So what ’ s been the most eye-catching deal of the summer ? You would have to say John Laing ’ s all-cash £ 2 billion acquisition from Aqueduct Bidco , a newly formed company owned by funds advised by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co ( KKR ) and its affiliates .

Are there any other parties involved ? KKR has agreed to partner with Equitix , an experienced infrastructure investor , to jointly own John Laing ' s existing asset portfolio . Equitix will acquire a 50 per cent shareholding in the existing asset portfolio which will continue to be managed by John Laing ' s management team .

What ’ s prompted the agreement ? KKR believes John Laing is well-placed to capitalise on connectivity , renewable energy , transport and growing demand for postpandemic national infrastructure projects . The UK alone is planning to spend £ 40 billion on infrastructure projects .

For John Laing , the pandemic has meant that its reliance on digital connectivity has never been greater , and it needs to ensure it has the investment and services to succeed in the digital economy .

How will this affect its global operations ? Alongside UK & Europe , John Laing also has a sizeable presence in North America , Latin America and Australia . Recently it invested an additional US $ 14 million to increase its stake in the Denver Eagle P3 project in Denver , Colorado , to 50 %.

� GOOGLE Google ' s 6th Street campus in Kirkland , Washington , is the first office campus to certify its operations under Southface ' s BIT Building program .

� BELLWAY Bellway has acquired 15,982 plots since last August worth £ 891 million and agreed to buy a further 9,000 plots as it strives to keep up with soaring UK housing demand .

� HENRY W POLLARD AND SONS A 161-year-old UK South West construction firm has ceased trading and left buildings unfinished , according to Business Live .

� SKILLS SHORTAGES The Construction Skills Network says the industry will require an extra 217,000 workers by 2025 to meet demand from a fast-recovering COVID-19 pandemic .

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