Construction firms start to look to eastern Europe for work

A survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers has found that as “the pipeline of construction projects comes under pressure in the mature markets of the U.S., U.K. and Western Europe, construction firms are increasingly looking for opportunities to Central and Eastern Europe…”
The report says that “the scale of infrastructure investment needed in Central and Eastern Europe and the steps taken by local government to enhance the attractiveness of these investments are key drivers attracting international interest in the region.”
The report found that Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine are facing an infrastructure gap. It says that an estimated $500 billion needs to be invested, particularly in transportation and water supply.
Much of the infrastructure will be funded by public sources backed by European Union funding, says the report. But also, public private partnerships are starting to be used as well, particularly in Hungary.
Entitled, “Building New Europe’s Infrastructure: Public Private Partnerships in Central and Eastern Europe,” the report is available at www.pwc.com/e&c