Fund managers are being squeezed from all sides in Europe, and their future depends on finding new ways of doing business and different types of products to offer investors who are re-examining the infrastructure investment opportunity.

Europe is the world’s largest infrastructure investment market. According to alternative assets research specialist Preqin, 126 unlisted infrastructure funds primarily focused on Europe have entered the fund-raising market since 2004, with 79 of these having held a final close, raising an aggregate $51.3 billion. A further 47 funds are currently seeking an additional $33.3 billion.

This contrasts with North America, the second largest infrastructure investment market, where there are now 32 funds targeting an aggregate of $30.6 billion.

Europe’s dominance of infrastructure investment is largely credited to a combination of relaxed government regulat