EDHEC spearheads infrastructure research in Singapore

THE EDHEC Business School has launched a new research unit in Singapore to develop the world's largest database on infrastructure investments.

Partly funded with a grant by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the research by EDHEC Infrastructure Institute-Singapore (EDHECinfra) aims to create debt and equity investment benchmarks to help asset owners and investors better understand the role of infrastructure investments in their portfolios.

EDHECinfra director Frederic Blanc-Brude said the research will cost an estimated S$14 million over five years.

Based on EDHECinfra literature, the research will address today's "profound knowledge gap" by collecting and standardising private investment and cash flow data, and using asset pricing and risk models to create benchmarks that are needed for asset allocation, prudential regulation and the design of infrastructure investment solutions.

The first set of benchmarks is expected to be issued by the end of this year. To date the group has 500 projects on its database mostly based in the UK and Europe. "At 500 projects going back 25 years it is already the largest database in the world, but it is not enough," said Mr Blanc-Brude.