Industry partnerships

In real estate, asset management, energy transition, structural design and the built environment, we are connected to networks through Eindhoven University of Technology, the Institute of Asset Management and De Bouwcampus – a non-profit network driving transition within replacement and renovation infrastructure and sustainable buildings. We are members of the Dutch Green Building Council and are among the initiators of the Structural Safety knowledge portal which recognises the role played by various chain partners in safeguarding structural safety in construction projects. We are the only private sector partner in the Netherlands Land Academy, LANDac, working on land governance for equitable and sustainable development, and are members of the social advisory board of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. We have a representative on the board of COB (Centrum voor Ondergronds Bouwen), the knowledge centre in the Netherlands for underground construction and use of space.

We contribute to standards in many of our markets. As chair of the Dutch Committee Structural Eurocodes 0 and 1 at NEN, a colleague is guiding the committee through the development of reliable and economic structures for buildings and other engineering works in Europe. We also contribute to standards through presence on the board of the Association of Structural Engineers in the Netherlands (VNconstructeurs) and Ketenstandard, a foundation that develops, manages and promotes standards for the construction, real estate, maintenance and installation chain. Other committee memberships include PACO (Performance Appraisal Cost Operation), Royal Netherlands Standardisation Institute (NEN) life cycle costing and the European Supply Chain Forum.

Our relationship with the industry-driven organisation buildingSMART, dedicated to open BIM and interoperability standards and processes, continues to develop. We are involved in the development of the digital twin agenda by leading the Digital Twin Working Group. We play a leading role in the end-user focused airport domain, ports and waterways, and participate in buildings, rail, and other infrastructure domains. We chair the buildingSMART chapter for the United Kingdom and Ireland. We are part of the MERGE European Network of Consulting Engineers collaborating to offer engineering design and advisory services to clients across borders.

Innovative partnership shows commitment to decarbonising energy the market

In 2020 a partnership with energy company Vattenfall and wind developers Infinergy established a new initiative for the Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) market in the Netherlands. Until now, corporate renewable PPAs were mainly developed for multinationals with huge energy demands. This initiative offers a similar opportunity for smaller scale companies who are looking to improve their green credentials. We are the first of what will become a collective of corporate clients to obtain green energy directly from Infinergy’s new wind farm, with a direct match between generation and energy usage.

Partnership for growth in Groningen

Our new office in Groningen in the Netherlands has opened in an sustainable multi-company building where the mix of tenants and the office style invite collaboration. It is the result of a partnership between ourselves and property owner Franck Antonides to create a building with a mission: to share knowledge, attract talent and innovate. Tenants in De Stek have to be open to work together on the future of the Northern Netherlands where challenges include the energy transition and the resulting risks for many jobs. By working together in search of solutions to help the northern provinces move forward, we can turn those challenges into opportunities and growth.

Video: Groningen office, de Stek