The new Economic Development Act has met with broad approval among institutional investors and asset managers and is already influencing concrete investment decisions. This is shown by a recent flash survey by INTREAL and Wüest Partner among 38 market participants.
68 percent of those surveyed rate the Economic Development Act positively and see it as a supportive framework and important source of inspiration for future investments. Around a third have already adapted their own investment strategy to the new law. A further 26 percent are considering entering new asset classes, and 24 percent want to expand their existing fund strategies.
“More than a fifth of the asset managers and investors surveyed are already planning to launch new funds, and a further 16 percent are in the decision-making phase,” says Andreas Ertle, Managing Director of INTREAL. “We set the strategic course at an early stage and consistently aligned our structures, processes and systems for further growth in the infrastructure sector. The law now creates the necessary regulatory clarity and provides additional tailwind for implementation.”
Focus on energy infrastructure: photovoltaics and battery storage at the forefront
The vote is particularly clear when looking at the preferred fields of investment. The respondents see the greatest potential in photovoltaics (56.8 percent) and energy infrastructure such as battery storage (54.1 percent). Private debt (16.2 percent) and wind energy (10.8 percent) follow at a considerable distance.
The results confirm the trend towards integrated and flexible energy infrastructure solutions. Hybrid parks in particular, i.e. the combination of photovoltaics and battery storage (“co-location”), are perceived as strategically attractive structures.
“The survey makes it clear that real estate investors increasingly see themselves as part of the energy infrastructure,” says Thomas Lehmann MRICS, Director at Wüest Partner. “The Economic Development Act directs capital into projects that combine returns and the energy transition.”
Regulatory clarity as key to capital mobilisation
When asked about the most important decision-making factors for investments, the risk-return profile (78 percent) and regulatory clarity (76 percent) dominate. This underlines the central importance of reliable framework conditions for the mobilisation of institutional capital.
