Looking beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Navigating Strategic Shift for Achieving the New Normal in the Global Infrastructure Sector

The global infrastructure sector, crucial for economic development, has confronted unprecedented challenges, including supply chain disruptions and financial exigencies, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter investigates the response strategies employed by project managers, focusing on the adoption of digital and sustainable techniques to revive construction supply chains. Drawing on a systematic literature review of 69 articles, this research explores disruptions faced by construction enterprises, identifying crucial strategic shifts towards digital transformation and sustainable growth in the post-pandemic landscape. Despite context-specific countermeasures, findings indicate a lack of sustained resilience in infrastructure organisations, with short-term interventions proving insufficient for long-term success amid future disruptions. The chapter advocates for proactive strategic shifts influenced by evolving government policies, economic paradigms, environmental considerations, resource allocation, and geopolitical dynamics. The research highlights the need for transformative improvements through the adoption of digital technologies and sustainable practices, aligning with megatrends and forward-looking strategies. By thematically organising the literature, the chapter underscores the importance of long-term strategic pivots for achieving true resilience and sustained growth. The implications extend to construction enterprises, project managers, and industry practitioners, offering a roadmap for transitioning from crisis management paradigms to sustained progress and resilience in the global infrastructure sector. This chapter contributes novel insights to academic discourse, addressing a significant gap and adding intrinsic value to broader infrastructure studies by emphasising the critical role of digital and sustainable techniques in reviving construction supply chains.