Published on: April 3, 2024

Sweco’s vision is to be Europe’s most respected knowledge company in the fields of consulting engineering, environmental technology and architecture. Sweco helps its clients reduce the climate footprint of existing industries, establish new industries, develop energy and transportation infrastructure, and build tomorrow’s sustainable communities and cities. Positioning Sweco as a leader in the green transition is the key to capitalising on market developments.

Opportunities driven by Europe’s green transition

Europe is striving to become a leader in the green transition and increase control over supply chains along with energy and raw material supplies. This process is accelerated by political priorities and programmes, including new legislation on the national and European level. It is also fuelled by growing demand from consumers and investors, increased financing and rapid technological development. This creates many business opportunities for Sweco in the transformation of the energy sector, transportation sector, industry and urban areas.

Energy transition

In the energy transition, Sweco supports its clients by bringing together expertise in a range of areas of strategic importance for energy supply. These range from renewable energy production, expansion of the electricity transmission and distribution grid, efficient energy consumption, and technological development in areas such as hydrogen energy storage, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) or electrofuels.

A well-functioning electricity transmission system with expanded grid capacity is essential to the green transition’s success. It enables integration of renewable energy, provides grid stability, facilitates long-distance electricity transmission, optimises energy flows, and supports the transition from fossil fuels to a more sustainable energy mix. Read more about grid expansion projects across Europe and how Sweco plays a role in helping countries get closer to their climate goals.

Industry transition

There is an increased client demand for technical solutions and cross-industry collaborations to create a reliable and sustainable energy supply and resource-efficient industrial facilities.

To tackle the emissions from hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, aluminium, cement, chemicals as well as aviation and heavy-duty transport, Sweco works with clients to increase resource efficiency and secure the supply of raw materials through circularity.

With in-depth collaboration with energy and industrial clients across several European markets, Sweco works across disciplines and draws advantage from experiences from project to project, which benefits the pace of innovation as well as project finances. With a high level of technological expertise and well-established processes in industrial transition, energy- and resource-efficient solutions are applied in many parts of the manufacturing, process and pharmaceutical industries.

Sweco has been tasked with designing two green hydrogen plants in the Netherlands for VoltH2. The plants will leverage wind energy to produce millions of kilos of sustainable hydrogen. The project represents a shift in hydrogen production methods and are crucial to the energy transition, moving away from natural gas towards renewable sources.

Transportation transition

Climate adaptation and changing habits are driving a rapid and radical change in transport systems. There is a great need for more sustainable transport systems that move people and goods safely and efficiently.

Digitalisation has profoundly changed transport needs and patterns. A sustainable, accessible transportation system is essential for connecting communities efficiently and appealingly. Digitalisation, in the form of sensor technology and management of large amounts of complex data, can be used to optimise the design of railway and tramway systems from an emissions perspective. Digital technologies can also meet the demands of urbanisation for efficient transport solutions by improving traffic flows and maintenance planning.

With more than 6,000 employees focused on transport issues, Sweco is one of the world’s largest actors in the area. With expertise in technology, architecture and environmental services, Sweco plans and designs transport systems for pedestrian and cycle paths, roads, bridges, tunnels, ports and railways. In multidisciplinary teams, within and across national borders, Sweco develops existing systems and designs tomorrow’s transportation infrastructure.

The Brussels ring road is one of Belgium’s most important motorways. Sweco has been awarded a multi-year service contract by the Flanders Region for renovation of the ring road. The project is designed to ensure smoother, safer traffic in the Brussels area.

Urban transition

The world’s cities are growing and changing fast. More than 70 per cent of European residents live in cities, many of which are transforming to become more sustainable, digitalised and resilient. Circularity, climate adaptation and energy efficiency are some of the areas that are driving demand for Sweco’s services in this segment.

Sweco offers a wide range of services in buildings and urban areas with sustainability as a key component. Understanding the big picture is essential for long-term success, and Sweco’s architects, engineers and environmental experts work in close-knit, autonomous teams to develop solutions to the most challenging issues for private and public clients.

Special attention is paid to climate adaptation and emissions reduction, circular material flows and energy- efficient systems. Social sustainability is a key component in promoting a more equal, safe and inclusive society. Biodiversity is actively supported with work that includes planning cities’ ecosystem services and working with Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) – i.e., measures to protect, sustainably manage and restore ecosystems. In housing and urban development, sustainability and digitalisation go hand in hand, with new technology often a means of analysing, simulating and designing the best solutions. The more complex clients’ challenges become, the more frequently Sweco’s teams span multiple disciplines and geographies.

Discover how cities can transform vulnerabilities into strengths with decentralized strategies for resource management. Dive into our white paper to learn from experts about designing resilient systems that safeguard human rights to food and contribute to a sustainable future, even amidst crises.