INTRODUCTION
Through our work we are involved in activities that ensure the backbone of society continues to function - from the supply of clean water and food to maintaining safe environments such as cities, transport hubs, hospitals, schools and workplaces. The year 2020 has shown all too clearly the importance of flexibility and resilience to safeguard continuity in these vital functions.
Digital tools have supported our business throughout the year and have been adapted to assist clients in new ways. For example, by bringing together our crowd monitoring technology with tailored strategy and expert implementation, we are helping city authorities maintain social distancing in busy public spaces so people can move around comfortably and safely.
Header photo:
The Bacton to Walcott Sandscaping Scheme designed by Royal HaskoningDHV won the British Construction Industry Award for Climate Resilience Project of the Year 2020. It will protect the Bacton gas terminal, which supplies up to one third of the UK gas needs, and hundreds of homes and businesses in nearby villages from flooding and erosion.
Royal HaskoningDHV CEO Erik Oostwegel introduces our 2020 Annual Report, highlighting challenges and achievements during the year.
While adjusting to the day-to-day realities of the pandemic, we have also been looking forward. Our work to bridge the gap between traditional and emerging approaches in almost every industry has been further strengthened with the launch of Royal HaskoningDHV Digital. Our focus will be on activities in business transformation strategy and implementation with regards to technology, software and the predictive qualities of data.
Our three-pronged approach to mobility transition enables city planners to take the right steps to ensure that social distancing guidelines are adhered to. It means people can socialise safely and allows the city to get back on its feet again and the economy to thrive.
Collaboration and information-sharing will be increasingly important in the COVID-19 recovery process in order to safeguard business continuity in a fast-changing world. Globally, societies need to elevate transportation, public infrastructure, critical production facilities and supply chains to a new level of preparedness and safety.
By transforming our business and the way we work, we are helping our clients make the necessary transition. Virtual models that allow monitoring and management at a distance are just the beginning. Our aim is to make a digital copy of every design, whether it concerns a tunnel, water purification plant, factory or hospital. With these digital twins, we can continuously measure what is happening, even when circumstances change. If you know what is happening, you can learn and look into the future.
Many of our clients are committed to realise challenging sustainability targets in their operations and we continue to develop innovative solutions to support them. In 2020, our work for Aruba Airport in the Caribbean surpassed our client's ambitions and achieved a Gold sustainability rating for the new terminal building. Resilience is becoming an important theme for many of our projects as we assist governments and organisations in their response to the challenge of climate change. A landmark project for the Kingdom of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean which will improve the efficiency and capacity of the country's largest port has begun with a detailed climate change assessment to protect the development from natural hazards including rising sea levels, extreme rainfall and tsunamis.
With mass vaccination programmes under way, we share the optimism for better times round the corner. In the long term, we will continue to introduce new perspectives in response to the volatility and uncertainty that characterise our world in order to build resilient operations.
At Royal HaskoningDHV, we are committed to making this difference – it is part of our purpose to enhance society. Join us in going forward towards a better future for all.
Erik Oostwegel
CEO Royal HaskoningDHV
SCOPE AND APPROACH
Royal HaskoningDHV’s Annual Report 2020 is based on financial and administrative documentation from the entire organisation and refers to activities between January 1 and December 31, 2020. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Title 9, Book 2 of the Dutch Civil Code, audited by PwC. Sustainability reporting, within Key Figures and the Report of the Executive Board, is based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards and the latest recommendations from the International Integrated Reporting Council.