They will continue to do so in future. Major government and financing initiatives are also gaining information about and influencing these cities' wider economic priorities. Business people able to tailor their responses to identified demands of the future will be able to secure larger markets. A practical means to translate information into opportunity is a key priority. For example, Canadian companies need to be able to find out quickly which cities around the globe are going farthest toward favourable conditions for private investment in profitable infrastructure projects.
Examples are rapid transit, energy generation systems, and solid waste management systems.
Companies need to be able to position themselves for the future by getting on the ground today. There are reasons why Canadian firms have not previously banded together in multi-faceted consortia. Much of this information is already gathered, but it is in disparate pools rather than an accessible holding tank. Whether or not broadly-based teams are formed, businesses will still need to be able to bring financing to the table to win many future contracts. The ratio of IFI and other publicly-financed urban infrastructure to total financing required is expected to drop precipitously over the coming decades.