KPMG will co-sponsor the sixth Caribbean Infrastructure Forum as it returns, live and

in-person, at the Ritz-Carlton in Coconut Grove, Miami in September.

“Investment in state-of-the-art, sustainable infrastructure will play a critical role in stimulating economic growth, accelerating decarbonisation and building resilience across the Caribbean,” KPMG managing director and senior lead Steve Woodward said.

But he said a number of questions arose from this.

“In the face of extreme-weather events and extraordinary economic and public-health challenges, how have the infrastructure priorities of island governments, and the demands of local and visiting populations, changed? While the disruptions have been significant, what trends are accelerating and what does the project pipeline look like? Green and resilient is touted as the ultimate goal but how, and with what funding, can projects be delivered? And who is tendering, bidding, investing, financing and building the next generation of infrastructure across the region?”

He said, more than ever, the region’s infrastructure market needs a meeting place, a venue to pollinate ideas, originate projects and source financing.

“Now in its sixth year, and firmly established as the go-to regional infrastructure event, the market needs CARIF,” Mr Woodward said.

Lori Rockhead, director, sector lead of infrastructure, government and healthcare at KPMG in Bermuda, was happy the event would be in-person this year.

“The expansion of global interest in sustainability is critical to helping the region achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals,” Ms Rockhead said. “CARIF’s dual themes of economic growth and sustainability will be explored.”

The agenda will include: tourism’s bounce-back, capitalising on the digital nomad trend and redevelopment of airport infrastructure; island food security through vertical and intensive production; creating greater economic growth and economic diversity; resilience infrastructure, and more.

“KPMG has been committed to helping island governments build their internal capacity for many years,” Ms Rockhead said. “So we are excited to be hosting a workshop on developing successful infrastructure projects which will cover how to create effective business cases in order to attract financing. We often hear that it’s difficult to secure financing, but our experience has shown that financing is available for projects supported by sound business cases.”

CARIF will be held on September 19 and 20 and will include more than 250 leaders from 30 countries.

For more information see newenergyevents.com/carif/.