Transportation networks, energy grids, and digital communications connect economies and drive economic growth, trade, and development across borders. By collaborating on inclusive, low-carbon, and climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure, Australia and Southeast Asia are working towards more prosperous and stable societies.
Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I)
P4I is Australia’s flagship infrastructure development initiative in Southeast Asia. Funded through Australia’s development program, P4I works with eight Southeast Asian economies and ASEAN, supporting partners to manage and deliver new infrastructure worth over AUD 50 billion annually.
Southeast Asia is set to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2040. The development of quality infrastructure will be key to ensuring its growth is sustainable and inclusive. Closing the region’s estimated USD3 trillion infrastructure investment gap will require significant and sustained effort from Southeast Asian governments and their partners.
Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) is Australia’s flagship regional infrastructure development initiative in Southeast Asia. Funded through Australia’s development program, P4I is supporting partners to manage and deliver new infrastructure worth over AUD 50 billion annually. In its first phase, P4I has strengthened our two-way infrastructure development partnerships in the region.
This P4I brochure provides an overview of P4I’s achievements to date across its priority sectors.
How we work
Building on longstanding engagement across the region, P4I brings together Australian and Southeast Asian government counterparts, independent regulators, utilities and infrastructure operators to share technical and policy advice, and specific infrastructure investments advice. We collaborate with a wide range of other bilateral development partners and multilateral organisations.
P4I works with partners across transport, energy, telecommunications, and public investment management. Its approach is both top-down and bottom-up—supporting broader policy reforms while also addressing investment barriers faced by businesses and investors. By removing bottlenecks and improving infrastructure decision-making, P4I helps unlock new opportunities for investment, innovation, and sustainable growth across the region.
P4I supports government organisations and other institutions to develop partnerships that deliver real results for infrastructure development and investment in Southeast Asia. This tailored support enables partners to focus their resources and efforts on key priorities.
Drawing on Australia’s own experience, P4I is expanding its work with governments and port authorities on maritime decarbonisation strategies. This work includes greening port facilities, transitioning to low-carbon fuels, and the development of potential green shipping corridors within the region and with Australia.
Australia’s experience in delivering high quality land transport networks in a way that is both cost effective and utilises innovative financing has led to several high impact activities.
As noted in Invested, the transition to a clean energy economy is both the most significant challenge and an opportunity for Southeast Asia and Australia. Australia has the expertise and technology to assist the region with its transition needs, and there is scope to attract investment to support Australia’s clean energy manufacturing objectives. P4I is supporting partner governments to develop efficient energy markets, establish the required policy and regulatory architecture, and build the technical capacity necessary to integrate higher levels of renewable energy into the region’s energy systems while addressing energy access, reliability and security.
Australia’s open, competitive and technologically innovative telecommunications market, delivery of services in challenging environments, and leading approach to development and safeguarding undersea cable network assets is well regarded. This is underpinning interest from partners in Southeast Asia to work with P4I on telecommunications.
Australia is recognised for delivering high-quality infrastructure across a challenging geography utilising innovative financing models. Drawing on this experience, P4I has responded to high demand for support to strengthen infrastructure planning, prioritisation and procurement, and to improve access to more diverse and better-quality infrastructure finance.
Inclusive design and accessible infrastructure is at the heart of building resilient, equitable societies. For infrastructure to serve all members of a community, they must address the diverse needs of women, persons with disabilities, ethnic groups, and other vulnerable groups. P4I imbeds inclusive design principles across its activities.
The impacts of climate change are already evident across Southeast Asia. Increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and typhoons, disrupt infrastructure, affecting millions of people. For P4I, ensuring that climate resilience and inclusivity are embedded in infrastructure decision making, policy planning and reform is our core business.
Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) works with and provides services to Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). We deliver services tailored to each partner’s diverse needs.
If you are interested in partnering with us, please get in touch. Using P4I's flexible, innovative tools and diverse global expertise, we are confident we can design a response that is tailored to your needs.
