Arup has signed a landmark agreement with one of the world’s largest civil engineering groups and tunnelling contractors, the China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC). The two parties formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in London in the presence of the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, and the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, as part of a Sino-UK visit.
The agreement forms the basis for closer collaboration between Arup and CREC in bidding for key international projects in the future. The MoU strengthens an already close working relationship between the two groups as they look to exploit growing market opportunities in the Middle East, Africa, South America and South East Asia.
Combining the design engineering expertise of Arup with the scale and experience of the Chinese engineering and construction giant is likely to provide a compelling proposition for prospective clients in these rapidly expanding markets, according to the signatories.
Chairman of the Arup Group Board, Philip Dilley, said, “This is an excellent agreement that forges a very powerful strategic partnership for future growth across both groups. CREC is a very well-known and highly respected company, so we are delighted to be able to work with them even more closely, combining our knowledge and expertise to exploit new business opportunities in fast-growing markets around the world.”
Signing on behalf of CREC, Vice President, Mr Hui Liu, said, “CREC already has many offices around the globe, but this agreement is strategically important for the company. Not only does the agreement reinforce the strong relationship between Arup and CREC, it also puts us in a good position to exchange information on new project opportunities and bid for major contracts as we aim to expand outside China.”
Signing on behalf of Arup, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Terry Hill, said, “We are delighted to be a strategic partner with CREC. Their experience in major projects, particularly in rail, is a great fit with our successful record in providing integrated solutions on major infrastructure works and will help us to open up many opportunities in fast-growing markets around the world.”
CREC’s International General Manager, Chen Zhigong, said, “My organisation is very keen to expand our activities outside the People’s Republic of China and this agreement will create a new and powerful partnership as we aim for further global growth in the years ahead.”
The signing ceremony in London was attended by high-level delegates from both groups, alongside representatives from The Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China who added their support to the cooperation agreement between Arup and CREC.
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