Following the initiative by Meridiam, a firm specializing in investments in public infrastructure assets, Allianz Global Investors, Skandia Mutual Life Insurance Company, and the Development Bank of Japan jointly announced the launch of the Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association (LTIIA).

Other founding members are among the world's leading private investors in infrastructure, including preeminent French and British institutions as well as one of the largest American pension funds, all of which will be announced ahead of the association's first meeting in October 2014

Led by investors, the LTIIA aims to facilitate discussions on the management of long-term infrastructure investments across a range of regions, states and territories, and will establish criteria for the conduct of business. Registered in Paris as an international not-for-profit association, the LTIIA will benefit from Meridiam's support for the next 18 months. The Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association's objective is to share and promote best practices within the industry by:

• supporting the creation of a benchmark for the infrastructure asset class for asset allocation, regulatory and risk management purposes

• enhancing research and analysis of infrastructure investment related topics (e.g. direct or indirect access to the asset class, risk management tools, sector and financial regulations changes, long-term trends of the sector)

• enabling integration of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) aspects.

The Association will also provide policy-makers an infrastructure investment industry entry-point by linking financial regulations and infrastructure policies funding, contributing actively to market consultations at national and regional levels, and ensuring industry representation in relevant fora (G20/B20, MDBs meetings/workshops, etc.).

Thierry Déau, Founder and CEO of Meridiam, said:

"We are looking forward to partnering with some of the leading infrastructure investment professionals to launch the Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association.  Infrastructure investment allocation is set to double over the next 10 years and this is an important step in promoting best practices within the industry."

Deborah Zurkow, Chief Investment Officer for Infrastructure Debt at Allianz GI, said:

"Allianz Global Investors is delighted to be a founding member of the Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association. This dedicated association will help ensure that, collectively, we take an equally long-term view on the shape of our industry as we do with our infrastructure investments."

Alex Wong, Senior Director at the World Economic Forum who leads their work on infrastructure, concluded:

"Our research shows that solid quantitative foundations are very important for infrastructure to fulfil its promise as an asset class."

The Association for Investors and by Investors will gather institutional investors and asset managers active as long-term investors in infrastructure.