The past few months have seen a radical shift in trade networks, completely redrawn by US tariffs; Europe has once again given priority to building defense, while the conflict between Israel and Iran has demonstrated how wars are going beyond the traditional territorial and geographical reasoning.
The proliferation of conflicts, whether armed or trade wars, is a sign of a changing scenario in which new balances are emerging and relationships of power are increasingly measured on the basis of different parameters, going beyond mere military capability. The developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran, two nations that do not share a border, has for example demonstrated that wars are now fought over information flows, data security and network stability.
Consider that a little more than a century ago, the fathers of classic geopolitics already attributed strategic value to physical infrastructure – roads and railways – capable of uniting territories, consolidating economic power and political influence at the expense of other powers. This intuition has now gained greater significance: the power of a nation is measured in terms of its physical, digital, energy and information connections, and no longer solely in terms of arms.
Connection infrastructure thus plays a strategic role for its ability to integrate and protect, in the broadest sense of the term. Controlling it means wielding a decisive influence. Whether it’s high-speed railways, airports, 5G networks, satellite systems, or oil pipelines, the ability to manage these systems represents a competitive edge in a nation’s strategic projection on the international scene.
Events unfortunately demonstrate how difficult it is to have a conflict-free world. However, the global balance is being shaken up once again, this time in favor of the nations that will be able to guarantee the security and efficiency of their physical, digital, energy and logistical connections. The more there are of these nations, the more international stability we will have, because, unlike war, infrastructure builds strategic links, tools for cooperation and economic development: all factors supporting competitiveness and well-being.
Andrea Mennillo
Founder and Managing Director, International Development Advisory
Chairman Fordham University London Centre Advisory Board