability.

For more information on The Structural Awards 2015, visit www.istructe.org/structuralawards/2015/home.

NIPSEA Group unveils nine colours set to trend across Asia

3 December, 2015/in News /by Editorial Staff

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The nine trend colours were curated and handpicked by more than 50 design professionals, colour experts and enthusiasts. Image courtesy of NIPSEA Group.

NIPSEA Group, one of Asia’s leading paint and coatings manufacturers recently launched its second “Trend Beyond Colours”, unveiling nine key colour palettes featured across three inspirational themes: “We Are One”, “New Eco” and “Wonder-Lust.” The nine colours are forecasted to drive utilisation across various industries and applications in 2016 and 2017.

The nine trend colours were curated and handpicked by more than 50 design professionals, colour experts and enthusiasts from all over the Asia Pacific region during the Asia Pacific ChromaZone Colour Forecasting Workshop 2015, organised by Colour Marketing Group (CMG).

“We study and analyse the effects of colours and how behaviour is influenced by colours in Asia to capture the region’s essence,” said Wee Siew Kim, Group CEO of NIPSEA. “We then translate these into nine colours under three themes, to make it easier for our consumers to develop their own stories in the future,” he added.

“We Are One” features modern colours that remind consumers how new age technology and social media are constantly affecting our lives and keeping us connected wherever we are. The second series, “New Eco” celebrates the wonders and simplicity on Nature, bringing consumers back in touch with Nature through the use of stylish yet comforting colours, while “Wonder-Lust” embodies all things YOLO as it explores consumers’ discovery for the perfect balance in life.

Trend Beyond Colours 2016/17 is available for download online. To download or to read it online, visit www.nipponpaint.com.sg/colours/trend-beyond-colours.

Plazit-Polygal launches economic new roofing material

3 December, 2015/in News, Product /by Editorial Staff

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The easy-to-fit system comes in five colours. Image courtesy of Plazit-Polygal

Plazit-Polygal, a producer of polycarbonate building materials, has launched Topgal, a modular range of translucent roofing material, which is attractive, economic, flexible and easy to install.

The Topgal range is suitable for any building that requires natural light, such as sports stadiums, commercial buildings and even pool enclosures. The Topgal sheets come in five different colours: clear, bronze, ice, blue and polyshade silver. It also comes in a variety of sizes and thickness levels, and delivers different levels of light transmission to meet even the most demanding of needs.

Topgal panels are linked together with easy-to-fit connectors, which create a mechanical lock between the sheets, ensuring that the panels are strong and watertight. Fixture points are hidden and the sheets can be flexed to suit any type of structure.

The Topgal system. Image courtesy of Plazit-Polygal.

“The Topgal system is translucent but all damaging UV rays are filtered out while heat transference is limited,” said Tito Asher. “It is modular so units can be added as needed,” he added.

The Topgal standing-seam panels and components integrate the unique properties of multi-wall structures to deliver superior strength, rigidity and thermal insulation. Topgal sheets are manufactured in 600 mm and 1,000 mm widths (centre to centre) and in thicknesses from 8 mm to 20 mm. In addition to the standard colours, Plazit-Polygal can tailor special colours and solar radiation levels. Find out more at www.plazit-polygal.com.

Iconic Parisian tower comes to life in Macau

1 December, 2015/in Design, Construction, News, Technology & Softwares /by Editorial Staff

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An artist’s rendering depicts The Parisian Macao, slated to open in the second half of 2016. Image courtesy of Sands China Ltd

Standing next to another distinguishable Sands development, The Venetian Macao, the replica Eiffel Tower at the Parisian Macao is set to become both a landmark feature and a popular outlook, offering guests and visitors alike spectacular views of Macau’s bustling Cotai Strip.

The Macau Eiffel Tower, which is half the scale of the original, is a faithful replica of the famed 19th century counterpart in Paris, and retains many decorative features of its Paris cousin, including cornice scrolls, balustrades, gussets plates, lattices, staircases and mesh screens around the observation decks.

Global engineering consultants Aurecon was closely involved in the planning and design for the distinctive new structure. The company provided full structural engineering consultancy on the job, and helped manage the difficulties of maintaining an authentic design while addressing the challenges caused by extreme weather, a congested construction site, and the anticipated high number of visitors.

At the project’s outset, Aurecon provided the drafting of the tower using Revit software, which allowed the team to visually represent the complicated design connections in 3D. This made it easier to detect any potential challenges or clashes that might arise during construction even before building work had begun. As a result, this ensured time-consuming amendments at the shop drawing preparation or fabrication stage were avoided.

“The key to recreating this iconic landmark has been strong team work and the close collaboration between the design and construction teams,” says Dr Alecs Chong, Aurecon’s project leader on the Macau Eiffel Tower. Dr Chong says the close co-operation between the design and construction teams started at the earliest stages of the project, and has delivered efficiency improvements from the beginning.

Among the biggest challenges for the design team was addressing the issue of typhoons, which occur seasonally in Macau. In particular, the design team had to ensure it made the correct critical wind loading calculations for the tower in the event of a direct hit from a typhoon.

“We used the Equivalent Static Wind Loads (ESWL) approach developed for towers to determine the critical wind loads,” says Dr Chong. “We also ran a series of studies to investigate the wind-induced dynamic response at the tower’s top peak at various wind speeds. And we then looked at the subsequent impact on human comfort in terms of potential vibrations. Our thorough investigations and scenario planning allowed the project team to ensure not only an aesthetically pleasing and accurate design, but also a safe one.”

A luffing jib crane facilitated the modular construction method on site. Image courtesy of Aurecon.

A further challenge for the design team was accounting for the very high number of visitors the attraction is likely to draw. In particular, says Dr Chong, they focused on the footbridge that will connect the tower with an adjacent casino complex. Aurecon and its partners also had to contend with how to get the large steel sections needed for the tower’s construction to the job site and, once there, how to assemble them.

“The port of Macau is neither large enough nor deep enough for the vessels that would normally deliver the oversized steel sections needed,” says Dr Chong. “As a result, the job had to request shallow-hulled vessels, but this limited delivery capacity. This, in turn, meant we had to plan the size of the delivery racks, to maximise delivery capacity and minimise delivery costs, which were estimated as being anything up to a quarter of the overall material cost.” And on the job site itself, there was a challenge presented by the selection of the tower crane needed to place the steel and other building materials.

The solution came in the form of a luffing jib crane, which can articulate its jib between the horizontal and near vertical angles. Using such a crane, and fitting it with a shorter jib, meant less of the lifting force was distributed laterally and more was directed down the crane’s mast. With a maximum hoisting capacity of 28 tons, the crane facilitated the modular construction method on site, overseeing the fast and safe installation of building elements.

Overall, says Dr Chong, being involved on the recreation of the Eiffel Tower on the Parisian Macao Integrated Resort has been a hugely challenging yet rewarding venture for the team at Aurecon. Visit www.aurecongroup.com for more.

Over 73,000 buyers converge at Lighting, Building & Eco Fairs

5 November, 2015/in News, Events /by Editor

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The Autumn Lighting Fair is a major event for the Asian lighting industry that attracts buyers from all over the world, as evidenced by the large number of visitors to the venue

The Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), Eco Expo Asia, Hong Kong International Building and Hardware Fair and World of Outdoor Lighting & Lighting Accessories (WOLLA) came to their successful conclusions over the past couple of days. Together these events attracted more than 73,000 buyers from around the world, creating a vibrant atmosphere for business discussion and networking.

For the fairs as a whole, double-digit percentage growth in buyer numbers was recorded in developed markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Buyers from emerging markets were also very active: double-digit percentage growth in buyer numbers was also recorded for India, the United Arab Emirates as well as ASEAN countries including Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.

World’s largest lighting marketplace

The newly launched WOLLA features more than 170 exhibitors from around the world to showcase a diverse range of products

The Autumn Lighting Fair has long been a major event for the global lighting industry. To build a more effective international sourcing platform and give the fair more room for development, the WOLLA was organised by the HKTDC for the first time at AsiaWorld-Expo this year. The two events welcomed a total of 2,727 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions, forming the world’s largest lighting marketplace.

WOLLA was held from 28 to 31 October concurrently with the Hong Kong International Building and Hardware Fair and Eco Expo Asia at the AsiaWorld-Expo so as to provide buyers with a one-stop sourcing platform. HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said: “The lighting industry and the building material and hardware industry are closely related to each other as lighting is a key element in building design. Buyers such as real estate developers, contractors, engineering companies and construction companies can now look for related lighting solutions when they are sourcing building materials and hardware products and services. So the fairs create synergies and more cross-sector business opportunities for the industries involved.”

Dipal Madlani, Manager of Madlani Associates of India visited both the Autumn Lighting Fair and WOLLA and said the two fairs together offered him a wider range of products to choose from. New World Dynamics, a Hong Kong company that offers one-stop lighting solutions, hoped to boost its brand recognition through participating in WOLLA. Brad Au, Controller – Special Projects, said that the running of the three fairs concurrently at the AsiaWorld-Expo allowed exhibitors to connect with more potential buyers and created a good atmosphere for business discussions.

Lori Zhang, sales representative of WoQinFeng (Hong Kong) Industrial, an outdoor lighting manufacturer, noted, “The concurrent staging of WOLLA and the International Building and Hardware Fair allows us to meet customers from different sectors. On the first day of the fairs, we received buyers from Switzerland, New Zealand and India. Our existing clients have also visited us to see our new products and told us that they will do their sourcing in the Autumn Lighting Fair as well in WOLLA.”

Jörg Fey, Founder of Jörg Fey Industrieanlagen Montage from Germany said: “When it comes to sourcing, streetlights always top our priority list. The European governments plan to replace traditional streetlights with LED casino models and that would boost the demand of energy-saving outdoor lighting. Three events concurrently held at the AsiaWorld-Expo share the same theme of energy-saving and environmental protection. Strolling through the fairground gives me new ideas and inspiration.”

Survey reveals great market potential for smart lighting products

During the fair period, an independent research agency was commissioned to interview 645 exhibitors and buyers of the Autumn Lighting Fair and WOLLA to understand their views on product trends and market prospects. With the rapid advance of technology, all types of products are becoming more “intelligent”, so much so that smart city/smart homes have become a major focus of future technological development. More than 80 per cent of survey respondents were convinced that such a technology development trend would benefit the lighting industry in the next two years. In particular, they believed that “household lighting systems that are compatible with or can be controlled by smart phone/tablet application” and “smart lighting systems primarily with energy-saving purpose for household/industrial/ commercial purposes” would have the most potential.

Amid keen competition in the market, a new generation of lighting products is capitalising on the trend towards smart homes and intelligent offices to seek market breakthroughs. For this reason, the “Smart Lighting & Solutions Zone” was one of the highlights of the Autumn Lighting Fair.

Neonlite Electronic & Lighting (Hong Kong) (Megaman), a long-time exhibitor of the fair, this year showcased its latest LED innovations including the INGENIUM^®BLU series that employs Bluetooth 4.1 technology and the INGENIUM^®ZB series that adopts ZigBee technology. Since both series are capable of controlling light intensity through smart phone apps, they have caught the attention of buyers. Matthew Chu, General Manager of Neonlite, pointed out that smart lighting will bring immense changes to the lighting industry and, as intelligent lighting products constitute only about two per cent of the global market, there will be lots of opportunities to be tapped.

The Autumn Lighting Fair, WOLLA and the Hong Kong International Building and Hardware Fair were organised by the HKTDC. The events welcomed more than 38,000, over 11,000 and close to 12,000 buyers respectively. Eco Expo Asia was jointly organised by the HKTDC with Messe Frankfurt (Hong Kong) Limited and welcomed more than 12,000 buyers. The Autumn Lighting Fair was held from 27 to 30 October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, while the other events were held from 28 to 31 October at the AsiaWorld-Expo. These fairs provide a one-stop sourcing platform, which creates synergies and more cross-sector business opportunities for the industries involved.

The world’s second highest built asset wealth per person

26 October, 2015/in News /by Editor

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SINGAPORE – Singapore (US$191,500 per person) has lost its top position to Qatar (US$198,000 per person) in 2015 built asset wealth per person ranking. Singapore held the top position previously in 2013. China has become the world’s richest country measured by the value of its built environment according to the latest Global Built Asset Wealth Index published by Arcadis, the leading Design & Consultancy firm for natural and built assets.

The index, which was compiled for Arcadis by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), calculates the value of all the buildings and infrastructure that contribute to economic productivity in 32 countries, which collectively make up 87% of global GDP.

Asian countries occupied three out of top five positions in the built asset wealth per person ranking. Singapore has the highest built asset wealth per person in Asia followed by Hong Kong (US$160,000) and Japan (US$143,500).

Chris Graham, Head of Business Advisory, Singapore at Arcadis comments: “Despite losing its top position in the built asset wealth per person ranking, Singapore’s sustained performance of this small, densely populated island state reflects a continued and focused investment in infrastructure. It has retained a high end manufacturing industry and continues to be a desirable environment to live, work and do business.”

Total built asset wealth now stands at an estimated US$218 trillion, which is the equivalent to US$30,700 per person alive today. China now has a built asset wealth of US$47.6trillion, overtaking the USA which comes in second place with a wealth of US$36.8trillion. Since 2000 China has invested US$33 trillion in its built assets, a total that exceeds all other economies combined. The growth is evidence of China’s unprecedented level of investment in its infrastructure – 9% of GDP – which dwarfs global competitors like the USA, which currently invests just 2%.

Adam Sutton, Asia Leader of Business Advisory at Arcadis explains: “The health and wealth of a nation can be measured in many different ways and while factors such as GDP or employment have great value, a prosperous society is underpinned by a well-developed built environment that meets the needs of its people and economy.”

Sutton continues: “China’s ranking this year marks a profound change in the global league table of the world’s wealthiest built asset nations. We believe that the China led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which aims to beef up infrastructure development in Asia, will help China to continue to increase the lead over the US in the years to come.”

Unlike most mature markets, such as those of North America, Europe and Australia, a significant amount of infrastructure projects in China are driven by central government planning. Lands are released for development at ‘public’ auctions with strict stipulations and parameters around the amount of each asset class to be built. It is critically important for the government to ensure the development of world class infrastructure to support its fast growing economy and the unprecedented levels of urbanization in China.”

The Asia Pacific nations on the Arcadis Global Built Asset Wealth Index are:

Asia Pacific Ranking	World Ranking	Country	2015 (US$)	Ranking change from 2013
1	1	China	47.6tn	+1
2	3	Japan	18.2tn	=
3	4	India	15.2tn	=
4	9	South Korea	6.1tn	-1
5	14	Indonesia	4.7tn	+8
6	16	Australia	3.27tn	-2
7	18	Thailand	2.99tn	+1
8	22	Malaysia	1.68tn	+3
9	27	Hong Kong	1.16tn	-1
10	29	Singapore	1.06tn	+3

The shifting wealth to emerging economies

The Global Built Asset Wealth Index shows a dramatic shift of wealth to emerging economies, with the traditional economic superpowers – the G7 – showing a net decline in the value of their built assets since 2012. Structural assets depreciate at a rate of around 5% per year, meaning that this level of investment is the minimum required to maintain the status quo, a figure that equates to US$1.4 trillion in the US.

South East Asian economies including Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines were amongst the biggest gainers.

Overall Arcadis Built Asset Wealth Ranking and Forecast

Ranking	Country	2015 built asset wealth (US$tn)	2025 Forecast	2025 ranking	Change: 2015-2025
1	China	47.58	97.04	1	0
2	USA	36.82	45.25	2	0
3	Japan	18.24	23.17	4	-1
4	India	15.24	16.40	3	+1
5	Germany	10.21	10.43	5	0
6	Russia	8.44	5.76	13	-7
7	Italy	7.91	8.14	8	+1
8	France	7.91	7.71	7	-1
9	South Korea	6.12	7.63	9	0
10	Brazil	5.95	7.37	11	-1
11	Mexico	5.89	6.80	10	+1
12	Spain	5.77	6.80	16	-4
13	UK	4.82	5.76	14	-1
14	Indonesia	4.70	5.69	6	+8
15	Canada	4.56	5.66	15	0
16	Australia	3.27	5.39	18	-2
17	Saudi Arabia	3.15	4.50	12	+5
18	Thailand	2.99	4.30	17	+1
19	Turkey	2.55	2.82	23	-4
20	Netherlands	2.15	2.55	24	-4
21	Poland	1.94	2.44	22	-1
22	Malaysia	1.68	2.43	19	+3
23	South Africa	1.50	2.43	25	-2
24	Belgium	1.40	2.01	27	-3
25	UAE	1.33	2.30	21	+4
26	Egypt	1.20	1.90	29	-3
27	Hong Kong	1.16	1.48	28	-1
28	Philippines	1.14	1.47	20	+8
29	Singapore	1.06	1.16	26	+3
30	Chile	0.86	1.15	30	0
31	Qatar	0.45	1.00	31	0
32	Ghana	0.20	0.38	32	0

The full report can be downloaded here: 2015 Global Built Asset Wealth Index.

Article by Arcadis.