Sweco and VK will join forces

LOGISTICS & INDUSTRIAL

Engineering and architecture firm Sweco acquires sector peer VK architects+engineers through a Share Purchase Agreement. This transaction will allow both companies to combine their strengths and expertise in all the fields involved: from engineering, through infrastructure design to architecture. Moreover, the challenges facing our society are becoming more complex and urgent. It is more important than ever to realise a greater impact for the benefit of the energy and societal transition.

Erwin Malcorps, Managing Director of Sweco Belgium, comments this merge: “The world is in transition. Megatrends such as the energy transition, urbanisation and digitalisation can no longer be ignored in our society. As a consequence, we experience a growing need for an integrated approach when designing future proof buildings and structures. This requires specialised knowledge of different disciplines, the agility to keep up with the latest developments and smooth cooperation. That is why it is so important to find a suitable partner who shares the same passion. With VK, we have a perfect ‘match’. It’s great to see how sustainability and innovation are so well woven into our business and corporate model. Transforming Society Together is our common goal.” .

Together with Sweco we will remain frontrunners in the domain of sustainable projects. We have the best talents with in-depth expertise on board to realise this. Our ambition to be a full lifecycle partner is in line with Sweco’s guiding principle ‘Sustainability by design’. We also notice many similarities in terms of corporate culture, with initiatives that clearly make a difference in terms of personal development, knowledge sharing and open communication. Moreover, the European dimension of the entire group, the cross-border opportunities and the decentralized way of working really appeal to us. We look forward to continue building a sustainable future with our designs” concludes Paul Corbeel, CEO of VK architects+engineers..

VK architects+engineers is a multidisciplinary design agency with “out of the box” and long-term thinking in its genes. For the past 70 years, they used their ingenuity and multidisciplinary teams to design sustainable solutions. The firm offers architectural, and engineering design solutions on an international scale, with offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, UK and Vietnam. The group has a consolidated turnover of approximately 70 million euro (2021) and employs approximately 600 architects and engineers.

Sweco will also take over all shares of the VK subsidiaries. These include design firm Infranea (3D design, BIM services and VR simulations), architecture and engineering firm DENC (logistics, industrial and commercial real estate) and engineering firm One Simulations (CFD simulations) from the Netherlands, as well as the Belgian firms Van Looy Group (logistics projects) and Exilab (laboratories and cleanrooms). Betic Ingénieurs-Conseils and EKOplan (technical engineering and water management engineering) from Luxembourg and UK-based AD Architects are also part of the transaction..