苏格兰的长期基础设施

January 2026 Contents Infrastructure systems share a central characteristic– they comprise assets that are expensive, take along time to plan and deliver, and last for decades.Each decision that is made in every infrastructuresystem can therefore have a generational impact. Itis vital that those who influence and make the largernational decisions around investment priorities, aswell as those who are charged with the stewardshipof individual assets, do so with the long-term inmind. That is not easy, as uncertainty increases thefurther you look into the future, and generationalthinking is not well suited to short-term political andprofit and loss cycles. Scotland’s Infrastructure– drawing togethera baseline understanding of Scotland’s maininfrastructure sectors in one place – to be built onand act as a reference source to improve crosssectoral understanding. With sector stakeholders,we have begun to consider the impact of theidentified drivers on each sector, to draw out keychallenges and opportunities, and paint a high-levelpicture of that sector over the coming 30 years. Cross Cutting Themes– outlining the six themesof nature positive, prioritising place, data andtechnology, asset and climate resilience, demanddynamics and energy transition, which will supportimproved system thinking across infrastructuresectors. We see them considered to varyingdegrees within infrastructure sectors and believethey can be addressed more powerfully together.They provide a common language and an agendafor focus and collaboration. This 30-Year infrastructure Needs Assessment – thefirst of its kind for Scotland – is intended to counterthose short-term pressures. It offers a set of toolsfor strategic infrastructure planning and investmentdecision making over the decades ahead andcomprises of the following four sections: Foreword Infrastructure is the backbone of oureconomy, society, and environment.Economic infrastructure connectspeople and businesses; socialinfrastructure underpins essentialpublic services; housing forms thevery fabric of communities; andnatural infrastructure protects ourecosystems and supports wellbeing. Enabling Success– highlighting a series of insightsfrom the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), as a centre ofinfrastructure expertise, pointing to areas of focusand development around the infrastructure lifecyclefrom strategy and investment, through deliveryto the increasingly important and sometimesoverlooked management and maintenance of whatwe already have. All this can be underpinned throughstrong governance and partnerships as well asincreased engagement with the public, to bring themon the journey of long term change. Drivers of Change–highlighting the five majortrends of economic priorities, climate change, globalsecurity, public service reform and demographics,that will drive infrastructure development over thenext 30 years. Planning and decision making at alllevels and across all infrastructure sectors can beimproved by taking these trends into account andrecognising that they can each be influenced by theindividual decisions we take – using infrastructureinvestment to maximise outcomes for people,places and planet. Scotland’s infrastructure is a complexset of interconnected systems whichneed to work seamlessly together toimprove quality of life and underpinour national ambitions. This Needs Assessment builds on the work of theInfrastructure Commission for Scotland. We intendit to be a staging point for further development anddiscussion, providing strategic insights to informpolicy, improve practice, and guide investment.With support and further engagement fromstakeholders we can go further. The drivers andcross-cutting themes could be developed into atransparent investment prioritisation framework,enhancing current approaches and building on thework of the Institution of Civil Engineers'EnablingBetter Infrastructureglobal best practice guidance.We believe that such an approach could gainwidespread political, business and societal buy-into a sustained and stable investment programmeintegrated across infrastructure sectors anddirected to improving the long-term outcomes forScotland. Across all of our work, we will continue tofocus on improving the infrastructure for Scotland,updating this Needs Assessment to informScotland’s Infrastructure Strategy. I would like to express my gratitude to the talentedteam at the Scottish Futures Trust and the manystakeholders who contributed to shaping thisNeeds Assessment. Your contributions have beencritical in shaping what remains SFT’s independentwork. We will be seeking to engage further andwelcome feedback on how this Assessmentcan provide a starting point to guide collectiveefforts in delivering sustainable infrastructurethat supports a thriving Scotland – now and forgenerations to come. Peter Reekie Chief Executive, Scottish Futures Trust 01ExecutiveSummary Long-term infrastructure for Scotland Executive summary The goal of this Needs Assessment i