The new age of risk averse banking calls for fresh thinking to raise finance for port projects.

In a time when banks have become risk averse, in the aftermath of the bloodletting of the Global Financial Crisis, the advice to port companies seeking funding is to think outside the box — especially if your port is positioned in an emerging market.

For those, multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank are definite prospects for filling the gap. Another avenue to explore is listing units in a business trust, while some port owners are willing to attract new equity investors to underpin expansion.