Infrastructure
Types of investment

Infrastructure

Realising opportunities in infrastructure

Infrastructure assets can provide steady returns over the longer term and have a low correlation to other asset classes. In times of economic trubulence they can be resilient, making them increasingly appealing to investors.

This highly innovative strategy aims to deliver sustainable, inflation-linked income and capital growth from a diversified portfolio of investments in European mid-market infrastructure assets and support the transition to net zero.

The investment approach has been to target assets with core infrastructure fundamentals such as long asset life, natural monopolies, high barriers to entry, provision of essential services and stable cash flows.

Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a guide, we focus on sustainable trends and sectors to identify high-quality infrastructure investments with current yield potential and the opportunity to drive value though active asset management by unlocking latent capital growth potential through expansion, operational or technological upgrades.

We believe the European mid-market is particularly attractive for private infrastructure investment, on the backdrop of a significant estimated funding gap. This translates into less competitive pressures and more opportunity for initiating bilateral, negotiated situations that our investment team can unlock. This is likely to continue over the long term, underpinned by a supportive investment and regulatory environment that encourages long-term private investment in essential assets and services and incentivises the transition to a carbon neutral economy.

10 November 2021

Heiko Schupp

Global Head Of Infrastructure Investments

Green hydrogen is finally showing its true colours

We look at what is driving recent heightened interest in hydrogen as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, the catalysts required for it to become a viable solution, and the opportunities this might present from an infrastructure point of view.
Read time - 3 min
8 June 2021

Ingrid Edmund

Senior Portfolio Manager

Funding Europe’s green infrastructure finance gap

Environmental, social and governance investing has received huge policy support, particularly in Europe where the build out of green infrastructure has been impressive. We look at four major investment themes this presents.
Read time - 7 min
14 January 2021

Ingrid Edmund

Senior Portfolio Manager

European sustainable infrastructure - in a sweet spot

There are four issues that affected infrastructure in 2020, and they reaffirm our confidence in the team’s long-term investment thesis and strategy.
Read time - 6 min
20 October 2020

Sustainable Infrastructure - A sustainable perspective on digital infrastructure

Infrastructure investors have a long track record as owners of telecommunications assets. However, 2020 is the year in which digital infrastructure has clearly established its place as a core infrastructure sector, which also provides a huge opportunity for investment in sustainability
Read time - 15 min
20 September 2020

Sharon Vieten

Senior analyst, Fixed Income

Euro pipeline proposal brings hydrogen to the demand side

A new report showing how existing European gas infrastructure can be modified to transport hydrogen at an affordable cost is an interesting prospect for would-be investors
Read time - 5 min
28 August 2020

Fixed Income Desk

In Credit - Weekly Snapshot

Summer slumber soothes markets

Our fixed income team provide their weekly snapshot of market events.
Read time - 3 min

Related funds

Learn more about funds in this capability

Key documents

Find all documents related to this capability

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About us

Millions of people around the world rely on Columbia Threadneedle Investments to manage their money. We look after investments for individual investors, financial advisers and wealth managers, as well as insurance firms, pension funds and other institutions.

Our funds

Columbia Threadneedle Investments has a comprehensive range of investment funds catering for a broad range of objectives.

Investment Options

We offer a broad range of actively managed investment strategies and solutions covering global, regional and domestic markets and asset classes.

Infrastructure

Columbia Threadneedle European Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy

Europe offers a compelling infrastructure investment landscape with a diverse, well established and supportive legislative environment for private investment. Yet investment needs far outweigh private capital flows. This presents an attractive opportunity for investors to generate stable, inflation-protected yields from high-quality ‘best-of-class’ infrastructure assets.

At Columbia Threadneedle, we have substantial experience in managing real assets via our UK and US real estate businesses. Our infrastructure strategy complements our offering and leverages our collaborative approach across our global investment research.

When investing in infrastructure, we believe it is important to take a long-term view, to build projects that are sustainable and ecologically responsible, and to be prepared to continually make improvements. An open-ended/evergreen structure that allows for dynamic portfolio construction and the flexible deployment of capital is therefore key.

Sustainability is particularly close to our hearts. By investing in well-governed companies that are better positioned to manage the financial and non-financial risks and challenges inherent in business, we can capture opportunities that deliver measurable positive outcomes and better financial performance.

Objective

The strategy aims to deliver consistent total returns comprising recurrent inflation-linked yield and medium to long-term capital growth, across economic cycles, by constructing a diversified portfolio of European, unlisted infrastructure equity investments.

Sources of added value

  1. An open-ended/evergreen strategy dedicated to investing in European, core mid-market infrastructure equitiesThe perpetual investment period enables us to acquire and actively manage infrastructure assets over the long term, driving value and unlocking growth potential by investing and adapting in a changing environment. We see significant opportunity in the European mid-market space (under €300million), with a diversified deal flow resulting in less competitive pressures for assets across all infrastructure sectors.
  2. Proprietary investment and dynamic portfolio construction approach We have developed a framework (the ‘OMS’) which integrates Columbia Threadneedle’s infrastructure expertise with its global research and specialist Responsible Investment capabilities. Our origination strategy is based on the principle that each investment needs to be additive to the portfolio from a risk and return, as well as from a sustainability perspective. This allows us to build a balanced, robust portfolio with controlled volatility through economic cycles and a critical focus on long-term growth.
  3. Sustainability It is integrated at all stages of the investment process. We analyse a prospective asset’s compatibility with the strategy’s objectives and values and create an outcome-focused sustainability plan, which is integrated in the long-term business plan and reflected in the acquisition price. Post-acquisition, we engage actively with all stakeholders to ensure alignment and delivery of sustainable outcomes.
10 November 2021

Heiko Schupp

Global Head Of Infrastructure Investments

Green hydrogen is finally showing its true colours

We look at what is driving recent heightened interest in hydrogen as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, the catalysts required for it to become a viable solution, and the opportunities this might present from an infrastructure point of view.
Read time - 3 min
8 June 2021

Ingrid Edmund

Senior Portfolio Manager

Funding Europe’s green infrastructure finance gap

Environmental, social and governance investing has received huge policy support, particularly in Europe where the build out of green infrastructure has been impressive. We look at four major investment themes this presents.
Read time - 7 min
14 January 2021

Ingrid Edmund

Senior Portfolio Manager

European sustainable infrastructure - in a sweet spot

There are four issues that affected infrastructure in 2020, and they reaffirm our confidence in the team’s long-term investment thesis and strategy.
Read time - 6 min
20 October 2020

Sustainable Infrastructure - A sustainable perspective on digital infrastructure

Infrastructure investors have a long track record as owners of telecommunications assets. However, 2020 is the year in which digital infrastructure has clearly established its place as a core infrastructure sector, which also provides a huge opportunity for investment in sustainability
Read time - 15 min
20 September 2020

Sharon Vieten

Senior analyst, Fixed Income

Euro pipeline proposal brings hydrogen to the demand side

A new report showing how existing European gas infrastructure can be modified to transport hydrogen at an affordable cost is an interesting prospect for would-be investors
Read time - 5 min
28 August 2020

Fixed Income Desk

In Credit - Weekly Snapshot

Summer slumber soothes markets

Our fixed income team provide their weekly snapshot of market events.
Read time - 3 min

The ‘OMS’ investment and portfolio construction framework

Key Facts

Processing acitivity
Legal basis for Processing
Strategy structure
Open-ended*
Performance target¹
Net IRR of 8-10% p.a.
Net yield of 5-6% p.a.
Strategy structure
High-quality and sustainable infrastructure assets in Europe (primarily in European OECD countries) with a focus on utilities, transportation, social infrastructure, renewable energy and telecommunications.

Literature

PDF

Strategy Profile

Events

Past speaking engagements:

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTOR 2019
GLOBAL SUMMIT

Date: 19-20 March 2019
Location: Berlin, Germany
Organiser: Infrastructure Investor

Insights

13 May 2024

Steven Bell

Chief Economist, EMEA

Rate cuts to start in June

In Europe, a June cut is likely – but what about the UK and US?.
Watch time - 6 min
7 May 2024

Steven Bell

Chief Economist, EMEA

Interest rate cuts back on the agenda

Pessimism about the prospects for US interest rates cuts has been growing steadily as 2024 has developed. But there was a big change last Friday.
Watch time - 6 min
23 April 2024

Robert Plant

Director, Portfolio Manager, Multi Asset Solutions

Earnings season: Will Q1 earnings deliver?

After a strong start to the earnings season, a big week lies ahead.
Watch time - 5 min
15 April 2024

Steven Bell

Chief Economist, EMEA

Is interest rate pessimism overdone?

The European Central Bank looks set to cut in June and there are reasons to believe the US and UK won’t be too far behind.
Watch time - 6 min
8 April 2024

Steven Bell

Chief Economist, EMEA

Interest rates, inflation and immigration

Do rising US rents, fuelled in part by higher immigration, call for a reappraisal of the likely scale and pace of US interest rate cuts?
Watch time - 6 min
2 April 2024

Steven Bell

Chief Economist, EMEA

The first cut is the easiest

With real rates rising as inflation falls, we explain why central banks should consider cutting interest rates soon.
Watch time - 4 min

Infrastructure Investments Team

Heiko Schupp
Global Head Of Infrastructure Investments
Antonio Botija
Head Of Origination & Investments
Ash Kelso
Head Of Asset Management
Ingrid Edmund
Senior Portfolio Manager
Iain Richards
Head Of Responsible Investment

You may also like

About Us

Millions of people around the world rely on Columbia Threadneedle Investments to manage their money. We look after investments for individual investors, financial advisers and wealth managers, as well as insurance firms, pension funds and other institutions.

Our Funds

Columbia Threadneedle Investments has a comprehensive range of investment funds catering for a broad range of objectives.

Our Capabilities

We offer a broad range of actively managed investment strategies and solutions covering global, regional and domestic markets and asset classes.