AGP SUSTAINABLE Real Assets (AGP), a Singapore-based global infrastructure and real assets developer and operator, yesterday announced a strategic, preferred investment from Stonepeak, a major global alternative investment firm specialising in infrastructure and real assets. 

AGP partner Ben Salmon said as a strategic capital partner, Stonepeak would  bring valuable expertise to the AGP management team and help to accelerate the growth of AGP’s portfolio across business verticals including energy transition and sustainable community infrastructure across housing, logistics, and data.

The partnership would also give Stonepeak the opportunity to invest across new markets and sectors with a trusted local partner. Together, he said, Stonepeak and AGP would work to further AGP’s mission to build real assets that enable a sustainable and net zero emissions future. 

“This strategic investment represents a pivotal milestone in AGP’s journey,” Mr Salmon said. “We are thrilled to be working with such a high-calibre partner in Stonepeak and foresee this investment as a powerful catalyst for our forward trajectory.

“AGP is committed to reshaping the landscape of infrastructure development. Our aim is to seamlessly integrate energy and community infrastructure, developing innovative sustainable solutions that meet society’s evolving needs.”

Stonepeak senior managing director, Hajir Naghdy said, “We look forward to partnering closely with AGP’s management team, who have over 20 years of experience in the development, construction, and operation of sustainable infrastructure.

“AGP’s global energy transition portfolio, logistics and community housing platform in India, and data centre joint venture with Stonepeak’s existing portfolio company, Digital Edge, are directly aligned with Stonepeak’s key verticals. The opportunity to invest in sustainable asset creation and the exposure across multiple geographies make this partnership a strong fit for Stonepeak’s Asia infrastructure strategy.”

AGP partner and CIO of AMPYR Energy Global, AGP’s global renewable energy platform, Elmahdi Tahri said, “In Stonepeak we have found a unique like-minded partner able to support our energy transition mission across our entire footprint. We are excited to take AMPYR’s decarbonisation contribution to new heights alongside Stonepeak.”

Headquartered in Singapore, AGP invests in, develops and operates sustainable real assets across three key investment themes: renewable energy, infrastructure and communities, and natural capital.  AGP’s mandate is to promote real assets that generate positive impact for people and the environment, by focusing on ‘sustainable real assets’— transformative infrastructure assets that make positive contributions to satisfying the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). AGP is presently developing, constructing or operating globally an aggregate portfolio of more than 12GW of renewable energy assets, 5msqft of modern logistics warehousing, 310MW of data centre capacity, and 20msqft of community housing. 

Stonepeak is headquartered in New York with offices in Sydney, Hong Kong, Houston, London and Singapore. It is a major alternative investment firm specialising in infrastructure and real assets with about $57.1 billion of assets under management. 

A spokesperson for the company said through its investment in defensive, hard-asset businesses globally, Stonepeak aimed to create value for its investors and portfolio companies, and to have a positive impact on the communities in which it operates.

Stonepeak sponsors investment vehicles focused on private equity and credit. The firm provides capital, operational support, and committed partnership to sustainably grow investments in its target sectors, which include communications, energy and energy transition, transport and logistics, social infrastructure, and real estate. 

www.agpgroup.com

www.stonepeak.com

www.ampyrenergy.com

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THE Asia Pacific Cities Summit (2023APCS) and Mayors’ Forum returns to Brisbane from October 11-13. It is one of the world’s largest and most diverse gatherings of mayors and local government delegates from more than 140 cities globally.

The most recent ‘in-person’ APCS was in 2019, prior to the Covid global pandemic. Staged in Brisbane, it attracted 1,484 delegates from 140 Cities (92 international and 48 domestic); 83 Mayors (42 international and 41 domestic); 196 speakers and presenters; 164 Young Professional delegates; 86 exhibitors; 35 APCS partners; and organisers facilitated 149 business meetings. City projects presented at the event totalled $4.2 billion.

Now in its 27^th year, the award-winning biennial event is shared between Brisbane and offshore host cities and, as it has done over its three decades, 2023APCS is set to bring a multi-million-dollar boost to Brisbane’s economy. 

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the 2023APCS would focus on several key topics including shaping cities, sustainability, business expansion and tourism benefits.

“Each year, the APCS event aims to connect leaders across government, business, and industry to identify common challenges, exchange knowledge and drive commercial outcomes,” Cr Schrinner said.

“While a special hybrid edition of APCS was held in Brisbane in 2021, the 2019 edition of the program saw more than $7.5 million injected into our economy during the event.

“We saw more than $4.2 billion worth of city-ready project tenders presented and more than $1.5 million in business transactions signed,” he said.

“The event will provide a forum where tangible business outcomes can be realised, as the region looks to drive economic growth and job creation ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“The decisions and partnerships formed during this event will impact more than half a billion people worldwide, making it the ultimate networking event here in Brisbane.”

Shaping cities for the future

The 2023APCS theme ‘Shaping Cities for the Future’ will be the key discussion point among the keynote speakers on show, including Canadian award-winning author Charles Montgomery, Korean-Australian two-time world champion debater and former Harvard debate team coach, Bo Seo, and president of the Organising Committee for Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Andrew Liveris AO. 

Charles Montgomery, author of acclaimed book, Happy City, will share invaluable insights on creating happier, healthier, and more inclusive cities.

World champion debater, Bo Seo, will draw on his experience in debating to discuss the benefits of constructive arguments and disagreements, and highlight how important it is for leaders to engage in productive disagreement.

Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee president, Andrew Liveris, will dive further into his political background, having advised three US Presidents. He also served as co-chair of President Barack Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership. He will further explore the incredible benefits of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Brisbane and South East Queensland.

Connecting local business to the world

The event will also see a number of business networking opportunities across industry, product exhibitions and an exclusive young professional’s leadership program conducted through Griffith University.

Cr Schrinner said the event would be the crown jewel in Brisbane’s business events calendar.

“This fantastic opportunity to network in person with business leaders from all over the world only comes around every two years and is not to be missed,” Cr Schrinner said. 

“I invite Brisbane’s business community to get involved and see how you can expand your operations across the Asia Pacific market and beyond.”

The 2023APCS is sponsored by leading organisations, including presenting sponsor Visy; principal partners Airbnb, St Baker Energy Innovation Fund and Arup; major partners Milken Institute, KPMG and Griffith University; and partners EarthCheck, Mastercard and Volvo.

Sponsors include GHD, HCL Tech and Shayher Group; and supporters are Acciona, APAC Network, ARIA, Articulous, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Brisbane Economic Development Agency, Council of Mayors South East Queensland, Gadens, Neuron, Populous, Queensland Futures Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Regional Development Australia, Smart Mortage Corp, Solomons Group, Study Queensland, Smart Cities Council and UN Women Australia.

Registrations are now open at www.apcsummit.org

For more information about the 2023APCS, contact Brisbane City Council at brisbane.qld.gov.au or call 3403 8888.

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By Leon Gettler, Talking Business >>

WHAT ARE the challenges for a business overseeing the development of Timor-Leste, having one of the youngest populations in the Asia-Pacific region, with a median age of 17.4 years?

Timor-Leste is ranked as a ‘least developed’ country and its economy is heavily dependent on gas and oil extractions. About 74 percent of the population is below 35 years of age.

Tammy Kassiou is the founder and chair of Philotimo, an international business operating in Timor-Leste which runs International Mobility Services (IMS), a job placement organisation and an Industry Safety Assessment and Training (ISAT) a training organisation. Ms Kassious said it was a major challenge for her company, which was established in 2010. 

Ms Kassiou said the road to prosperity for Timor-Leste was through creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and partnerships with major companies like Santos.

For the last decade, non-government organisations had been overseeing the development of Timor-Leste. It was now moving into a commercial phase for business.

Ms Kassiou said the best way to do this was to create jobs and people had to be skilled to international standards to develop quality infrastructure and quality living.

Challenging times for Timor-Leste

Ms Kassiou said the challenges of running a business in a developing country were “certainly not for the faint-hearted” and required a long-term vision.

“Not over three years, you need to look ahead perhaps 50 years,” Ms Kassiou told Talking Business. “It’s to put the foundations in place to have a look at the return over a long term period instead of very short.”

She gave an example of a typical day for her in Timor-Leste would be where she is in her high heels and suit and having a meeting with a government Minister at 9am and then at 11am she is “overseeing the distribution of rice to some of the villages”.

“You have to be quite flexible and very open minded to doing business a different way,” she said.

Ms Kassiou said the challenges were mainly about building a skilled workforce for the companies.

“The skill level is a challenge,” she said.

Training the trainers a priority

As a result, IMS has taken industry people and put them through a training and development program for them to become trainer assessors, qualified under Australian standards.

“Our trainer assessors are helping us ensure that we can build our own workforce with the right skills to be able to compete internationally but also to be able to impart that knowledge and build a sustainable workforce pool across Timor-Leste,” Ms Kassiou said.

About $500 million of goods are now imported into Timor but only 2 percent comes from Australia. The rest comes from China and Indonesia.

“That has been the opportunity where we have grown our workforce to 100 staff and over the next 12 months, we forecast that may double,” Ms Kassiou said.

“The benefits are about us creating jobs and giving skills for that long-term prosperity.”

Ms Kassiou said the workforce for Timor-Leste was diverse and are aged between 18 and 45.

Much of the more skilled labour into Timor-Leste had been imported in the past.

“We see that as a cornerstone to have local people building the infrastructure to international standards and creating jobs,” Ms Kassiou said.

www.philotimo.world

www.leongettler.com

Hear the complete interview and catch up with other topical business news on Leon Gettler’s Talking Business podcast, released every Friday at www.acast.com/talkingbusiness.

https://play.acast.com/s/talkingbusiness/talking-business13-interview-with-tammy-kassiou-from-philoti

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