Atkins is helping to build infrastructure capacity in Singapore through a strategic relationship with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), resulting in a $5 million investment in skills in the region.

With support from the government agency EDB, which acts to stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities in Singapore, two Atkins Group companies, Faithful+Gould and Atkins Acuity, are investing and training consultants, managers and directors to expand skills in project management and whole asset lifecycle infrastructure development.

Atkins set up Atkins Acuity in June 2016 to combine the company’s extensive engineering and master planning capability with new structuring, financing and project preparation expertise. Acuity has plans to invest $2.5 million over the next five years on recruiting and developing 18 high-potential consultants, managers and directors in Singapore to develop skills in advanced infrastructure development, overcoming complex asset management challenges, and delivering solutions across the whole asset lifecycle for developing economies.

For the programme and project management consultancy Faithful+Gould, its team in Singapore will be investing $2 million over the next five years to develop 16 high-potential project managers in deepening their skills in project leadership roles.

“Investment in skills is essential to drive innovation and enable sustainable economic growth in the region. Specifically, with the advent of digital, we see an unprecedented momentum of change in the engineering and construction industry. Our partnership with EDB is empowering us to prepare for this change and build capacity and create job opportunities in Singapore, while helping grow the infrastructure market,” said Prof Dr Uwe Krueger, CEO of Atkins, who just took part in the fourth McKinsey Global Infrastructure Initiative (GII) Summit in Singapore on 24 May.

“We are pleased that Atkins has set up its global end-to-end advisory business, Atkins Acuity, whose senior leaders are based in Singapore. Atkins’ investment will help bring value to Singapore’s infrastructure ecosystem and strengthen our standing as Asia’s leading infrastructure hub. With talent as a key pillar of the sector, EDB looks forward to partnering Atkins in not only growing its business, but also in the building up of skilled talent that will help fuel the industry’s growth,” commented Fong Pin Fen, director for cities, infrastructure and industrial solutions at EDB.

In recent years, Singapore has been recognised as a highly attractive market in the world for infrastructure investment thanks to its comprehensive infrastructure ecosystem, strong business environment, healthy pipeline of development work and a growing economy. A workforce with deeper infrastructure skills will help the city better capture growing opportunities and maximise its growth potential.