PROJECT

Projects

Summary of Proposed Investment

Project Number

10397

Company Name

InfrastructureWorld.com

Date SPI Disclosed

Jun 26, 2000

Country

World Region

Industry

Telecommunications and Technology

Projected Board Date

Jul 31, 2000

Status

Completed

Sector

Content (B2C Companies)

Department

WBG Digital and AI

Environmental Category

C - No Impact

Previous Events

Approved : Aug 4, 2000
Signed : Sep 7, 2000
Invested : Sep 14, 2000

Project Description


IWorld is creating a global Internet portal for infrastructure, which is expected to become an important resource for the various participants in large-scale infrastructure projects and businesses. IWorld expects to become the preferred hub for information and an electronic transaction facilitator for the infrastructure sector worldwide. Finally, IWorld plans to provide project management tools to its customers to facilitate consistent, efficient and timely management of projects under implementation, irrespective of geographic location.

The main value that IWorld seeks to add is to infrastructure players who do not currently have the resources and access of the major large-scale infrastructure providers and developers. The products being developed by IWorld will provide an enabling environment to local developing country users, such as governments, grantors of concessions, infrastructure developers, contractors, equipment suppliers, financiers and other ancillary service providers to compete effectively in the infrastructure marketplace. Such local players would be able to quickly develop expertise, gather tools, put together and conduct transactions and participate in the global infrastructure community through the IWorld portal. The core advantage of such a portal is that it will enable new entrants to the infrastructure marketplace, especially in developing countries.

With the proposed partnership with IWorld, IFC and the World Bank Group will have a unique opportunity to influence a significant evolution in infrastructure development and privatization and to leverage their substantial experience in emerging markets infrastructure development. More specifically, it is expected that IFC would be able to add great value to IWorld in the following ways: (i) IFC''s wide experience in many developing countries will help to shape IWorld''s efforts in such markets; (ii) IFC''s presence and requirements would help assure the neutrality of the website, hence creating an open forum which would attract participation from all parties; (iii) IFC''s regional presence, its partnerships with local governments, businesses, and NGOs would play a key role in IWorld''s marketing strategy to become a truly global player; and (iv) IWorld is interested to have access to IFC''s in-depth knowledge of sustainable infrastructure project development and financing in order to be able to provide best practice to its customers.

The success of IWorld would have a profound impact on sustainable infrastructure development in developing countries. By participating in a global best practice marketplace, developing country infrastructure players would have timely access to information, ideas and technology that their counterparts in developed countries are using. IWorld''s proposed transaction exchange would make procurement more efficient and competitive. In addition, it would open up the global marketplace to developing country contractors and suppliers, thereby helping to break the monopoly of a few large players. IWorld''s success would also have a major impact in increasing transparency in infrastructure transactions and thereby decreasing corruption. Developing country reformers would have a user-friendly, inexpensive and time-efficient tool for conducting competitive bids for privatizations, concessions and other types of project development. In addition, best practices for environmental and social issue mitigation could be made available to IWorld users. Links to non-governmental organizations could also be provided by IWorld to facilitate interaction between project developers and locally affected groups.

IWorld''s URL is www.InfrastructureWorld.com.

Sponsor / Cost / Location

Development Impact