TO BE PUBLISHED May 2026
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This conference will examine priorities for infrastructure investment and delivery in Scotland, with a focus on the next phase of planning, investment, and implementation.
The agenda looks at key questions around delivery capacity, planning and consenting reform, investment and procurement, and approaches to ensuring infrastructure programmes support national and local priorities.
The discussion will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess practical next steps following publication of the Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline and the draft Infrastructure Investment Strategy: 2027-2037, and how emerging priorities for delivery, sequencing, and investment can be taken forward in the context of cost pressures and long-term programme requirements.
Policy context, priorities and delivery readiness
With the draft Infrastructure Investment Strategy: 2027-2037 setting out Scotland’s approach over the next decade, delegates will consider what is needed to translate strategic intent into deliverable programmes - including clarity on priority outcomes, governance, and practical measures for implementation. Expected areas for discussion include alignment with the National Strategy for Economic Transformation and implications for how infrastructure is used to support national economic growth objectives.
Practicalities for progressing priorities in the Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline will be examined, including approaches to managing delivery timescales, cost inflation, and dependencies across the system. Further discussion is expected on the capacity and capability that will be required across delivery bodies and supply chains, including putting in place workforce planning and skills development, as well as supporting SMEs.
Planning and consenting reform - governance, processes and capacity
Delegates will consider priorities for improving the effectiveness of planning and consenting, including insights from the Key Agency Rapid Planning Audits and strategies for strengthening resourcing and recruitment, and advancing the use of digital and AI tools. Discussion is expected to assess options for streamlining decision-making and coordination across agencies, alongside approaches to accountability and transparency in delivery.
We expect discussion on implications of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 for electricity infrastructure consenting, and what can be learned for Scotland’s consenting system - including options such as clearer statutory timeframes, simplified cross-agency processes, and potential models for a more coordinated approvals pathway.
Investment strategy, finance and building a credible pipeline
The conference will look at options for reconciling ambitions for growth with fiscal constraints, including the role the Infrastructure Strategy might play as a prospectus for investment and how best to coordinate with delivery and finance partners. Attendees will discuss mechanisms for attracting private capital and inward investment, alongside practical options for public-private financing models and risk allocation.
Delegates will also look at priorities for investment prioritisation and pipeline credibility, drawing on learnings from the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 and the Scottish Futures Trust’s 30-Year Needs Assessment. We expect discussion on what is needed to give delivery bodies and supply chains greater clarity on future projects and timelines, a transparent approach to prioritisation, and the conditions for sustained delivery - including involvement of partners such as the Scottish National Investment Bank, the National Wealth Fund, and UK Export Finance.
Sector delivery priorities - energy, transport, water and digital
In considering Scotland’s future infrastructure needs, sessions will examine sector-specific priorities and delivery constraints across energy, transport, water, and digital infrastructure. Delegates will assess what may be required to support delivery of critical projects - including grid enhancement and storage expansion, approaches to energy security-related infrastructure, and progress on broadband rollout in rural and island communities - alongside practical steps needed to attract strategic investment.
Climate resilience, net zero and statutory environmental priorities
Next steps for embedding net zero and climate resilience across the infrastructure system will be discussed, including implications of priorities set out in the Scottish National Adaptation Plan and the Climate Change Plan. Attendees will consider what may be required in practice to align infrastructure investment and delivery with evolving climate risk planning and statutory biodiversity targets.
Sessions will also consider priorities for net zero infrastructure and delivery pathways referenced in the Green Industrial Strategy, including what may be needed to support delivery in areas such as hydrogen and wind, and to strengthen resilience across supply chains and programmes.
Place-based delivery, social value & regional outcomes
Further discussion is expected on approaches to place-based infrastructure planning and delivery, including alignment with National Planning Framework 4 and the Place Principle, and what this means for regional equity, connectivity, and community involvement in decision-making. Delegates will assess how national, regional, and local delivery can be coordinated in practice, including roles for Regional Economic Partnerships and Community Planning Partnerships.
Attendees will also consider priorities for achieving long-term objectives for infrastructure programmes - including approaches to community benefit and social value, supporting regeneration and town centre renewal through the Town Centre First Principle, and integrating infrastructure planning with housing delivery priorities. We expect discussion on how deliverability can be aligned with sustainability priorities, including conserving and upgrading existing assets alongside new development.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; Department for Business and Trade; Transport Scotland; and The Scottish Government.
