Inc. Privatization of infrastructure systems has become a significant change agent in the global economic paradigm, seeking to bring greater efficiency to the operation of certain public facilities. Highways are among the most recent infrastructure systems to be privatized. This activity is likely to change the way we design, construct, operate, and maintain our roadways. ERES is playing an important role in this phenomenon by providing to privatization consortia the pavement engineering expertise that forms the basis for making optimized decisions for the design, construction, repair, and maintenance of pavements. In the broadest sense, privatization means relying less on government to meet citizens' needs for goods and services and more on private institutions, such as the marketplace, family, and volunteer organizations.
Privatization is easily one of the largest global transfers of property in modern history.
From manufacturing plants to farms to highways, privatization has become a new global economic crusade. Privatizations require tremendous amounts of capital, forcing investors to sell stock and line up massive loan packages. It seems that there are more investors with more money and more interest in the global markets than ever before. There have been plenty of failures to go with the success stories, but estimates suggest that successful privatization can reduce operating costs by around 10 to 20 percent. This can create the profit margin that will attract investor groups that believe privatization is good business.