Rising Stars
These five emerging countries have growing economies—and serious project management opportunities.
Vietnam
2017 GDP Growth
Forecast: 6.2%
Project potential:
Low wages and a
young workforce are
spurring construction
of new factories in
Asia’s latest manufacturing powerhouse.
Infrastructure projects
delivering new roads,
ports and power plants
will create a demand
for project talent.
Mexico
2017 GDP Growth
Forecast: 2.6%
Project potential:
Mexico is launching
a spate of ambitious
projects and courting
international project
investors. A government investment program aimed at making
Mexico a logistic and
transportation hub
spans more than 200
projects with a total
budget of MXN1.3
billion.
Indonesia
2017 GDP Growth
Forecast: 5.3%
Project potential:
Indonesia has become
a stealth center of
construction projects.
The Megaprojects
Database values the
country’s total portfolio of megaprojects at
US$330 billion, with
roughly US$88 billion
in the project pipeline.
Colombia
2017 GDP Growth
Forecast: 3%
Project potential:
Latin America’s third-biggest economy has
become a magnet for
foreign investments:
everything from manufacturing and mining
to financial services.
And the president has
earmarked US$70
billion to build roads
and reliable infrastructure—the lack of which
has created project
obstacles.
Botswana
2017 GDP Growth
Forecast: 4.3%
Project potential:
The land of deltas and
deserts is becoming a
project oasis. Robust
infrastructure investment and technological improvements
help Botswana rank
as the most transparent emerging
economy, according
to Cushman & Wakefield. That designation
translates to less risk
for foreign sponsors—
and more hiring.
Apartment buildings
frame Bitexco Financial
Tower in Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam.