| InfrastructureWorld (IW) is a US company registered in California, which began its life in 1998 as the vision of Cordell Hull and his colleagues, who saw the need and opportunity to create a vehicle that would “web enable” the entire major infrastructure development process – bringing the knowledge and contacts needed to support infrastructure privatization to the global community. Having pioneered the privatized development and financing of infrastructure projects at Bechtel and Bechtel Enterprises – first in the fossil power sectors and eventually moving into surface transportation, airports, water/wastewater, pipelines and telecoms – Cordell and his associates were convinced that providing access to the information, tools, processes and companies involved in the process would make a major contribution to global infrastructure development – especially in the developing world. For that reason, the World Bank’s IFC joined Bechtel and other investors in supporting IW's predecessor, InfrastructureWorld.
By 2000/2001, however, it became clear that issues such as developing country internet connectivity, etc., had still not been solved, and IW’s founders concluded the vision was technologically “ahead of its time”. The intellectual content and capabilities resident in IW still offered a rare and valuable asset, however, and IW emerged from that period as the Advisory Services and Investment & Development Company it is today.
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