The outlook for 2025 in infrastructure is relatively positive, with a strong pipeline of projects and indications of more government investment. On the back of that, many main contractors will be looking to expand and hoping that they can attract top talent to help them achieve growth.
What sectors are these opportunities in and what are the most sought-after skills in construction and infrastructure as we start 2025?
Water Infrastructure
In some of biggest news to end 2024 with, Ofwat announced that the original budget for water infrastructure had been reinstated. This, just 6 months after announcing that it would be cut by almost 20%. This is positive news considering the concerns about aging infrastructure and water resilience in the UK.
With leaks accounting for a significant percentage of wastage, and environmental factors influencing the volumes of fresh water available, improving water infrastructure on budget cuts was always going to be a challenge.
The demand for sector specific expertise in water infrastructure remains high, especially with regards to Quantity Surveyors, Planners and Estimators. In addition, professionals with experience in water contamination will play an increasingly vital role in helping to improve water resilience.
Data and telco infrastructure
Broader fibre and WIFI coverage remain a priority, but adding to that is the demand for more powerful data centres in the UK. This is largely being driven by digital transformation and the rapid advancement and adoption of AI technologies across all industries. Currently most data infrastructure has been concentrated in London, but is now set to expand to other major industrial hubs due to space constraints in the South-East.
This represents an opportunity for main contractors and professionals in the data and telco infrastructure sector. The UK is well positioned for further investment and remains one of the most competitive markets for development. If demand is any indication, this sector has the potential to experience major growth.
Energy infrastructure
A major provisor to meeting data infrastructure demand, is the ability to power these data centres. With energy supply already under strain, and rising climate concerns, there is a major push towards renewables. Approvals for on-shore wind and solar farms are increasing, and investment continues to develop green hydrogen, innovative energy storage and transmission.
This is fantastic opportunity to be part of a dynamic and innovative sector as it strives to become more sustainable. For professionals already in the sector it’s the ideal time to expand knowledge and seek out ways to expand career progression opportunities.