Cologne, Germany, February 27, 2026. From deteriorating roads, bridges and railroad tracks to new power lines, renewable power stations and hydrogen energy networks – public infrastructure is the backbone of the economy and of society. It urgently needs comprehensive investment. The multi-billion budget has already been decided on – the real challenge now is how to translate policy decisions into actual projects in real estate, infrastructure and energy?
At the INHOUSE.NRW! event Sondervermögen trifft Zukunft (‘special fund meets future’) last Thursday, experts from science and practice discussed precisely this issue. At the invitation of Stefanie Lütteke, (Partner at Drees & Sommer in Cologne) and Frank Kamping (Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer), Professor Dr. Jens Südekum (Economist and Advisor to the German Government) identified the main considerations for moving from policy to practice. Marcel Angenend (Executive Vice President and Head of Building Germany at HOCHTIEF Infrastructure) and Christian Fürwentsches (Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer) then added their assessments.
Professor Südekum: Special Fund Assets Are an Opportunity – But Only When Projects Actually Start
Professor Dr. Jens Südekum (Professor of International Economics at the Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE) at Heinrich Heine University in Duesseldorf) explained: “The special fund assets constitute the financial foundation of the large-scale investment offensive launched by the German government. However, the planned multi-billion investment must flow into real projects in order to have a tangible impact.“
In his keynote speech on ‘global pressure, local opportunities and the impacts on infrastructure and economy’, Professor Südekum discussed the economic and geopolitical environment, as well as the practical implications for the Land of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW). As the federal state with the highest population density, it has a particularly high concentration of infrastructure needing rehabilitation – making it one of the biggest beneficiaries of the special fund.
Marcel Angenend of HOCHTIEF Infrastructure backs this view, saying that the funding presents “an outstanding opportunity to boost the modernization and expansion of infrastructure in Germany.“ However, he commented that it is not enough just to provide money. “We need a clearly defined investment strategy. The state has to prioritize the most important projects so that funding goes where it is most needed,” he continued.
Modernization of Contract Award Legislation, Acceleration of Planning Processes
Economist Jens Südekum also believes private enterprises have a duty to perform: “Just as the defense sector, the construction industry must increase capacity and make preparations to take on many public assignments in the coming years,“ He added that the liquefied natural gas terminals built in 2022 demonstrate what is possible. A special law was passed that year to speed up the approval process for their construction. The legislator also determined that the project was in the ‘overriding public interest’. This meant that approval was granted quickly and construction could be carried out within just a few months. This logic can be applied to other infrastructure projects, he believes.
Drees & Sommer Associate Partner Christian Fürwentsches emphasized that the modernization of procurement law is speeding up projects. A real leap in the methodology used for project planning and realization is also necessary – to move away from analog individual solutions and toward continuous digital chains of planning procedures and processes. The targets are digital process planning chains and serial construction methods. The public sector has much to learn from industrial process planning in this respect and can apply these principles to building construction. Professor Angenend pointed out the need for reform of the right to appeal. At present, associations and organizations can often cause delays by making appeals throughout the entire duration of a project, even if they are not directly affected. In his view, a better balance is required between individual interests and the needs of the population as a whole.
New Benchmarks for Infrastructure Projects
On infrastructure projects, Drees & Sommer’s aim is to set new standards in collaboration with the client. The general overhaul of the Riedbahn railroad line is a good example. Completed within just five months, the large-scale project will serve as a blue print for further renovation projects of the German railways company, Deutsche Bahn. In Stuttgart, the planning and consulting firm analyzed the condition of 125 road bridges and forecast the costs of maintenance. The recommended strategy was to group structures with a similar construction type, similar damage or load profile in clusters and to combine the refurbishment work on the bridges in each cluster – this saves time, costs and resources.
The city of Nuremberg adopts a strategic approach, assisted by the experts of Drees & Sommer. The city administration has gathered all available data for around 300 bridges. About 200 of them are already in the second half of their total lifecycle. In the overall German freeway system, there are currently more than 8,000 bridges which are deemed in need of refurbishment. Christian Fürwentsches pointed out: “The numbers are one thing, but the symbolic impact of a collapsed structure, or the closure of a major transport route for several years that represents a crucial concern for residents and businesses, are something else completely.”
In the recent past, Drees & Sommer has supported many bridge-related projects, such as the rebuilding of the Filstal Bridge, Germany's third highest railway bridge, and the construction of the new bridge over the eastern dock in Frankfurt am Main.
Partnership Working and New Models of Project Execution
The first impacts of the special fund are already visible. Specialists for roads, railroad tracks and supply infrastructure – from civil engineering through railroad infrastructure to utility companies – are set to benefit from the planned investment of 21.3 billion euros in transport networks in 2026. Plans include the rehabilitation of deteriorating bridges, the renewal of sections of federal freeways, and the upgrading of Deutsche Bahn’s railroad network. However, the actual construction work is lagging behind, with many projects still at the tendering stage.
Stefanie Lütteke, who heads the activities of Drees & Sommer in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, sums up the discussion: “For the full impact of the special fund to be realized, many cogs have to be engaged at the same time.“ What is needed is a fundamental change in thinking – away from short-term political maneuvering and toward sustainable planning and systematic implementation. This requires new models of project execution in which the public sector and private-sector companies work together in partnership. There are already good examples of this approach in other European countries.