Europe has emerged as a premier global hub for infrastructure investment, with the asset class set to become the second-largest private capital sector in the region.
The European Private Markets 2025 report by Preqin, a data provider acquired by BlackRock in 2024, found that infrastructure is now the second-largest asset class for private capital in Europe, with Europe-focused infrastructure assets under management (AUM) set to reach nearly €600bn by the end of this year.
The region’s continued push into major infrastructure projects reflects the dynamism of the asset class and the broadening opportunity set for investors, according to BlackRock research.
Gonzalo Garcia, partner at GIP, a part of BlackRock, said: “We are seeing a growing number of attractive infrastructure investment opportunities. For our investors, we are laser-focused on unlocking access to this dynamic asset class and Europe is a key market for delivering our strategy.
“The attractiveness of Europe is underpinned by the structural tailwinds of the once-in-a-generation transformation of the energy ecosystem, the digital transformation, the rewiring of global supply chains and the need to retool aging infrastructure assets.
“Beyond Europe, this is creating a $95trn (€81.9trn) generational opportunity for infrastructure globally and driving demand for private capital to finance critical infrastructure projects that meet the needs of corporates and governments around the world. We are a long-term trusted partner, and we go beyond providing capital by bringing innovative solutions, focus on business improvement and deep industry expertise to help forge deep and mutually beneficial relationships.”
Europe-focused private markets funds will be among the fastest growing globally, with an estimated €5trn of assets under management by 2030, the Preqin report added.
The study stated that following a period of muted growth, European private markets have regained momentum, with fundraising, infrastructure investment and investor sentiment experiencing a resurgence.
The key findings include resurgent fundraising activity in Europe, led by private equity and infrastructure. In H1 2025, €55.4bn was raised for Europe-based infrastructure funds, already exceeding the full-year total for 2024-18, Preqin’s report stated.
Fabio Osta, EMEA head of the alternative specialists team at BlackRock, said: “We are entering a new era of growth for private markets in Europe. We expect this growth to be driven by an acceleration in allocations to the asset class as well as significant client demand for infrastructure and private credit.”
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