New England Council and Deloitte Release New “Smart Infrastructure” Report

Study redefines infrastructure, identifies opportunities for investment

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NOTE TO MEDIA:

“Today’s infrastructure should be ‘smart’ and connect the region through transportation, energy, communications, education, and economic assets.”

• Embargoed copies of the report are available by contacting Emily Heisig at [e-mail] or [phone].
• A media roundtable will be held immediately following this event at 10:15 a.m. to provide reporters with the opportunity to discuss the report with its authors and NEC President & CEO James T. Brett.
• Please email [e-mail] if you would like to attend this event and/or the media roundtable so that your name can be placed on a security list to expedite entry to the building.

The New England Council (NEC) and Deloitte will release a new report “Smart Infrastructure in New England: An Investment for Prosperity and Growth,” on October 23 at an event in downtown Boston. The report assesses the region's infrastructure strengths and weaknesses, and identifies opportunities for investment in “smart infrastructure” that can support economic growth and global competitiveness.

“We hope that this report serves as a starting point for a broader discussion among public and private sector stakeholders about how we invest in smart infrastructure that can promote economic growth here in New England,” said James T. Brett, President & CEO of The New England Council. “The report presents a variety of innovative ideas and demonstrated strategies for addressing our region’s infrastructure challenges and positioning New England to compete in the global economy.”

“Infrastructure can be a lot more than canals, railroads, highways and aviation,” said Michael Reopel, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “Today’s infrastructure should be ‘smart’ and connect the region through transportation, energy, communications, education, and economic assets.”

“Smart Infrastructure in New England” suggests that in order to build a 21^st century infrastructure that can enable economic growth and prosperity, public and private stakeholders must work together to take several identified steps:

1. Exploit the region’s structural advantages to achieve a responsive supply chain, operating at lower cost with less congestion, by taking advantage of lower cost “home-shoring” sub-regions in support of dominant industries.

2. Connect its regional networks and industry clusters to leverage their inherent economies with the appropriate infrastructure technology and management.

3. Develop workforce skills in a “learnings with earnings” collaboration, following a new apprenticeship model that can bring together the interests of business, education, and government.

4. Finance strategic opportunities creatively, using a range of innovative options to match affordability with productivity and speed to market.

The report will be released at a special event in Boston on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. The event will be hosted by Bank of America at their offices located at 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA. Following a presentation on the report by Mr. Reopel, a panel of industry representatives will discuss the report and offer their thoughts on its recommendations. The panelists include:

• Joseph Bourgeois, Human Resources Manager, GE Aviation
• Paul Cianelli, President, New England Cable & Telecommunications Association
• Betty Derosiers, Director of Aviation Planning & Strategy, MassPort
• Dr. Lane Glenn, President, Northern Essex Community College
• Marcy Reed, MA President, National Grid

Over 100 local business and government are expected to attend the report release event. The report will be posted on the NEC website on October 23: www.newenglandcouncil.com.

The New England Council, the country’s oldest regional business organization, is an alliance of businesses, academic and health institutions, and public and private organizations throughout New England formed to promote economic growth and a high quality of life in the region. The Council is dedicated to identifying and supporting federal public policies and articulating the voice of its membership regionally and nationally on important issues facing New England. The NEC is also committed to working with public and private sector leaders across the region and in Washington through educational programs and forums for information exchange. For more information, please visit: www.newenglandcouncil.com.

As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.