Critical Infrastructure

The Netherlands is facing an unprecedented infrastructure challenge. From maintaining and modernising its rail, road, waterway and bridge networks to building and adapting the infrastructure needed to support the digital and energy transition, the task is both broad and urgent. The goal is clear: to create a future-ready Netherlands that is resilient to climate risks and other threats.

Infrastructure projects are complex. They run over long periods of time and involve many stakeholders across decision-making, delivery and maintenance. At the same time, budgets and labour markets are under pressure, while legal requirements and ambitions for improvement and innovation remain high. Geopolitical developments also affect projects, including changes in supply chains, rising prices, volatile capital markets and cyber threats.

An integrated approach to future-ready infrastructure

The key question is how to deliver infrastructure that is future-ready, affordable and manageable. PwC has extensive experience in setting up and supporting large-scale infrastructure projects and organisations, where complex decision-making and procurement processes, public and private interests, and long delivery timelines come together. In practice, we support clients with: 

Throughout the journey, from strategy through to delivery, we bring our perspective on connecting stakeholders across the full value chain: from project planning and realisation to maintenance and operations. This integrated approach creates a seamless connection between asset data and information, while making use of new AI capabilities for process modelling, data capture and structuring. In doing so, we help prevent unnecessary delays and time-consuming handover moments. In practice, this means redesigning project organisations and IT systems alongside a strategic data approach. Where needed, we can establish a full project organisation, including the supporting IT systems.

Connecting infrastructure and finance

In critical infrastructure, we connect two perspectives: the physical infrastructure itself, including performance and risk, and the financial perspective. This means managing and maintaining control over performance, cost and delivery. Performance covers the availability, reliability and safety of assets. Costs span the full lifecycle, from investment (CAPEX) to management and maintenance (OPEX). Risks and control measures run as an overarching dimension through every phase.

Lifecycle management for the sustainable preservation of existing assets

With our clear view on lifecycle management, we focus on using existing assets safely, efficiently and sustainably. At the same time, we remain alert to the feasibility and risks of the complex, long-term projects needed to renew those assets and make them future-ready. We identify bottlenecks early, such as slow procurement processes, inaccurate cost estimates and permitting processes that cause delay.