A new report from New England Council and Deloitte Consulting assesses the region’s infrastructure strengths and weaknesses, and identifies opportunities for investment in “smart infrastructure” that can support economic growth and global competitiveness.
“Infrastructure can be a lot more than canals, railroads, highways and aviation,” said Michael Reopel, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and author of the report. “Today’s infrastructure should be ‘smart’ and connect the region through transportation, energy, communications, education, and economic assets.”
The research says that in order to build a 21st century infrastructure that will enable economic growth and prosperity, stakeholders must take capitalize on the region’s structural advantages; connect regional networks and industry clusters to leverage their inherent economies with the appropriate infrastructure technology and management; and develop workforce skills in a collaborative model that brings together business, education and government.