Unleashing Opportunity by Unlocking Private Investment in International Infrastructure

The Wilson Center’s Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition (WISC) launched a study group comprising leaders in the financial sector who explored how to close the multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure funding gap in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDE). There are a variety of ways Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) can activate private capital support for EMDE infrastructure investments. The traditional focus has been on transaction-level mobilization from commercial banks and equity investors, along with balance sheet mobilization by issuing bonds. There is even greater opportunity to mobilize capital at scale from institutional investors. The study group offers the following recommendations to bolster global opportunities, strengthen the rule of law, and expand American exports to advance US national security and foreign policy objectives.

The involvement in the working group does not constitute each participant endorsing each recommendation listed, nor the contents of this publication. Their input was invaluable in providing insights from those with intimate knowledge of international infrastructure. The Wahba Institute of the Wilson Center is grateful for their contributions.

Amer Bisat - Managing Director, Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income, BlackRock

Peter Corsell - Global InfraTech Fund Partner, I Squared Capital

John Greenwood - Co-Head of Structured Finance, Goldman Sachs

Hon. Mark Kennedy – Wilson Center, Director of the Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition; Member of Congress (MN 2001-07)

Michael Kumar - Global Head of Project, Commodity and Infrastructure Finance, Morgan Stanley

Gabriel Sod Hoffs

Zahid Riaz Qureshi