1 2 Laurent Huck and Sergio Trezzi During the last 5 years the asset management industry has been constantly invested by events which have required top management of major com- nies to rethink their business model, while preserving their company's mission. From the Internet bubble easy growth model to a strong cost control - vironment in 2000-2003, many financial institutions have undertaken structural changes in order to reap the opportunities offered by the "new" market. Hints of globalization have actually been around for several decades, even though they made only a modest impact; however, the availability of global capital and advances in communication technology have emp- sized the process of internationalization and the tools available to connect and integrate business activities to answer to more complex needs of c- ents. Moreover, the financial scandals and the review of mutual fund trade activity in the US by the Attorney General Elliot Spitzer have highlighted the importance to focus all efforts on renewing the confidence of prof- sional investors and their clients who have entrusted their capital to asset managers. Therefore, there is a growing need in the market to reinforce the concept of "Shared Positive Values" among the entire industry and among its stakeholders.
A number of dramatic changes are currently reshaping infrastructure, a sector that investors and asset managers have traditionally considered to be a safe harbor in the field of alternative investments. Understanding the future of infrastructure is indispensable to guaranteeing a sustainable future for our planet and the welfare of the world's population, and enhancing our knowledge of this asset class is one important step we can take toward reaching this crucial goal.
This book collects a series of contributions by a group of Bocconi University researchers under the Antin IP Associate Professorship in Infrastructure Finance, which cover the key megatrends that are expected to reshape the way we think about infrastructure, and the implications for infrastructure investors and asset managers. Its goal is to improve and disseminate the culture of infrastructure among academics, professionals and policymakers. The main focus is on Europe and the European Union, andspecifically on three key sectors: power and energy, transportation infrastructure, and telecoms / ICT.
Under the pressure of climate and social changes, agriculture is called to play a fundamental role in the world food challenge of the next few decades. A severe reduction of arable land and water scarcity combined with a growing food demand, changes in the dietary preferences in many countries and, more recently, a growing threat to food security and logistics from supply chains interruptions and global trade fragmentation, all require the implementation of processes, techniques, and innovations able to increase productivity and make a better use of scarce resources.Against this backdrop, a growing number of investors and asset managers have started looking at agriculture as an interesting investment theme to exploit the long-term strategic opportunities emerging from technological innovation and social changes. The industry is undergoing a process of transformation driven, on the one hand, by the emergence of new data and technologies that promise enhancing process efficiency and improve yields and, on the other hand, by an increased attention on the GHG emissions of agricultural processes and the impact of farmland on climate change, water and land scarcity. All these factors call for a radical rethinking of many agriculture business models.
This book provides a detailed overview and analysis of those new technologies with the greatest potential to disrupt agriculture products and processes by improving productivity and the management of food loss and waste, making a more efficient and sustainable use of resources and enhancing food security. Then, it discusses the implications for investors and asset managers, starting with an assessment of the status quo of agriculture investing and providing a thorough description of the agriculture asset class with an emphasis on its distinctive characteristics and the innovations in the technological processes used in agriculture and farming with the greatest potential to obtain long-term sustainable returns.
