FIDIC Membership Matters Issue 7 by FIDIC

A word from the FIDIC president

Welcome to the seventh issue of our members’ newsletter, Membership MAtters. Before continuing with my introduction, I just wanted to say something about the evolving world geopolitical situation. At FIDIC, we are all understandably very concerned by the current situation in Middle East. We stand in solidarity with all our members and all people affected and we hope for a rapid return to peace and stability in all regions of the world.

Here at FIDIC, the team is hard at work preparing for key events like the forthcoming Global Leadership Forum in Athens and also our annual Global Infrastructure Conference in New Delhi. I hope to meet representatives of member associations at both events and also at the annual general assembly meeting of the European engineering consultancy federation, EFCA, which takes place in Istanbul in June. Events like these are important in bringing together the leaders of our industry to take time out to discuss and debate the key issues and challenges we face and, crucially, to make meaningful plans to address them.

I am particularly delighted and honoured that Lech Wałęsa will be addressing our Global Leadership Forum event in Athens and I’m sure his insights will inspire us as we discuss the challenges and opportunities facing our businesses. The forum will also enable attendees to connect with their peers from around the world to share knowledge and to discuss solutions to the major issues facing their leadership teams and the industry. I hope as many of our MAs as possible will register for this important event.

I’m pleased to report that the FIDIC board met in January for its first meeting of 2026, where amongst the items discussed we kicked off the process for governance reform along the lines of what was announced during the FIDIC GAM in Cape Town last year and also, as part of the ongoing operationalisation of the new strategic plan, the terms of reference of the FIDIC committees and advisory councils are being reviewed to ensure coherence and pace towards achieving the goals spelled out in the strategy. We will be reviewing progress on these and other areas when the board next meets in April in Athens.

As you will read below, preparations continue around the organisation of our flagship annual event, the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference taking place in September in New Delhi. I believe that the theme we have chosen for this event, Engineering a bright future, together: Quality infrastructure for people and prosperity, is a very relevant one and is sure to resonate with our member associations and their members as it highlights so well what our industry does and the benefits we bring to society.

I would urge all MAs to register for the Delhi conference and to promote it widely amongst your member firms and industry stakeholders. If we are to succeed in engineering that brighter future that we all want to see, then we need to ensure that we get a good turnout in India in September for this crucial event for FIDIC and our industry.

Best wishes,

Alfredo Ingletti President, FIDIC

Register now for FIDIC’s 2026 Global Infrastructure Conference in New Delhi

FIDIC’s Global Infrastructure Conference 2026 will be hosted in New Delhi, India and all member associations are encouraged to attend this flagship annual event. As well as providing an important global platform for the infrastructure industry to come together to exchange knowledge, share experiences and strengthen collaboration across regions on an international scale, the conference is also FIDIC’s main global gathering for member associations. The theme for this year’s event, Engineering a bright future, together: Quality infrastructure for people and prosperity, will see attendees debate and discuss how best we can plan and deliver quality infrastructure that benefits communities and builds the foundation for a more prosperous world.

New Delhi is a very relevant setting for the conference, reflecting India’s growing influence and leadership in global infrastructure development. As one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, India is at the forefront of large-scale infrastructure delivery, innovation and capacity building, making it an ideal location for the global infrastructure community to meet. The conference will bring together a high-profile line-up of expert speakers, global influencers, industry specialists and sector leaders for three days of unrivalled discussion, debate, and networking – it’s a must attend event and you don’t want to miss it! Find out more about the conference below.

Click here to find out more about the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference and to book places

More member associations taking advantage of FIDIC Academy courses

More and more FIDIC member associations are taking advantage of the high-quality training and capacity-building resources offered by FIDIC Academy. Last year alone, the Academy organised more than 40 courses with MAs and the number of participants trained during 2025 on those courses was 1,550 across 30 different countries. FIDIC Academy is undertaking training courses with its MAs using the 80/20 revenue sharing model. These 80/20 training deals are growing year on year and FIDIC Academy will target over 50 courses this year with collaboration with MAs on the 80/20 revenue sharing deal. Additionally, FIDIC Academy is offering 15% off to participants from MA member companies for any FIDIC Academy public online course and a 10% referal fee if a FIDIC member association refers one of its member companies and it leads to a purchase of one of the academy’s company training packages. With FIDIC Academy offering training in English and also the UN languages in its private courses, courses with MAs and for all on-demand courses on its website, it really is worth taking a look at what’s available to FIDIC MAs. Click here to visit FIDIC Academy’s website

Lech Wałęsa to address industry leaders at FIDIC Global Leadership Forum in Athens

Former Polish president, political leader and campaigner Lech Wałęsa is to give the keynote address at this year’s FIDIC Global Leadership Forum event which takes place in Athens from 15-17 April 2026. Wałęsa is a Polish labour leader and statesman, best known for co-founding and leading Solidarity, the first independent trade union in communist Poland. His leadership played a central role in Poland’s peaceful political transformation, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. In his keynote speech to the forum, Wałęsa is expected to share his human perspective on leadership, resilience and the pursuit of freedom. His insights resonate not only in politics but also in business, leadership and social innovation.

Click here to find out more and register interest in the 2026 Global Leadership Forum in Athens on 15-17 April 2026

Directors and secretaries’ advisory council update

Helen Davidson, the chair of FIDIC’s directors and secretaries’ advisory council, gives an update on the group’s recent activities.

FIDIC’s directors and secretaries’ advisory council has met twice since the last Membership MAtters newsletter. Our focus has been keeping our finger on the pulse of global member association challenges and opportunities, exploring with FIDIC’s CEO Susanna Zammataro our opportunities to support FIDIC in the delivery of its new strategy and confirming our work programme for the year. In terms of our work programme, we continue to have a strong focus on sharing information and resources across our MA network and in building our collective capabilities for a stronger global sector. We are making solid progress on the next tranche of guidance notes for our MA toolkit and we hope it is not too long before we can publish our guidance on strategy development, succession planning and complaints management, among others. The already published toolkit guidance notes have been accessed through the FIDIC website more than 7,700 times (including the full toolkit, and each of the three modules), which is a great endorsement for the relevancy of this work. We’re also about to start planning for the directors and secretaries forum at FIDIC’s federation meetings in Delhi in September. We’d love to hear any feedback or ideas you have for this session, so please feel free to send any feedback to Oro at FIDIC at ocohen@fidic.org and she’ll make sure to get it through to us.

Unlocking the value of engineering consulting –excellent new report from New Zealand

For every $1 spent on an infrastructure consultant in New Zealand, the country is $2.10 better off. This was one of the key findings in a new report commissioned by ACE New Zealand (ACE NZ) and carried out by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research. The Unlocking the Value of Consulting report quantifies, for the first time, the value that ACE NZ member firms deliver as they solve complex problems, drive innovation and support the success of public and private sector projects. It puts a number on the expertise, flexibility and independent perspective that consultants bring to every engagement. It also details how engineering consultants create value, what clients value most, and how clients and consultants can work together to elevate the overall value of consulting investment.

Click here to find out more about the research and download the report

New CEO for ACE UK

The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) in the UK has announced the appointment of Milda Manomaityte as its new chief executive officer, with effect from 2 March 2026. Manomaityte takes over from current CEO Kate Jennings, who stepped down from the role on 5 March 2026, following two years as ACE UK’s leader. Jennings has led ACE through a period of change, strengthening the organisation’s internal team and enhancing its political engagement and profile. During her tenure, she also oversaw the development of ACE’s three-year strategy, providing a clear and ambitious direction for the organisation’s future. Commenting on her appointment, Milda Manomaityte said: “I am delighted to be joining ACE Group at such an important moment for the sector. I look forward to delivering the three-year business plan, while building on ACE’s strong foundations to ensure it continues to be a trusted, influential voice for the future of infrastructure.”

Click here to read more about the appointment of ACE UK’s new CEO

Meet the Members

The latest in our regular series where we meet leaders of FIDIC’s global member associations who talk about some of the issues and challenges they face in their roles. Here, we speak with Henrique De Aragão, the president of the Brazilian Association of Engineering Consultants Henrique talks about some of the key issues and challenges facing the association and the industry in Brazil and why FIDIC membership is important to his organisation.

Click below to view the video interview

FIDIC Africa Infrastructure Conference 2026

FIDIC’s Ghanaian member association is proudly hosting the 2026 FIDIC Africa Infrastructure Conference in Accra from 10-13 May 2026. With the key theme of Future-Ready Infrastructure: Advancing Africa through innovation and sustainability, the conference will explore forward-thinking infrastructure as Africa’s cornerstone for growth. Harnessing cutting-edge tech, green solutions and resilient design to empower communities, drive inclusive growth and position Africa as a global leader in sustainable, forward-thinking infrastructure development, the conference will give attendees the opportunity to meet with engineering professionals from across the globe to address Africa’s infrastructure challenges and foster innovation in sustainable development. The conference programme offers four days of learning, networking and innovation and the chance to be part of Africa’s premier infrastructure conference. Learn from industry experts, connect with peers from around the world and contribute to shaping the future of African infrastructure by attending this key infrastructure event for the African continent.

Click here for full details of the 2026 FIDIC Africa Infrastructure Conference in Accra, Ghana

New FIDIC Carbon Management Guide launched

A new FIDIC guide to integrate carbon management into FIDIC contracts has been launched. The FIDIC Carbon Management Guide and associated supplementary guidances offers users information on how to integrate carbon management into FIDIC contracts and will play a key role in supporting the adoption of carbon management practices across global infrastructure projects. Launching the guide at FIDIC’s International Contract Users Conference in London last December, FIDIC contracts committee member Adriana Spassova said: “This is a key development for FIDIC and underlines the importance of all stakeholders on projects collaborating to improve the carbon balance sheet.” The FIDIC Carbon Management Guide will be available from mid-March in hardcopy and electronic form from the FIDIC bookshop.

Click here to visit the FIDIC Bookshop and find out details of how to order the guide

ACE UK to hold infrastructure delivery event in June

FIDIC’s member association in the UK, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, is holding a one-day conference in June that will bring the industry together to explore the innovations, investments and practical solutions that will define Britain’s infrastructure today and for decades to come. Delivering Infrastructure 2050 takes place on Tuesday 30 June 2026 and comes as the UK’s consultancy and engineering sector is tackling some of the nation’s most pressing infrastructure challenges, from delivering resilience and restoring nature to improving productivity and building a workforce of tomorrow. Key themes at the conference include innovation and productivity, climate-resilient, nature positive, infrastructure in action, future skills and talent and collaboration and investment. Attendees will be able to hear from senior leaders shaping the UK’s infrastructure agenda, gain practical, applicable insights and discover real examples of climate-resilient, future-ready infrastructure.

Click here to find out more about the Delivering Infrastructure 2050 conference and to book a place

FIDIC organises three-part webinar series with international contractors’ group CICA

FIDIC has teamed up with the Confederation of International Contractors’ Associations (CICA) to organise a new webinar series for 2026. The three-part series will explore the role of engineers, the application of FIDIC contracts in underground works and the importance of strong project preparation for successful outcomes. Each 90-minute session – which take place in March, June and October – will feature expert speakers, practical case insights and interactive discussions. All the webinars are free to attend, but registration is required. Details of the webinars are listed below with the dates and booking link for each one.

The Role of the Engineer – Thursday 26 March 2026: 2pm – 3.30pm CET.

Going Underground with the FIDIC Emerald Book – Thursday 25 June 2026: 2pm – 3.30pm CET.

The Good Preparation of Construction Projects – Thursday 1 October 2026: 2pm – 3.30pm CET.

ICC-FIDIC contracts and dispute resolution conference to take place in Bogotá, Colombia

The 2026 ICC-FIDIC Conference on International Construction Contracts and Dispute Resolution takes place in Bogotá, Colombia from 15-16 October. This annual event, organised in conjunction with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá at the British Council in Bogotá, offers participants the opportunity to get the latest industry insights, trends and developments in the fast-paced world of contracts and dispute resolution. The conference will be attended by the world’s leading construction practitioners, including engineers, contractors, in-house lawyers, construction lawyers, arbitrators, mediators, experts, contract managers, financial institutions and government entities. This year, participation in the conference is complimentary, but registration is essential.

Click here for further information on the 2026 ICC-FIDIC Conference on International Construction Contracts and Dispute Resolution