DealStreetAsia: Urbanization, policy shifts power APAC’s next wave of infra investments
Hajir Naghdy, Senior Managing Director and Head of Asia and the Middle East at Stonepeak, sat down with DealStreetAsia to discuss some of the key macroeconomic drivers unlocking capital investment opportunities in the Asia Pacific region.
Rapid urbanization, and the resulting underinvestment in energy, transportation, and digital infrastructure, is one of these drivers, as urbanization rates in the region have gone from mid-20s to mid-50s in just 40 years – a process that took place over 90 years in the United States and 120 years in Europe. “This underinvestment is the centerpiece of the opportunity,” Hajir said.
Hajir also discussed the importance of building new infrastructure to meet shifting demand, the attractiveness of this approach relative to buying more mature, established assets, and Stonepeak’s experience in asset creation.
“Stonepeak’s strength lies in leveraging our deep operational capabilities across digital infrastructure, energy, and transportation and logistics,” he said. “We apply that expertise particularly where new infrastructure needs to be built, not just acquired, drawing on our technical know-how across development, construction, and operation.”