Utrecht, 24 October 2023 – Consultancy and engineering firm Movares, specializing in solutions for rail, mobility, energy, and infrastructure challenges, announces that it has reached an agreement with Innovus Smart Engineering to jointly form one of the largest independent engineering firms in the Netherlands.

This new group of companies aims to provide the most innovative and sustainable engineering services with societal impact. It aspires to be a frontrunner in the chain from initiative and planning to realization and management. The group offers high-quality engineering solutions for complex societal challenges.

Movares, headquartered in Utrecht with several regional offices throughout the Netherlands, has a rich tradition stemming from Dutch railway designers who have created iconic designs since 1839. Movares became independent as Holland Railconsult in 1995 and has developed into a consultancy and engineering firm with a broad portfolio. In 2020, BRO, which supports companies and governments with advice on spatial development, urban planning, landscape, and economy, joined Movares, strengthening its position in the early planning phase of projects.

Innovus Smart Engineering is a group of engineering firms with a proven track record in the built and spatial environments. The group was formed in 2022 as a platform company within the portfolio of Amsterdam-based investment company Convent Capital through the merger of Zonneveld Ingenieurs, Ingenieursbureau Ulehake, MUG Ingenieursbureau, and software developer Future Insight. Zonneveld Ingenieurs is particularly strong in the digitalization of engineering services, enabling Innovus Smart Engineering to serve clients with large, complex tasks more efficiently.

Due to challenges such as climate change, energy transition, and aging infrastructure, society is placing significant demands on engineering services. This occurs against a backdrop of an increasing shortage of technically skilled professionals. By joining forces in the new group of companies, specialist knowledge in the fields of rail, mobility, energy, infrastructure, and buildings is combined with expertise in digitalization. This positions the new group even better to contribute to major projects to be realized in the coming years for a livable, accessible, and sustainable Netherlands.

Robert Claasen, CEO of Movares, stated:

“The merger with Innovus Smart Engineering is a next step in the development of Movares. The knowledge and competences within the group are highly complementary, putting us in an even better position to tackle the major societal issues in the fields of sustainability, livability, and accessibility. We are an excellent fit for each other, with a shared passion for the profession as the connecting factor. The ongoing digitalization will give our professionals the space to evolve and enable them to truly excel.”

Harm Hoorn, CEO of Innovus Smart Engineering, commented:

“The formation of Innovus Smart Engineering was driven by the ambition to do things differently and become leading in scale and social relevance as ‘the leading digital engineers.’ By merging with Movares, Innovus achieves that scale and relevance all at once. We are incredibly impressed by Movares’ specialist knowledge and the great projects they are involved in. At Innovus, we place the professional at the center of everything, and we find common ground in our passion for the profession. We look forward to moving forward together.”

Erik van Schie, CFO of Movares, added:

“By becoming part of a larger group, the various parties can better cope with the tight labor market, invest more in digitalization, and further strengthen their commercial strength. Together, we have the scale and competences to play a distinctive role in the Dutch engineering market.”

The companies will continue to operate in the market under their own labels, with Movares being the leading brand. The management of the Movares Group holding company will be formed by Robert Claasen (CEO), Erik van Schie (CFO), and Harm Hoorn (CTO). The new combination has approximately 1,150 employees and annual revenue of more than EUR 170 million.

The transaction is executed by the acquisition of the shares of the current owners of Movares by Innovus Holding. The Movares Works Council has already advised positively, and the transaction has been submitted to the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) for approval.