ASEAN Holds Infrastructure Project Training

The ASEAN Committee on Sustainable Infrastructure (ACSI) held the inaugural ASEAN Infrastructure Project Development Training Series on 27 to 28 August 2026 in Metro Manila. The two-day event gathered regional officials to improve the preparation of bankable infrastructure projects.

This flagship initiative falls under the Philippines' 2026 ACSI Chairship. It seeks to address the persistent gap between national connectivity ambitions and the availability of projects that financiers are ready to support.

Focus on Project Bankability

In his opening address, Joseph J. Capuno, ACSI Chair and Undersecretary of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development of the Philippines, outlined the core challenge. He stated that ASEAN's infrastructure ambitions are significant, but the issue is not just about mobilising more resources. "We need to ensure that the projects we put forward are well conceived, properly prepared, sustainable, and capable of attracting the financing and partnerships needed," Capuno said.

He concluded that the training series aimed to make a practical contribution by moving from project concepts to investment-ready propositions.

Training Structure and Participants

The training, themed 'Building Bankable Sustainable Infrastructure Projects in ASEAN,' brought together ACSI representatives and officials from several key regional bodies. Participants came from the Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM), the Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME), the ASEAN Digital Senior Officials Meeting (ADGSOM), and the Working Committee on Capital Market Development - Infrastructure Finance Working Group (WCCMD-IFWG). It was held back-to-back with the 2/2026 ACSI Meeting.

Jerome Pons, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to ASEAN, reaffirmed the European Union's support for the initiative. "This cooperation reflects a shared commitment to strengthening regional connectivity through the development of cleaner and more integrated energy systems, upgrading transport links, and accelerating digital transformation in the region," Pons said.

Framework and Expert Discussions

Throughout the programme, participants applied a specific five-pillar bankability framework to examine projects. The sessions combined plenary discussions with country and sector-based group work, allowing officials to assess their own national projects against alignment and bankability criteria.

A dedicated panel on funding and financing solutions featured experts from multilateral development banks, including the European Investment Bank and the Asian Development Bank. They discussed available instruments for ASEAN Member States, such as blended finance and de-risking mechanisms.

Foundation for Future Capacity Building

The first edition of the training series was supported by the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Package - Investment Facility (SCOPE-IF) Project. According to the source, it contributed to implementing the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan (ACSP) and the ASEAN Sustainable Infrastructure Action Plan (SIAP) 2026-2030. This work is crucial for developing a robust regional standings in sustainable development.

This initial session laid the groundwork for subsequent editions of the training series. The ongoing programme is designed to build the capacity needed to advance and expand the ASEAN Infrastructure Pipeline, ensuring future projects have strong stats in terms of bankability and sustainability.