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Futurist Virtual Fireside Chat: The Future of Infrastructure, KPMG
Around the world trillions of dollars are being spent on building infrastructure, but disruption across multiple sectors is forcing a re-think.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2020) 'Futurist Virtual Fireside Chat: The Future of Infrastructure, KPMG', 311 Institute, 14 December. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/futurist-fireside-chat-the-future-of-infrastructure-kpmg/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Firstly, thank you to Kirsty at P3 for inviting me to take part in their annual event where James Stewart, Vice Chair of KPMG, and I participated in a fireside chat to discuss the Future of Infrastructure, which included everything from educational and healthcare to energy and transportation infrastructure, and the impact that new emerging and disruptive trends across all these various sectors will have on the future of infrastructure projects and investments.
During the fireside chat, which was then followed up by a private panel session made up of various luminaries from the UK Government and UK Infrastructure Bank, James and I discussed the impact that new technologies will have on government planning and policy, and discussed governments risk appetites for building for the future while trying to manage the bureaucratic and political realities of today.
Watch the virtual fireside chat in full
It’s no stretch to say that we live in disruptive times, a time where hydrogen and renewables are becoming the main fuel source, where education and healthcare is available on demand at the touch of a digital button on a smart device, and where flying taxis, hypersonic trains, and autonomous vehicles, which are as small as bikes and as large as commercial airliners and 250,000 tonne cargo ships, are all emerging.
All of which is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and as every sector starts to experience disruption, at a scale and speed unlike anything they’re ever witnessed before, the impact of all these new trends and technologies on the infrastructure sector is nothing short of monumental, and that’s what James and I, as well as the panel afterwards, dove into with vigour.
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Why does this matter?
Around the world trillions of dollars are being spent on building infrastructure, but disruption across multiple sectors is forcing a re-think.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 14 December 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). Futurist Virtual Fireside Chat: The Future of Infrastructure, KPMG. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/futurist-fireside-chat-the-future-of-infrastructure-kpmg/
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