Posted on May 13, 2024
Arcadis, the leading global design and consultancy firm for natural and built assets, celebrated its 75th anniversary in Greater China with a grand event at the Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong. The celebration was graced by Mark Cowlard, Arcadis Global President for Places, Sandra Bolder, Arcadis Chief People Officer, Weibin Xu, Arcadis Head of Greater China, along with many members of the regional leadership team. Together with industry experts and partners, they underscored Arcadis’ enduring commitment to the Greater China market and its collaborative vision for a brighter, sustainable future.
Weibin Xu delved into Arcadis’ esteemed history, which began with its founding in the Netherlands in 1888, initially focusing on land reclamation to enhance the agricultural productivity of Dutch heathlands. He underscored Arcadis’ pioneering role in the Greater China construction industry, having provided leading international cost management consultancy services since establishing its first office in Hong Kong in 1949. During the 1990s, as a significant number of prominent Hong Kong and multinational companies progressively increased their investments in mainland China, Arcadis strategically entered the mainland market in 1993. This move aimed to better support the successful completion of key projects for these corporations, securing a leading position in construction engineering, architectural design, and urban planning. The year 2024, marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, also signifies an important milestone—75 years of Arcadis’ profound engagement and contribution to Greater China.
Over the past 75 years, Arcadis has delivered numerous transformative projects across Greater China through its global service network, advanced solutions, and strong local base, covering traditional industries and new economic sectors such as digital technology enterprises, logistics real estate, data centers, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical centers; as well as public welfare areas like large-scale public housing construction and research on smart green buildings in Hong Kong. Furthermore, Arcadis has played an active role in key strategic urban clusters, including the Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, helping enterprises seize development opportunities.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to introduce international standards in cost management, project management, environmental consulting, and the principles of sustainable development and ESG into the Greater China market, supporting our clients’ development and promoting high-quality urban development in Greater China,” said Weibin Xu.
Weibin Xu, Arcadis Head of Greater China
The Greater Bay Area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao is one of the key strategies for reform, opening up, and fostering high-quality growth in the Greater China region. Arcadis actively drives its vigorous development, empowering the high-quality and sustainable economic development of the area. Mark Cowlard, Arcadis Global President for Places, shared his deep affection for Hong Kong at the event, emphasizing that Arcadis is committed to improving quality of life globally through innovative and sustainable design, engineering, digital, and consultancy solutions. Arcadis stands very proud as a leading force around 2,000 professionals across Greater China, and throughout the years, Arcadis has been in partnerships with clients from both public and private sectors, helping to successfully deliver numerous iconic projects such as the Hong Kong International Airport, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Headquarters, AIRSIDE, and The Parisian Macao, injecting momentum into the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area.
Looking ahead, Arcadis will continue to uphold its mission to improve quality of life, steadfastly implement its 2024-2026 Global Strategy—Accelerating a Planet Positive Future, focusing on Sustainable Project Choices, Digital + Human Innovation, and Powered By Our People. Through these three pillars, Arcadis will further contribute international experience and expertise to China’s high-quality urban development, fulfill its commitment to ESG, and consistently value talent development.
“We will continue to shape a better future for generations to come, through our unwavering commitments to the Greater China market, our shared knowledge network across the globe that’s created by 37,000 Arcadians and supported by our global operation’s model, and long-term partnership and collaboration with clients and partners,” affirmed Mark Cowlard.
Mark Cowlard, Arcadis Global President for Places
Standing at the new starting point of its 75th anniversary, Arcadis remains committed to win-win cooperation and the concept of long-term, sustainable development to deepen its engagement in the Greater China market, assisting clients in building more sustainable development and business models, together moving towards a more sustainable future.
