Infrastructure grids and networks. The challenges ahead, amid security and efficiency

In recent years, accelerating geopolitical tensions, economic disruptions, and climate-related disasters brought resilience and economic security to the forefront of both global and European policy agendas. In response, strategies such as de-risking have driven substantial investments in redundancy, new trade corridors, and expanded infrastructure – including railway lines, highways, ports, electricity grids, pipelines, and undersea digital cables.
This infrastructure forms the backbone of the global economy. It is not only crucial for maintaining competitiveness and supporting growth but also plays a central role in enabling the energy and digital transitions.
As such, protecting these systems from hostile actions or third-party interference has become an urgent priority.
At the same time, the long-standing trade-off between efficiency and security has grown more pronounced amid increasingly strained international relations. Both governments and "private sector actors" are now more willing to absorb higher costs in order to enhance the resilience of supply chains and connectivity networks.
Against this backdrop, a new paradigm is emerging – one that raises two critical questions: Where will the balance ultimately lie between economic efficiency and security/resilience? And what investment priorities will shape the future of transport, energy, and digital connectivity infrastructure?