Sweco has signed an agreement to acquire assar architects, a leading architectural practice specialising in large-scale public and private sector projects, including offices and commercial buildings, healthcare, defence, education and urban planning. The acquisition will significantly broaden Sweco's architecture offering in Belgium and Luxembourg.
The acquired company assar architects focuses on "inclusive architecture" and primarily operates in Belgium and Luxembourg. The company has worked on projects such as the NATO headquarters, some of Belgium's largest hospitals and developments for European institutions and multinationals.
This acquisition will strengthen Sweco's organisation through the addition of approximately 150 experts and the company is being consolidated into Sweco immediately. The turnover of assar architects was approximately EUR 16.5 million in 2024.
"I warmly welcome assar architects and their inclusion as a new and important part of Sweco, the European leader in architecture and engineering consulting. We have collaborated successfully on client projects in healthcare, government and defence as well as on complex urban development projects subject to stringent sustainability standards. Together we will be ideally positioned to deliver maximum client value in the ongoing green transition and modernisation of the built environment in our regions," says Erwin Malcorps, Business Area President of Sweco in Belgium.
Belgium and Luxembourg are transitioning toward sustainable, energy-efficient and smart urban development phases with a focus on infrastructure renewal, digital innovation and climate goals, and which are strongly supported by EU programs like the Green Deal, NextGenerationEU and Horizon Europe.
Sweco holds a strong market position in Belgium by combining engineering and architecture consulting to create synergies for public and private clients. In 2023, Sweco acquired VK architects+engineers, adding 600 experts to Sweco. With the new addition of assar architects, Sweco further solidifies its position in Belgium.
Press photos:
- Visualisation of Belgium's new Defense Headquarters, which is being built near NATO in Brussels, and is a major project involving both Sweco and assar architects. It will house around 4,000 personnel and meet contemporary requirements in terms of functionality, safety, wellbeing, and sustainability. Free use, please credit: Be Defence.
- Photo of Erwin Malcorps, Sweco Belgium, free use, please credit: Tobias Regell.
About Sweco's acquisition agenda
This acquisition aligns with Sweco's acquisition strategy to grow the business by adding key skills that complement Sweco's 22,000 experts and it will expand the Group's market position as Europe's leading architecture and engineering consultancy. Sweco's strategy is to grow through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth, and the Group has completed more than 160 acquisitions over the past 20 years.
For additional information, please contact:
Anna E Olsson, Head of Press, Sweco Group, +4670 557 33 26, anna.e.olsson@sweco.se
Sweco plans and designs tomorrow's sustainable communities and cities. With the collective knowledge of our 22,000 architects, engineers and other experts we work together with our clients to facilitate the green transition, maximise the potential from digitalisation and strengthen the resilience of our communities. Sweco is Europe's leading architecture and engineering consultancy, with sales of approximately SEK 31 billion (EUR 2.7 billion) in 2024. The company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. www.swecogroup.com
