The two signed the 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 this week.
Above: CREC’s Hui Liu and Arup’s Terry Hill signing the MoU
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.
According to the signatories, 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.
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 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.”
Chairman of Arup’s 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.”
