Introduction by our CEO

In this, we were supported by successful collaborations with digital consultancy Novius and sustainable transport planning consultancy ITP who joined our company end 2020. We also strengthened an existing partnership by growing our stake in the Singapore-based company H2i which shares our passion for Enhancing Society Together and aligns with our strategy through its expertise in software and consultancy.

The complexity of the challenges facing society requires advanced levels of cooperation to provide new perspectives on the challenges at hand and come to integrated solutions. In addition, we know that by combining our engineering, design and consultancy with data and digital technologies, we can better support our clients to deliver reliable services to their customers. For example, in the United Kingdom we are working with a water company and others on the biggest proactive wastewater network in the world. Data from numerous sources across the water company’s extensive pipe system is aggregated by our artificial intelligence engine Aquasuite to provide predictions and insight for more efficient operations, preventing issues before they become a problem for customers or the environment. In the Netherlands, we are working with Witteveen+Bos and Pilz in a huge project for Rijkswaterstaat to futureproof all sluices, moveable bridges and pumping stations along the river Maas. Many of these structures are reaching the end of their lifespan. Renovating and modernising these together with the control, safety and monitoring systems will allow the structures to be reliable and safe for everyone travelling or crossing the river. Another highlight from our activities has been our work for Redefine Meat to realise its first sustainable 3D-printed meat factory in the Netherlands. From feasibility, design and engineering to construction management, we are taking ownership to help our client achieve plant-based meat production which cuts CO₂ emissions by 95% compared to beef.
In 2021 we also launched our brand campaign featuring more stories about how we drive positive change in projects by exploring different perspectives.

Within our organisation, we invested time and resources to support our people in unlocking their full potential to enhance society together. We value talent in all its diversity and encourage our people to bring their true selves to work because we believe diversity of thought leads to better results. To stimulate contact between colleagues, much missed while working from home, we introduced serendipity calls, virtual lunch breaks, global online events and more. Such meetings and interactions contributed to everyone’s enjoyment and engagement.

It was a great pleasure for the whole company to come together to celebrate our 140^th anniversary as independent consulting engineers. To mark 140 years of operation, we also organised monthly inspire sessions connecting the past with the present and we published a book with nine great stories from our archives. These stories provide a unique insight into our company and show the ingenuity, friendship and drive at its core, then and now.

During World Cleanup Day, some 900 colleagues in more than 40 locations around the globe, filled 860 bags with litter while catching up with colleagues they hadn’t seen in person for a long time. Even where this wasn’t possible due to Covid-19 restrictions, our teams organised alternative initiatives to create a cleaner and healthier world. This, of course, very much aligns with our purpose Enhancing Society Together.

Our engineers, consultants and – more recently – digital experts create the world around us. It’s a very important role and we feel a deep responsibility to do it well, adhering to the principles of the UN Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. While in 2021 we looked back to past achievements, we also looked forward, co-creating a strategy through to 2025. Enhancing Society Together is central in the strategy and will guide us in client selection and project delivery. We aim to deliver measurable impact in our projects and our own operations across five themes linked to specific UN Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, I am proud to say we have also committed our own organisation to achieve net zero by 2030.

I hope these highlights encourage you to explore this 2021 report which is at the forefront in engaging, interactive content. Last year’s report won Bronze in the Digital Communication Awards’ CSR & Annual Report category among some 400 entries.

In our CSR Report 2021 we show you how we deliver on our purpose of Enhancing Society Together and contribute to selected UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Our 6,000 colleagues never cease to amaze me, and I hope you will be inspired by their passion and creativity too, working with clients and stakeholders to deliver on our purpose of Enhancing Society Together.

Erik Oostwegel
CEO