Imagine a future where pension funds are no longer run by fund managers, but by algorithms that seek out assets that match the funds’ investment criteria.

When seeking new investments, owners of infrastructure assets covered in Internet of Things–enabled sensors could release performance data that would be quickly found by investors’ algorithms. Meanwhile those looking to build new assets could release related user-generated data, such as traffic flows, demonstrating demand for the new asset.

All legal processes such as contracts and due diligence would be automatically delivered through a blockchain distributed ledger, and revenues could be distributed directly and instantaneously.

Such a world is not as far-fetched as it may seem: all of the above technology exists, even if it hasn’t yet been applied to infrastructure investing.

Changing nature

In many respects the above scenario is the logical conclusion of the digital t