Sweco (Sweden) acquires engineering firm from Flanders
Sweden-based Sweco, Europe’s largest engineering group, is acquiring VK architects+engineers, an architecture and engineering firm from Flanders. Among numerous other projects, VK architects+engineers worked on the construction of the new NATO headquarters in Brussels as well as two of Flanders’ university hospitals: UZ Gent and UZ Brussel.
Joining forces and expertise
Employing some 600 people, VK architects+engineers has a turnover of around EUR 70 million. Five years ago, the Down2Earth investment fund came on board as the main shareholder with a stake of nearly 60%. The rest remained in the hands of VK’s four main partners. Now, Sweco is buying out all the Belgian shareholders. With the acquisition, both companies say they can combine their strengths and expertise in many areas, ranging from engineering and infrastructure design to architecture.
No stranger to Flanders
This is not Sweco’s first acquisition in Flanders. In 2021, for example, the Swedish group bought Leuven-based engineering company BUUR, which specializes in urban planning and landscape architecture. The acquisition of VK architects+engineers has yet to be approved by the Belgian competition authorities. The closing of the deal is expected in the first half of 2023.
Reported by
newspaper De Tijd
