Global infrastructure at the point of tructural decoupling: how fragmentation and renationalization redefine geoeconomic competition

Abstract

The article explores the evolving character of global infrastructure under the accelerating conditions of geoeconomic fragmentation. It examines how the erosion of the previous model of hyperglobalization, the restructuring of international production networks, the weaponization of interdependence and the politicization of global value chains redefine the strategic logic of infrastructure development. The study emphasizes that fragmentation has become a systemic force reshaping patterns of connectivity, financial flows,and investment priorities, while infrastructural decoupling increasingly acts as a mechanism through which states seek to protect national interests and reduce vulnerabilities. The paper analyzes key drivers of fragmentation, including the crisis of multilateral institutions, the resurgence of industrial policy, the intensification of technological rivalry, the rise of economic nationalism, energy insecurity, and differentiated regional responses to global shocks.