Singapore (VNA) – The 2026 Asia Infrastructure Forum (AIF), themed “Bold Action for a Sustainable Asia”, took place at Singapore’s Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 16–17, drawing more than 800 representatives from governments, investors, project developers and solution providers across the continent.
The forum, now in its fifth year, focused on solutions to advance sustainable infrastructure development and narrow Asia’s infrastructure investment gap.
AIF 2026 was held amid major geopolitical shifts, growing technology adoption, energy transition efforts, carbon neutrality goals and volatility in global financial markets. These factors are prompting governments and investors to rethink how infrastructure projects are financed, developed and operated.
Opening the forum, Indranee Rajah, Singapore’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development, stressed the need for continued investment in climate-resilient infrastructure to strengthen economic competitiveness and support social development. She also highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in delivering large-scale projects and reaffirmed Singapore’s role as a regional hub for finance and infrastructure development.
The forum was jointly organised by Infrastructure Asia, Singapore’s Ministry of Finance, Enterprise Singapore and the Monetary Authority of Singapore, with the World Bank Group serving as a strategic partner.
During the event, Infrastructure Asia signed four memoranda of understanding and unveiled investment opportunities worth more than 16 billion USD across South and Southeast Asia.
A notable development was the signing of an MoU between the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board and Enterprise Singapore to enhance cooperation in urban transport. Infrastructure Asia is expected to support the partnership through project development, technical advisory services and capacity building.
More than 15 flagship projects in energy, transport and the circular economy were showcased at the forum, including the Philippines’ Metro Manila Subway Project, India’s Madhya Pradesh Battery Energy Storage System Programme and Indonesia’s Sunter Waste-to-Energy Plant.
Experts said most of the projects presented at the forum are expected to be implemented within the next two years, helping address long-term challenges such as urban congestion, energy transition and sustainable development.
Global infrastructure investment demand is projected to reach about 106 trillion USD by 2040, with Asia accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total, according to estimates presented at the forum./.
ASEAN Future Forum discusses partnerships, energy security, new development models
In the morning, a thematic session on ASEAN–US cooperation was held with the participation of US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. This marked the first time a senior official from the current US administration had addressed the forum directly, reaffirming Washington’s strong commitment to the region.
