Australian industry superannuation leaders are meeting with government officials and industry leaders in France and the UK this week, in their latest search for global investment opportunities to grow the long-term retirement savings of working people.
Australia’s superannuation system is the fourth largest in the world and is growing at such a rate that more than 60 cents of every new dollar of retirement savings is now being invested overseas. In the next five years, Australia’s superannuation pool of capital will be the largest outside the US.
Recent events have shown the importance of global diversification to delivering long-term returns for members - and France and the UK are attractive investment destinations, with mature infrastructure markets, stable regulatory settings and high-quality assets well suited to long-term retirement outcomes.
With Australian super fund investment in the European Union and the UK projected to exceed A$660 billion over the next decade, deeper relationships could enable funds to deploy more capital into European and the UK private markets, including for priority, high‑quality infrastructure projects.
Australia, France and the UK are like-minded partners, with strong institutions and a long track record of collaboration in energy and infrastructure. In a period of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, deeper cooperation between like-minded countries has never been so important.
Collaboration overseas strengthens outcomes at home, giving millions of Australians access to some of the largest markets around the world – along with deals that grow their retirement savings.
Australian super fund investors are considered trusted, long‑term infrastructure partners globally, bringing not only patient capital but deep financial and operational expertise to deliver resilient, high‑performing assets.
Australian superannuation funds have already been investing over many years in French and UK infrastructure assets, which provide critical services. This includes investments through ERG – a leading European renewable energy operator with 605MW of installed wind capacity, 128MW of solar capacity, and Atlas Arteria - a company that operates 2424kms of French toll roads.
Funds also invest in euNetworks which supports the expansion of critical digital infrastructure across France and Europe, Oxford Properties M7 Real Estate platform and its c. €840 million European industrial and logistics portfolio, as well as key projects in London including King's Cross Estate and the Canada Water regeneration projects which are developing new housing, amenities and employment centres in historic areas of the city.
The Australian delegation will meet with senior French political leaders, public financial institutions, infrastructure leaders, private investors and the OECD to discuss opportunities for long-term capital investment in France by Australian super funds.
The delegation will be in France from 20–22 April to discuss long-term Australian pension investment in France, and includes IFM Investors, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super, CBUS, HESTA, Rest, and the Super Members Council, together representing more than €750 billion in workers’ retirement savings. NEST, the UK’s largest workplace pension scheme and a shareholder in IFM Investors, is also part of the delegation.
Following France, the delegation will also travel to the United Kingdom on the 23rd April to discuss investment opportunities with the UK Government.
