Arcadis launches new digital consulting business

Environmental consultancy Arcadis has formed a dedicated business for its digital offering, which will deliver digital management of clients’ assets and work to develop new technology. The move was enabled by the Dutch-owned firm’s purchase of two technology companies.

An additional 2.5 billion people are expected to live in urban areas in the next 30 years. In order to accommodate that trend in the UK, at least 300,000 more homes need to be built each year – however only 195,000 are being built. As a result, housing charity Shelter estimates that up to 320,000 people do not have a home. Meanwhile, increasing urbanisation is putting more pressure on ageing infrastructure, something emphasised in areas of deprivation or those hit by the first impacts of climate change.

As the demands of modern construction become ever more demanding, one of the ways the sector is hoping it can economise on time and resources, while improving productivity, is by leveraging new technology. As a result, demand is high for consultants who can help clients integrate innovative new systems and technologies into their organisations. Amid this, Arcadis has launched a new business dedicated to its digital offering, including digital management of clients’ assets and developing new technology.

Arcadis Gen is already working on contracts inherited from its parent for Transport for London (TfL), Severn Trent Water, US-rail firm Amtrak and others. Its TfL contract sees it provide a single platform to manage all of the operator’s infrastructure assets in a bid to improve reliability and performance on the London Underground and London Tram networks through data analytics and digital analysis.

Peter Oosterveer, Arcadis Global Chief Executive, said, “Arcadis Gen is a vital step in Arcadis’s digital transformation. Together, we will positively disrupt the industry and help our clients harness the power of data to transform their businesses and improve quality of life for their customers.”

The formation of Arcadis Gen follows Arcadis’ purchase of tech companies SEAMS and EAMS Group over the last two years. Purchasing EAMS Group boosted Arcadis’ digital expertise and offerings and underlines the progress of its innovation and digital strategy, while by acquiring SEAMS, Arcadis’ data analytics and predictive analytics offering grew to more than 200 people around the UK.

Now continuing as a separate legal entity with 200 employees spread across the globe, but no head office, Arcadis Gen is yet to announce its aims for margins and revenues, but these will be stated in the company’s financial results later in February. According to Arcadis General Chief Executive Rachel White, however, Arcadis “recognises that investment is needed."

White told industry website Construction News, "We’ve heard from customers that most organisations have fairly significant ageing asset portfolios and they want to maximise the value of those portfolios and their efficiency and reliability, combined with the fact that the engineering and construction industry is really the last to be disrupted by digital technology.”