November/December 2025 digital edition

Opportunities arise from the chaos

Our final issue of 2025 naturally invites reflection on what has been a turbulent year. It has been difficult not to adopt a macroeconomic lens,  given the unease sparked by abrupt policy swings from Washington and reciprocal measures from Beijing. The planning horizon continues to narrow uncomfortably, and the ability to pivot at a moment’s notice  has rarely been more essential. 

Change, it seems, is the only constant. Although the business isn’t getting any easier, there is still plenty to celebrate – never more evident than at October’s Heavy Lift Awards. Welcoming more than 400 of the industry’s leading figures to London to recognise the best of what the heavy lift and project logistics business has to offer was a true pleasure. I thank all of those that attended and have supported the event from afar – and hearty congratulations go to this year’s winners. Details on our shortlists and victorious entries can be seen on pp90-99. 

This issue of HLPFI strikes a conciliatory tone. The project logistics and transport engineering industry is making peace with the chaotic operating environment and opportunities continue to arise, if you know where to look! The mood about Italy (pp30-38), for instance, is one of optimism, where OEMs continue to leverage their world-renowned expertise to the benefit of domestic project players. 

Pockets of Africa (pp70-76) and the Indian Subcontinent (pp50-56) also appear to be benefiting from volatility and uncertainty elsewhere. And while it would be an overstatement to say the shine has come off the renewable energy industry, the non-renewable power sector has found fresh momentum as the world moves to secure capacity amid surging demand. Gas remains the ‘bridge fuel poster child’ of a market where the off-ramp keeps receding into the distance, while the outlook for nuclear power continues to brighten. Our full review can be seen on pp40-48. 

While this may be HLPFI’s final issue of the year, we’re acutely aware that six weeks of 2025 still remain – and, if previous years are anything to go by, there will no doubt be a few more twists and turns before our January/February issue sets sail. We look forward to bringing you more news, analysis and insight as we navigate whatever lies ahead in 2026.

David Kershaw – editor