Changing global conditions, including the energy transition, advancing digitalisation, urbanisation, and an increased need for security, are significantly shaping the requirements for locations and properties. At the same time, the global investment requirement in the infrastructure sector is rising significantly. According to estimates by the World Bank's Global Infrastructure Hub, this demand is expected to reach 94 trillion US dollars by 2040. As the public sector can no longer cover this financing alone, the segment of investable infrastructure is increasingly moving into the focus of investors, project developers, operators, and financiers.
EXPO REAL, as the leading European trade fair for real estate, investment, and infrastructure, addresses this development with the introduction of the new thematic area "InfrastructureNow". From 5 to 7 October 2026, a dedicated platform for investable infrastructure will be created for the first time in Munich. This includes a specialised forum, an extensive conference programme, and an accompanying special exhibition. Claudia Boymanns, Exhibition Director of EXPO REAL, emphasises that real estate and infrastructure are increasingly converging, both economically and in investment practice. This interface will be made visible with "InfrastructureNow".
Focused Growth Segments of Infrastructure
The focus of the new thematic area lies on four specific growth segments. Energy infrastructure, which includes wind and solar farms, power grids, and storage solutions, is considered a central future topic for the industry. Digital infrastructure, consisting of data centres, fibre optic networks, and data and AI applications, forms the foundation of a networked economy. Here, demand increases proportionally to the growth of digital applications. Social infrastructure, including schools, kindergartens, and healthcare facilities, is gaining importance as a long-term investment object. A comparatively new segment is Defence, which expands infrastructure to include a security policy component.
Ms Boymanns explained that Defence does not refer to armaments, but rather to the underlying properties and assets. This includes logistics and training facilities, cyber defence and data centres, as well as infrastructure that can be used both militarily and civilly. The investment requirement in this area is considerable, and many investors who previously avoided this segment are now re-evaluating it. The EXPO REAL 2026 conference programme will comprehensively cover these aspects.
Lectures, panels, and discussion rounds will shed light on investment strategies, financing models, potential partnerships, current market trends, and regulatory frameworks. In addition, practical examples from all four segments will be presented. The special exhibition serves to showcase concrete investment strategies and suitable projects, focusing not only on construction but also on operation and financing. This underlines the necessity of an integrated consideration of real estate and infrastructure to meet current and future demands.
