Royal HaskoningDHV Invests In Partnership With H2i To Grow Data-Driven Flood Resilience Services

Royal HaskoningDHV acquires a minority share in Singapore-based Hydroinformatics Institute to expand its digital footprint in the region, and boost its flood resilience and climate change-related offerings

Engineering and project management consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV has entered into a strategic partnership with Singapore-based Hydroinformatics Institute (H2i). Together, they will apply big data to boost urban flood resilience.

The partnership also allows Royal HaskoningDHV to expand its digital footprint in water management and climate change-related solutions in Asia, while extending H2i the funding, expertise and network that will allow it to grow.

Royal HaskoningDHV CEO Erik Oostwegel: “Our partnership with the highly-skilled and digital-savvy H2i team brings together a complementary and deep understanding of climate-related challenges and urban flood resilience. We will accelerate the development of a data-driven approach to address these challenges using big data analytics, machine learning and advanced modelling.

“By joining forces, we can provide faster and better insights in expected rain and flood risk for cities, businesses and residents. The partnership will also enable us to leapfrog our digital service development to address these challenges.”

The partnership ties closely into Royal HaskoningDHV’s focus on data and digital since 2017, when it embarked on a digital transformation both internally and through acquisitions and strategic alliances.

Martin Lechner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of H2i, explains that this allows both companies to further drive innovation – while Royal HaskoningDHV has the scale and reach, H2i is nimble, and being in a natural test-bed environment like Singapore, can quickly develop water-related digital solutions that can be scaled.

The benefits to H2i are also clear, he adds: “This allows us to accelerate the development of our digital services, bid for larger and more integrated projects in more markets, and ensure that our products and solutions have greater reach.”

Since it started in 2014, H2i has garnered much attention in Asia for its innovative, data-driven approach to water challenges.

The company’s high-resolution rainfall detection and forecasting system based on state-of-the-art X-band weather radar technology, currently deployed in Singapore, could be developed commercially as a service to address flood management in other Asian cities.

Another iconic project of H2i is its ongoing Virtual Water project. This involved the development of a digital twin of Singapore’s water systems and draws on H2i’s modelling capabilities to simulate and predict water behaviour in the event of, for example, heavy rainfall. It runs atop Virtual Singapore, the city’s 3D twin, and ensures that mitigation measures can be conceived and tested.

In May 2018, H2i won the Small Business Rising Star award at the Winsemius Awards 2018, organised by ADB-DutchCham and the Embassy of the Netherlands. The award recognises H2i’s application of data science, AI and machine learning to the sustainable management of water and the environment.

H2i has been embedded in Singapore’s innovation ecosystem since its beginnings and maintains strong relationships with both academia and industry. This allows it to actively participate in a rapidly-evolving sector and provides access to a strong talent base.

No financial details about the investment will be disclosed.

Royal HaskoningDHV’s Digital Transformation
Royal HaskoningDHV has made significant strides in transforming its organisation since launching its new strategy in 2017 with a clear focus on data and digital. It is introducing new digital ways of working, new digital services (e.g. BlueLabel) and is co-creating with clients, start-ups, and strategic partners like data intelligence lab HAL24K for solutions with real impact. In July 2018 Royal HaskoningDHV acquired data science company Ynformed. This was followed by the acquisition ofLanner, a hybrid software & consultancy firm specialising in predictive simulation for industrial clients, in January 2019.

About Royal HaskoningDHV
Royal HaskoningDHV is an independent company delivering engineering, consultancy and project management services since 1881. We have almost 6,000 professionals operating from across the world who are eager to innovate and co-create with clients and partners to have a positive impact on people, our living environment and the economy. More and more, we connect the digital with the physical world. Together with clients and partners, we use data and algorithms to solve new challenges and prevent problems. We help our clients in their digital transformation, and we support their business with better and faster execution of their ambitions. Enhancing society together! For more information, visit royalhaskoningdhv.com.

About The Hydroinformatics Institute(H2i)
The Hydroinformatics Institute (H2i), founded in 2014, provides both the expertise and tools for dealing with water-related issues. Using big data analytics, machine learning and advanced computer modelling, our teams develop, execute and manage specialist consultancy projects in the fields of monitoring, hydrodynamic modelling, water quality modelling, and operational management systems. For more information, visit h2i.sg.