🏗️ Infra Futures #2

HolonIQ's infrastructure futures coverage for the week ahead.

Our Climate Tech coverage has grown significantly, and due to popular demand, we're splitting it into weekly Energy Futures, Enviro Futures, Infra Futures, and Mobility Futures newsletters over the coming weeks.

This newsletter is 'Infra Futures,' you can update your subscriptions to any of the other weekly newsletters here.

Happy Monday 👋

The Housing Secretary recently proposed centralizing planning decisions for digital infrastructure, water infrastructure, onshore wind, and housing, removing these from local authorities. This announcement, made alongside the Labour Party's pledge to build 1.5 million homes, includes a consultation on designating water, onshore wind, labs, gigafactories, and data centers as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, which would bypass local planning requirements. In the same week, Network Rail, the company managing Britain's rail infrastructure, announced that they are allocating $2.8B to make the railroads more resilient to disruptions from heavy rain and high temperatures caused by climate change. Flatiron and Dragados, two major construction companies, merged to form a new US-based infrastructure giant amidst the government ramping up infrastructure spending to boost the economy.   

🏗️ Built Environment

🏗️ UK Government Unveils Planning Reform Proposals. The UK housing secretary, Angela Rayner, announced plans for the government to take over planning decisions for certain infrastructure projects, including digital infrastructure, laboratories, water infrastructure, and onshore wind projects.

🚆 UK’s Network Rail to Spend £2.8 Billion to Tackle Climate Impacts.  Network Rail Ltd., the company managing Britain's rail infrastructure, plans to significantly increase investment to make the railroads more resilient to disruptions from heavy rain and high temperatures caused by climate change.

🧱 Mobile Factory Turns Rubble into Lego-Style Building Bricks. A mobile manufacturing machine has been developed that can turn rubble from destroyed buildings into interlocking bricks for constructing new structures without mortar. The first unit is being sent to Ukraine. 

💰 Infra Deals

🏗️ Construction Industry Merger Creates Infrastructure Powerhouse. Flatiron and Dragados, two major construction companies, merged to form a new US-based infrastructure giant.

🏠 Building Materials Acquisition. Heidelberg Materials North America, a construction materials company, is acquiring Carver Sand & Gravel. 

🚢Rand Logistics Acquires Andrie Logistics Company. Rand Logistics, a dry bulk shipping company operating in the Great Lakes region, acquired Andrie, a logistics company.

💰unspun Raises $32M in Series B Funding Round. unspun, an Oakland, CA-based 3D weaving technology company, raised a $32M Series B funding round.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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