12 October 2021
Lancashire-based engineering giant Assystem has acquired all of the shares of Schofield Lothian Ltd, a London-based consulting company that primarily specialises in UK rail projects which has 80 specialist consultants.
Through this acquisition Assystem is extending and diversifying its UK footprint. Schofield Lothian’s offer covers four different areas: Consents & Engagement, Environmental Services, Project Management and Commercial Management.
Schofield Lothian’s key business offering in Consents & Engagement and Environmental services brings new capability to Assystem, while Assystem will provide Schofield Lothian and the UK public transportation sector with its experience in digitalising engineering and managing major rail projects in France, the Middle East and, more recently, India.
The acquisition will hence enable Assystem to offer a broader range of end-to-end services for energy transition projects in the UK, including to our existing clients involved in new nuclear power station delivery, small modular reactors and renewables as well as hydrogen. With Schofield Lothian’s Consents & Engagement and Environmental services, Assystem is now in the position to serve energy projects from their early stages until their completion.
Assystem is also becoming a significant player in engineering services for the transportation sector in the UK, which means that Schofield Lothian’s existing clients in that sector will benefit from a broader services offering. Due to Assystem’s digital capabilities, Schofield Lothian’s teams will be able to apply Assystem’s Engineering by Digital approach to projects and draw on its expertise in digital methods and tools. They will also be able to capitalise on the safety and risks related capabilities developed by CRA, another UK entity of the Assystem group.
Assystem is dedicated to realising the energy transition and digital revolution and is designing and delivering energy and infrastructure projects that will power the net zero economy. While its focus is on decarbonised energy (nuclear as well as renewables and hydrogen), it also deploys its expertise in the public transportation and defence sectors, which need the same type of high-level skills in terms of complex infrastructure engineering, with public transportation making a key contribution to decarbonising the economy.
Thomas Branche Senior Vice President, Energy Transition and Infrastructures, Assystem said: “Schofield Lothian is a highly respected and well-established consultancy, and we are really excited about the combination of our two organisations’ capabilities, which we are sure will be a success. This combination of Schofield Lothian’s high-end capabilities in consents & engagement and environmental services with Assystem’s engineering skills and expertise will be a real advantage for energy transition projects in the UK. At the same time, the combination creates a key partner for the UK transportation sector, helping to build safer, cleaner and more efficient transport networks.”
Kevin Corcoran, Managing Director of Schofield Lothian said: “We are excited to be joining the Assystem Group - the acquisition brings together two complementary businesses that are culturally aligned with both companies sharing similar values.
With Assystem’s expertise in digitalisation and engineering skills, we can expand our services and accelerate our growth in rail and infrastructure bringing added value to both our clients and staff. We are also excited by the opportunities it will provide to our staff in terms of their professional and personal growth working alongside our new colleagues in Assystem.”