There is a version of infrastructure thinking that treats every project as a problem to solve and every outcome as a metric to optimise. Journey times. Cost per kilometre. Carbon tonnes offset.
It is not wrong. But after two days at Interchange 2026 in Manchester, it is clear that this project-by-project, metric-by-metric approach is one of the more limiting habits in the sector.
The more important question is not whether a project delivered its outputs, but what kind of system it created.
Rethinking value: infrastructure as a system
Systems thinking was not confined to a single session at Interchange. It was the underlying theme across many of the discussions.
A recurring challenge emerged: infrastructure that performs well in isolation can underdeliver in practice when it is not designed as part of a wider system.
A road scheme may increase capacity but worsen air quality in surrounding areas. A rail investment may improve connectivity in one region while limiting access elsewhere.
As Stephen Leo, Business Development Manager at setec consulting engineers Ltd, reflected:
“Infrastructure rarely delivers a single outcome. The real value lies in the system it creates.”
The shift required isn’t just technical. It’s a question of how we scope, assess and commission infrastructure from the start and who’s in the room when those decisions get made.
Devolution and the changing infrastructure landscape
Transport devolution was another key theme, highlighting how regional leadership is reshaping infrastructure planning.
A keynote panel moderated by Colette Carroll of AtkinsRéalis brought together regional leaders including Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, and Jan Chaudhry van der Velde of Transport for Wales.
The discussion moved beyond transport alone, focusing on how infrastructure investment connects with housing, economic growth and net zero ambitions.
For engineering consultancies and delivery partners, this signals a shift in expectations. Integrated planning, cross-sector understanding and the ability to engage across both technical and strategic conversations are becoming increasingly important.
Digital engineering is entering its useful phase
The conversation around digital tools at Interchange felt more grounded than in previous years. Less about what BIM could theoretically become, more about what living digital twins are actually delivering: operational data feeding asset lifecycle decisions, predictive maintenance strategies replacing reactive ones, carbon monitoring embedded in delivery rather than bolted on at the end.
This is work Setec is actively engaged in — applying advanced modelling and systems engineering across complex transport infrastructure programmes — and the direction of travel at Interchange reinforced what we’re seeing on the ground.
Digital engineering moving from concept to application
The conversation around digital tools also felt more grounded than in previous years.
Rather than focusing on what Building Information Modelling (BIM) could become, discussions centred on how digital twins are already being applied to improve real-world outcomes.
These tools are supporting:
- Operational data-led decision making
- Predictive maintenance strategies
- Improved asset lifecycle performance
- Carbon monitoring and optimisation
This aligns closely with the work being delivered across setec consulting engineers Ltd, where advanced modelling, digital coordination and systems engineering are applied across complex infrastructure programmes.
Designing for climate as a present reality
A keynote from Rachel Skinner CBE reinforced one of the most important messages of the event: climate resilience is not a future consideration, but a current design requirement.
Infrastructure being designed today will operate in a materially different climate during its lifetime. This changes the role of engineering from mitigating risk to actively designing for resilience from the outset.
Key questions moving forward
Events such as Interchange are valuable not because they provide definitive answers, but because they sharpen the questions that matter.
Key considerations emerging from the event include:
- How can systems thinking be embedded into project scoping and decision-making?
- How will regional governance changes shape future infrastructure delivery models?
- Where are digital tools genuinely improving outcomes, and where are they still evolving?
Continuing the conversation
Interchange 2026 reinforced the importance of integrated thinking, digital capability and collaboration in shaping the future of UK infrastructure.
setec consulting engineers Ltd works alongside contractors, developers and public authorities to deliver civil engineering design, digital modelling, asset lifecycle engineering and multidisciplinary consultancy across major infrastructure programmes.
If these themes resonate with the challenges you are facing, we would welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation.
Learn more: https://uk.setec.com/