AECOM and the Urban Land Institute jointly released the inaugural Asia-Pacific Infrastructure Innovation Index, focusing on changes in regional infrastructure innovation priorities

AECOM and Urban Land Institute jointly release the first Asia Pacific Infrastructure Innovation Index, focusing on changes in regional infrastructure innovation priorities

Hong Kong, June 4, 2026 — AECOM and Urban Land Institute (ULI) today announced the release of the inaugural *Asia Pacific Infrastructure Innovation Index 2026*. The report is an industry-focused thought leadership study designed to examine how the infrastructure sector in Asia Pacific is prioritizing innovation in response to changing stakeholder needs, increasing system complexity, operating pressures, and delivery challenges.

The study is based on multiple perspectives and industry research

Jointly produced by AECOM and ULI, the report brings together perspectives from the infrastructure, government, utilities, investment, planning, and development sectors. The study also incorporates a survey of more than 100 senior infrastructure professionals across Asia Pacific, as well as in-depth interviews with industry leaders.

As the first edition of the index, the report establishes a baseline for understanding current priorities for infrastructure innovation in Asia Pacific and how they are being implemented.

The report highlights three recurring core themes

Among the report’s top ten observations, three themes stood out in both the survey results and interview insights:

• The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in infrastructure systems
• The integration of energy systems and their growing demand
• Infrastructure design and operations for climate resilience

Together, these themes reflect a broader trend: infrastructure systems are evolving toward greater complexity and a stronger emphasis on real-world operational performance.

Views from companies and institutions

Ian Chung, CEO of AECOM Asia, said the report shows that companies and institutions are moving beyond the conceptual stage and applying innovation to practical scenarios that improve delivery, resilience, and system performance. He noted that infrastructure leaders in Asia Pacific are addressing an increasingly complex industry environment by strengthening digital capabilities, improving coordination among interconnected systems, and focusing on long-term operational performance.

Alan Beebe, CEO of ULI Asia Pacific, said the collaboration with AECOM reflects the growing interdependence between infrastructure and real estate. As cities across Asia Pacific continue to evolve, infrastructure is no longer only a technical issue; it also plays a key role in shaping how urban spaces operate, grow, and perform. He believes that understanding how innovation is applied in this context is of great importance to all parties involved in the built environment.

Industry context and significance of the release

As urbanization, energy transition, management of interconnected systems, and climate adaptation requirements continue to rise across Asia Pacific, the infrastructure industry’s definition of innovation is also changing.As urbanization, energy transition, interconnected system management, and climate resilience requirements continue to rise across the Asia Pacific region, the definition of innovation in the infrastructure industry is also evolving. The index released today is intended to provide a reference framework for the industry, governments, investors, and development stakeholders to observe how innovation is being prioritized and progressively implemented across different markets and project types.

About AECOM

AECOM is a global infrastructure professional services company with operations spanning water, environment, energy, transportation, and buildings. The company provides public- and private-sector clients with end-to-end services across the full lifecycle, from consulting, planning, design and engineering to project and construction management. AECOM said it is a Fortune 500 company with revenue of US$16.1 billion for fiscal year 2025.

About Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a member-supported nonprofit education and research organization dedicated to shaping the future of the built environment and driving transformative impact in communities worldwide. Founded in 1936, ULI has more than 48,000 members globally, including more than 3,000 members in the Asia Pacific region, covering a broad range of land use and development-related professional disciplines.

Further information

The report is available via the AECOM Insights page: Asia Pacific Infrastructure Innovation Index | AECOM Insights

Publication tags: #AECOM #AsiaPacificInfrastructureInnovationIndex

*Disclaimer: This release has been reconstructed based on the original corporate announcement and publicly available information, and is intended solely for international distribution and information collation. Final responsibility for the information rests with the publisher.*