The Bank hosted its inaugural Road and Bridge Knowledge Sharing Week, an initiative that brought together 16 participants from seven Members (India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia and Lao PDR) for a weeklong deep dive into sustainable transport infrastructure. The aim was to address critical challenges in road and bridge development, including policy design, climate adaptation, innovative funding mechanisms and technology-driven solutions.
Connectivity is a strategic priority for AIIB, and investment in transport infrastructure constitutes 22% of AIIB’s investment portfolio, with a total financing approval of USD12.8 billion. These investments are projected to continue expanding to align with AIIB’s mission of Financing Infrastructure for Tomorrow (i4t).
“As a young multilateral development bank, AIIB is continually expanding its role beyond financing projects to support our clients collectively through knowledge sharing and capacity building,” AIIB President Jin Liqun said to kick off the week. He added that the Bank hopes to bring together expertise across AIIB’s members to foster impactful project preparation and implementation and share best practices and new technologies.
Throughout the Road and Bridge Knowledge Sharing Week, participants benefited from insights of speakers from AIIB and leading organizations, including the International Road Federation, Asian Development Bank, Bentley Systems and Ministry of Transport of China. Each brought valuable perspectives, covering topics from sustainable finance and digitization to innovative project design and climate resilience in infrastructure.
Discussions also explored road safety policies, lessons learned from project preparation and advancements in financing models such as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which have proven pivotal in mobilizing resources for complex infrastructure projects.
Site visits during the week took participants to five cities to observe and experience a carbon-zero highway and a new energy bus factory, some impressive sea-crossing bridges and submarine highway tunnels, an autonomous driving pilot zone, and an automated port. They all reflected AIIB’s thematic priorities of green infrastructure, connectivity and regional cooperation and technology-enabled infrastructure. The visits showcased how innovation and sustainability can be embedded into every phase of project execution, providing participants with inspiration to adopt similar approaches in their home countries.
Participants in AIIB’s 2024 Road and Bridge Knowledge Sharing Week visit the Qingdao Port.
These cross-functional interactions underscore AIIB’s capacity to bridge technical knowledge with practical implementation strategies, ensuring that clients receive tailored support to meet their infrastructure goals.
The Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge– one of several impressive projects visited by participants in AIIB’s 2024 Road and Bridge Knowledge Sharing Week.
AIIB’s 2024 Road and Bridge Knowledge Sharing Week marks the beginning of an annual tradition, setting a new standard for knowledge-sharing among AIIB’s clients and partners. With the successful completion of its first Knowledge Sharing Week, AIIB reaffirms its leadership in addressing global infrastructure gaps by fostering collaboration among stakeholders from diverse regions. This focus on uniting expertise has enabled AIIB to contribute not only to technical capacity building but also to the broader vision of sustainable development across Asia and beyond.
