It has acquired California-based International Bridge Technologies (IBT). The acquisition doubles Systra's geographic footprint in bridge design; it gains centres in the USA, Canada and Dubai to complement its existing bridge design centres in France, Korea and India. IBT will now be called Systra IBT.
Systra IBT senior technical officer Dan Tassin said: “Joining Systra will reinforce our capabilities in bridge engineering and our ability to deliver services for large projects. We have been impressed by Systra’s accomplishments in the field of rail transportation as well as complex bridge design. A number of senior engineers for both companies have worked in the past under the leadership of Jean Muller and, as a result, we share the same design values.”
The aim of the acquisition – Systra's first in a specific engineering discipline - is to offer deep technical expertise across the full spectrum of bridge design services, which the company sees as complementing its core rail business.
Systra and Systra IBT will now establish a global bridge centre offering contractors a one-stop-shop for design and build projects. More than 80% of IBT’s projects are design and build; 70% of Systra’s bridge projects have been developed in partnership with contractors.
Systra CEO Pierre Verzat said: “By combining the complementary bridge engineering expertise of both companies through our new global bridge centre of excellence, we will offer clients the full range of services in this field.”
