Viability of a service-oriented approach on Dutch infrastructure projects

Abstract

The Dutch public infrastructure faces several challenges in the coming decades. A significant portion of public infrastructure such as bridges need to be replaced or renovated in the coming decades, and the public infrastructure authorities have set an ambitious goal to become completely circular by 2030. Service-oriented infrastructure (Infrastructure-as-a-service) is presented as a solution to require contractors to increase circularity as they would be incentivized to retain the value of assets. This study aims at developing a research framework to be used by public clients assessing the viability of a service-oriented approach. The study uses the Double Diamond design framework to first conduct interviews and codify them, followed by designing a framework through iterative designs and validating it in an interview with a public client (Dutch water board). Grounded theory is used for analyzing the interviews from specific infrastructure assets to general theory. The framework presents six criteria [Innovation, Integrality, Public authority & ownership, Supply, Circularity and Duration] on which a service-oriented approach should be analyzed. The study finds that clients first and foremost focus on their statutory duties, while optimization of infrastructure is seen as risky if the fines for failing to provide an adequate service are manifold in comparison to the perceived benefit. The study finds that a service-oriented approach should be considered only in specific (mostly high-technology) cases where the benefit of continuous improvement through the service-delivery is evident. The study contradicts an earlier study in the Netherlands, which declared that all stakeholders should shift towards a service-oriented approach in order to guarantee circularity. The timeline to become completely circular is too short to let the market build up a complete supply of circular infrastructure and supply it on a service-oriented basis.