Trends December 2025

Parul Dubey on November 24, 2025 - in News, Trends

In this section, Informed Infrastructure compiles infographics from trusted sources that reveal insight on infrastructure spending. We also compile some of the top infrastructure stories that shouldn’t be missed. For ongoing news coverage, turn to Informed Infrastructure online (www.informedinfrastructure.com), our Twitter feed (@IInfrastructure) and our weekly e-newsletter.

New Report from US Water Alliance and Stantec Spotlights Water’s Economic Power

The US Water Alliance, Stantec and One Water Econ released “Tapping Potential: The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure.” The report (thevalueofwater.org/econimpact) highlights how water infrastructure investment fuels industry, job growth and stronger communities.

Much of the water infrastructure in the United States is operating well beyond its intended lifespan. During the last four decades, federal investments in water have fallen from half of all funding to just 7 percent. The report finds that closing the investment gap through a 20-year period and factoring in operations and maintenance needs would increase gross domestic product by $3.9 trillion, generate $7.3 trillion in economic output and support more than 1.4 million jobs per year.

“Tapping Potential” was informed by data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation and the Congressional Budget Office.

New Report Reveals Cities’ Top Infrastructure Priorities

The National League of Cities released its “2025 Municipal Infrastructure Conditions Report,” showing how cities, towns and villages across the country are funding, prioritizing and managing critical infrastructure projects.

Drawing on survey data, the report highlights the infrastructure investments municipalities say are most vital to supporting public health, safety and economic growth.

Key findings from the report include the following:

• Water systems, roads and bridges rank as the top three infrastructure priorities for more than 70 percent of municipalities.

• Cities are facing rising project costs, labor shortages and regulatory hurdles, but are finding innovative ways to keep projects moving forward.

• Municipalities are leveraging a mix of grants, municipal bonds and federal programs such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to modernize aging systems.

• Nearly 88 percent of cities say infrastructure investments are essential for economic development, job creation and equitable community growth.

The report also underscores how infrastructure investments are linked to broader community goals—from affordable housing development to climate resilience and economic inclusion.

Access the full report at iimag.link/rGtan.

Energy Resilience and Independence Overtake Climate Confidence

A new study from Siemens reveals geopolitics is reshaping infrastructure strategy, with national energy security overtaking global climate cooperation as the primary driver of the energy transition. The “Siemens Infrastructure Transition Monitor 2025” (iimag.link/MWgBs) reveals senior leaders believe a resilient energy supply should be the top governmental priority among infrastructure transition goals—up from third place in 2023. Meanwhile, national energy independence and the proactive management of climate risks have seen the most significant growth in priority.

Rising global instability is intensifying market and supply chain volatility. To mitigate the use of energy as a geopolitical tool, governments are prioritizing security, independence and preparedness alongside climate mitigation.

The report, based on a global survey of 1,400 senior executives and government representatives in 19 countries, highlights a shift from a multilateral vision of clean energy to one increasingly centered on sovereign resilience and regional production.

Report Shows Early AI Adopters in AEC Seeing Significant ROI Despite Uneven Adoption

Bluebeam released its “2026 Building the Future: Bluebeam AEC Technology Outlook” report based on a global survey of more than 1,000 AEC professionals. According to the report:

• AI adoption remains limited: Only 27 percent of AEC firms use AI for automation, problem-solving or decision-making, citing risk, cost and integration challenges.

• Early adopters see strong ROI: 68 percent have saved at least $50,000, and nearly half have saved 500 to 1,000 hours using AI tools.

• AI growth accelerating: 94 percent of AEC companies currently using AI plan to further increase investment and use of AI in the next year, moving from pilots to workflow integration.

Despite proven ROI, firms remain cautious due to ongoing challenges that underscore the need for stronger data governance and compliance frameworks. Data-sharing security alongside cost and complexity were the top integration challenges reported by respondents, while 69 percent also say concerns about potential AI regulations have impacted their AI efforts.

The report also highlights how technology is becoming a critical part of the workforce strategy in AEC. More than half (56 percent) of respondents say AI helps offset skilled labor shortages. Nearly half (44 percent) cite advanced digital tools as key to attracting and retaining top talent, alongside culture and compensation.

However, the report reveals that skills gaps remain a significant barrier, with nearly a fifth of companies citing a lack of digital skills and nearly a fourth mentioning difficulty in keeping up with rapidly changing technology as their top challenges. Even with these concerns, two thirds of companies surveyed invest less than 10 percent of technology budgets on training.

TOP Stories

The following are the top stories from the last few months (in terms of traffic) on the Informed Infrastructure website. This also reflects key coverage areas that are regularly refreshed online and via our weekly e-newsletter. Simply search key words on Informed Infrastructure online to find the full story.

Buildings

Buildings

Transportation

Water

Tools and Technology

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