Arup.com News RSS Feed

Technical Adviser of Year (IJ Awards)

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:35:00 GMT

Arup took home Global Technical Adviser of the Year and Energy Technical Adviser of the Year at the Infrastructure Journal Awards last night.

The annual Infrastructure Journal Awards are an industry-leading event rewarding excellence and innovation in infrastructure and project finance.

The Global Technical Adviser of the Year Award is given to technical advisors working on outstanding infrastructure acquisition and project finance transactions that reached financial close in the previous year.

Impressive global project delivery

The award proves that Arup is recognised as the pre-eminent technical advisor in the infrastructure market.

"We are absolutely delighted that Arup's breadth, depth and global coverage of project finance and Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) across all of infrastructure have been recognised in this way. The win highlights how much clients value the ability to integrate technical and financial advisory services."

Steven Lloyd
Global Leader for Transaction Advice

The award acknowledges 26 projects advised on by Arup that reached financial close in 2011 totalling US$20 billion in enterprise value. These included:

New Royal Adelaide Hospital
Gold Coast Rapid Transport scheme in Australia
Highways in Germany, Jamaica, Zimbabwe and Spain
Ferries in Turkey
Ports in Brazil, Turkey and Spain.

Download the full list of projects (PDF, 30KB)

Arup also advised ABP on its US$3 billion debt refinancing in the United Kingdom and worked on many of the year's significant airport transactions including those in Spain, Turkey, the UK and Russia.

Over the last two years and in a challenging market, Arup has advised on over US$40 billion closed infrastructure transactions across the globe.

Unrivalled in the energy market

The energy award acknowledges Arup's work advising on over US$8bn of transactions during 2011, including projects to help GDF, Enel, Eni and E.ON dispose of assets.

Other projects included the innovative Madrid gas network transactions and Fluxys acquisition; Sorek, the world's most advanced desalination plant , Bristol Water, CHP in Russia and advising the Blue Transmission consortium in their successful bid for transmission connections to offshore wind.

One of the projects that Arup acted as vendor advisor for, the Istanbul Ferry Operator Privatisation, won Infrastructure Acquisition Deal of the Year.

Arup was also shortlisted in the Technical Adviser of the Year categories for transport and social infrastructure.

2011 results: solid performance in tough market

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:50:00 GMT

Arup's annual results show the firm produced a solid performance in challenging trading conditions last year.

Top line global income rose by 8.7% to £966.4m (mainly due to the consolidation of Arup's South African business), while net cashflow was positive at £40.9m and operating profits were £24.6m.

"These results reflect our strengths as a global player. They are also in line with our forecasts for what we knew would be a challenging year. We are particularly pleased to have maintained global income levels, which underlines the fact that our clients continue to see the value we bring. Our resilience is founded on our established strategy of diversifying across businesses and economies.
"Looking ahead, economic volatility is set to persist in some markets, so the Board will maintain our focus on core strategy and the bottom line so we can return value to our staff and maintain our financial strength."

- Philip Dilley, Arup Group Chairman

The results are for the 12 months to 31 March 2011.

Download the Financial Statements 2011 (PDF, 500KB)

Energy research post for John Miles

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:37:00 GMT

Arup Director, John Miles, takes up new Research Chair of Transitional Energy Strategies at Cambridge University being co-sponsored by Arup and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Arup, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the University of Cambridge have joined forces to create new energy research post, reflecting growing interest in how society can build toward a lower carbon future while supporting sustainable economic growth.

Arup Director, John Miles, will leave his current post to take up the inaugural role as Arup/Royal Academy of Engineering Research Professor in Transitional Energy Strategies at Cambridge University from January 2012.

Professor Miles aims to use the post to explore the development of affordable, low carbon energy technologies and business models.

"It is a great honour to take up this position at Cambridge University. I hope our research will help to inspire some of the creative thinking that will be needed to open up real business opportunities for those engaged in leading the transition from our current carbon-intensive economy to a healthier, cleaner, lower carbon future."

- John Miles

Professor Dame Ann Dowling, Head of the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, welcomed the announcement, saying, "Professor Miles' research will put a sharp focus on the practicalities of making the transition from conventional power to a lower carbon future. His new chair is a perfect fit with the Engineering Department's strategic theme, 'Energy, Transport and Urban Infrastructure', and the wider drive for energy solutions across the whole University."

Robert Barrett, Head of Research Programmes at the Royal Academy of Engineering, added, "We are delighted to co-sponsor this research chair with Arup. The Royal Academy of Engineering is committed to promoting the highest quality research into the key issues we face as a society and this post will do much to aid our understanding of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."

Recent developments in both Brussels and Durban have underlined the global challenges involved in restoring the global economy to health and reducing the threat of global climate change. Affordable, low-carbon energy technologies will play a critical role in developing long-term solutions, which is why Arup and the Royal Academy of Engineering have been so keen to support the new Research Chair at the University of Cambridge.

Sainsbury Laboratory wins at WAF

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Sainsbury Laboratory at Cambridge University has won the World's Best Learning Building award at the prestigious World Architecture Festival.

The Sainsbury Laboratory brings together world-leading scientists in a working environment of the highest quality in the University's Botanic Garden. This 11,000m² plant science research centre also houses specimens brought back on the Beagle by Charles Darwin.

"This project connects building and landscape in a poetic and meaningful way. It is beautifully considered in terms of its human scale, and for activities for research and learning. The choice of materials display a profound tactile sense."

- WAF jury commendation.

The client brief called for a world class architecture for world class science. Showcase laboratories benefit from unusually high levels of daylight through extensive roof and façade glazing. Careful integration of the services with the structural form maintains the sense of openness throughout.

Achieving a target of 10% renewables on site was significant. Arup's detailed energy analyses and liaison with the local council meant these requirements were met early in the planning process. The laboratory has a bespoke BREEAM 'Excellent' EPC B rating.

Qualcomm acquires HaloIPT

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:30:00 GMT

Qualcomm acquires Halo IPT technology underlining confidence in the future of electric vehicles and induction charging technology

Halo IPT's leading wireless charging technology for electric vehicles, developed by Arup and Auckland Uniservices, has been acquired by Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM).

The UK-based technology development company was founded by Auckland University's technology development vehicle, UniServices, in conjunction with Arup and the support of the Trans Tasman Commercialisation Fund and the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund.

Since its inception in May 2010, Halo IPT has pioneered the development and production of wireless charging technology for the transportation sector. The company's objective is to bring its wireless charging technology to market for road vehicle applications on a global scale.

"In only 18 months, we have brought world-class university research to the attention of the global automotive industry. Through really innovative design, we have demonstrated the huge potential for wireless charging to the world's leading vehicle manufacturers.
Electric vehicles hold great promise and the success of HaloIPT demonstrates the value of Arup's investment of time and resources in activities we feel can make a real difference to the world around us - like developing skills and knowledge needed for a global shift to low carbon economy."

- John Miles, Executive Chairman of HaloIPT and a Director at Arup.

According to Andrew Gilbert, Qualcomm's Executive Vice President, European Innovation Development, "Qualcomm has been investing in wireless power for a number of years and the HaloIPT acquisition will further strengthen our technology and patent portfolio. Building off 20 years of development and innovation in wireless power at the University of Auckland and the global expertise and market knowledge at Arup, the HaloIPT team has established itself in a relatively short period of time as a leading developer in wireless electric road vehicle charging - with HaloIPT winning industry acclamation and awards."

Arup has a longstanding interest and expertise in low carbon mobility. The group is currently leading several major projects in this area, including the UK's CABLED Consortium (Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Demonstrators) programme - the UK's largest trial of electric vehicles. This project is one of eight regional trials in the Technology Strategy Board's Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator programme.

Arup is also leading a consortium contributing to a £11m research programme - led by the Energy Technologies Institute. The initiative aims to support the future roll-out of electric vehicles. Working with the University of Leeds and E.ON, Arup is developing a model to analyse the economics of UK-wide electric and hybrid electric vehicle usage to support potential carbon reduction.

Kurilpa Bridge wins at World Architecture Festival

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:30:00 GMT

Kurilpa Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, has been named best Transport project at the 2011 World Architecture Festival.

The bridge, designed by Cox Architecture, is the largest construction in the world to use "tensegrity" principles - a balance between compressive and tensile forces. Arup supplied the complex geometrical analysis required to produce a strong but lightweight structure, as well as engineering, modeling, geotechnics, lighting design and hydraulics.

The multi-mast, cable-stay structure allows cyclists and pedestrians to cross the Brisbane River between the city's central business district and arts precinct. The bridge features viewing and rest areas, and solar photovoltaic panels provide power for the programmable LED lighting display.

Certainly the judges at the World Architecture Festival seem to agree. The bridge beat competition from a host of prestigious entries from across the globe that were all battling to impress an international panel of leading architects and industry figures, so the award marks an impressive result for everyone in the Kurilpa Bridge team.

Ngaire Woods appointed as Non-Executive Director

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:39:00 GMT

Arup has appointed Ngaire Woods as a Non-Executive Director to the Arup Group Board.

Terry Hill, Chair of Arup's Trustees, commented on the appointment: "Ngaire brings considerable international political and cultural knowledge, and we anticipate that she will bring very different perspectives to our Board. We are confident that Ngaire will help us greatly in our mission to shape a better world and to ensure a long-term sustainable future for the firm."

Ngaire responded "I look forward to serving as a non-executive director on the Arup Group Board. Arup is an outstanding company. Its work across the globe is exciting and innovative, as are its longstanding aims to be humane, honest, and socially useful in all that it does. As the group takes on new challenges, it will be an honour to work with its distinguished Board to help ensure its ongoing success."

Ngaire was educated at Auckland University (Law and Economics), completed an MPhil in International Relations as a New Zealand Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford, and went on to teach at the Government Department of Harvard University.

She is the Academic Director of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, and also Professor of International Political Economy and Dean of Graduates at University College, Oxford, and the founder and Director of the Global Economic Governance Programme.

Ngaire has served as an Advisor to the IMF Board (and is a member of the IMF European Regional Advisory Group), the UNDP's Human Development Report, and the Commonwealth Heads of Government, and has published numerous books on global regulation, international relations and governance.

Arup Group announces 2009/10 financial results

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:37:00 GMT

2009/10 Financial Statements show Arup Group Ltd has maintained a strong global position despite the difficult trading environment

The financial statements for Arup Group Ltd released today confirm turnover of £889 million for the year ending 31 March 2010 (2009: £889 million). Total profit before tax, dividends, exceptional items and staff profit share is £23 million (2009: £77 million). Profitability has been impacted by a range of factors, including market conditions and currency fluctuations. The firm has also sustained investment in new areas and in strategic staff mobility.

Highlights for the year ending 31 March 2010 include:

£889 million turnover, £23 million profit.
Growth in buoyant markets (notably Asia and Australasia) offset the slow-down in other areas.
Changes to the pension scheme in the UK to reduce long term risks.

Read the Corporate Report 2010.

Turnover shows continued resilience against a background of challenging trading conditions in some of the major economies in which Arup operates. The Group has benefited from its ongoing commitment to the diversification of its businesses across geographies and markets. This, together with the ability to apply resources flexibly from locations around the world, and an increased focus on the mobility of our people, has helped to maintain global headcount, albeit at reduced profit levels. £19m of profit was paid through a global profit sharing scheme to the employees.

Philip Dilley, Chairman, said: "During the last year we have benefited from the Group's multi-disciplinary capability that, combined with global reach, has enabled us to continue to win and deliver high quality projects around the world. Creative design solutions remain at the heart of Arup, and we are successfully applying this approach across an increasingly broad range of services."

The balance sheet has remained strong, with cash reserves of over £100m. The Group's independence and organic growth mean that it has no intangibles (goodwill, etc) inflating its asset base, and this provides a robust financial platform for the ongoing development of the business. During the year, the Group took advantage of favourable market conditions to acquire the freehold of its main office in London, reducing future rent commitments.

The closure of the UK defined benefit pension scheme and the change in statutory revaluation to a Consumer Price Inflation basis for deferred pensions have impacted on Group results. While changes to contain the risks of the scheme have now been made, the underlying volatility of asset and liability values will continue to impact on the balance sheet in the medium term. The replacement defined contribution scheme is flexible and more affordable to its members as well as more sustainable for the Group, and has attracted significantly more participants than the previous scheme.

David Whittleton, Group Chief Operating Officer, said: "Our business has remained resilient with real growth in many markets. However, we have also faced some hard but necessary decisions in a number of locations during the year, to keep our staff resources aligned with our current and expected workload, to manage our pensions risks, and to ensure that we are in the right shape going forward."

Major ongoing projects of the Group include:

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Cornell University's ERL Upgrade (underground particle accelerator laboratory), USA
Multi-products pipeline, South Africa
Dubai airport, United Arab Emirates
California high-speed rail, USA
Crossrail, United Kingdom
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, China
The Shard, London, United Kingdom
Pembury Hospital, Maidstone, United Kingdom
Study on carbon emissions for Beijing City Plan, China
A30 Toronto, Canada
Strategic Expert Adviser to the C40 cities group

Read the Corporate Report 2010.

Double sustainability award for Arup Associates

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:18:00 GMT

Arup Associates was named Sustainable Designer of the Year in the Sustainability Awards 2010.

The practice also received The Sustainable Project of the Year (over £10m) award for the BSkyB HQ project in West London.

The Sustainability Awards are supported by the UK Green Building Council. They are the leading industry event recognising outstanding achievement in sustainability in the built environment.

Other recent examples of buildings by Arup Associates that have been recognised for their exemplary approach to sustainable design include the Ropemaker building for British Land, the FIFA 2022 Showcase for Qatar, Citi Bank Data Centre in Frankfurt and Druk White Lotus School in Ladakh, Northern India.

Arup Associates is one of the world's pioneering practices in sustainable design. From its inception in the 1963, the practice has gained a reputation for an innovative, relevant approach to sustainability that focuses on the human experience of a building.

Pioneering sustainable design

Together, Arup Associates architects and Arup engineers consider everything from the basics of building orientation, spatial configuration, building systems as well as cladding and façade shading systems through to radical and inventive solutions to new sustainability challenges.

Mike Beaven, Arup Associates' leader of building services and environmental engineering says: "Sky and Arup Associates have aimed to make Harlequin 1 the world's most sustainable broadcasting facility. Sky's policy is that every watt counts."

Together we've designed sustainability into every stage of the project, from energy consumption to energy production and harvesting - and expressed this in the powerful architecture and engineering of the building."

BSkyB Harlequin 1

Arup Associates's 23,000m² project for BSkyB project sets an international benchmark for sustainable architecture in the world of broadcasting. Named Harlequin 1, the building houses recording, post-production and transmission studios together with Sky's broadcast and sports news departments.

Arup Associates opted for a natural ventilation strategy, making it their mission to resolve this type of cooling mechanism in a way that worked silently with the acoustically sensitive environments of broadcasting studios. The overall energy consumption was reduced by 67 % compared to business as usual.

Michael Bear appointed to Arup Group Board

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 GMT

Arup has appointed Michael Bear as a non-executive director to the Group Board.

Terry Hill, Chair of Arup's Trustees commented on the appointment, "Michael is well known to Arup and to the business world, particularly in London where he has been responsible for many outstanding projects, a number of which Arup has been involved in."

He continued, "Michael has a fine appreciation of where our business and Arup fits in the world and where its ambitions lie. He will bring a fresh perspective on the firm's strategic direction."

Michael Bear commented, "Having been involved with Arup over the years on many exciting and challenging projects, I'm delighted to have been appointed as non-executive director to such a distinguished firm. I'm looking forward enormously to working with my new colleagues on the Arup Group Board in helping contribute to its continued success."

Born in Nairobi, Michael was educated in the UK and South Africa, and holds a civil engineering degree and an MBA. Over the last 33 years he has worked in the international construction industry in the UK, China and West Africa.

Michael has held senior positions in both the property and construction industries; he is currently Regeneration Director at Hammerson plc and Chief Executive of the Spitalfields Development Group. Michael is also a part-time director of Balfour Beatty Property Ltd and of Balfour Beatty Property Investments Ltd.

Michael is also an Alderman in the City of London, was previously Sheriff of the City of London and is the preferred candidate for Lord Mayor of London from November 2010.