UK's SOCOTEC Acquires Bridge Engineering Consultancy

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 30, SOCOTEC UK & Ireland, the UK and Ireland division of French testing, inspection and certification services group SOCOTEC, announced the acquisition of UK infrastructure engineering consultancy Inertia Consulting. This acquisition marks the 17th completed by SOCOTEC UK & Ireland since 2017, adding approximately 50 full-time employees and further expanding its bridge engineering design, temporary works design, structural inspection and infrastructure asset management capabilities.

Founded in 2006 by David Roome, Inertia Consulting has long been engaged in UK bridge engineering design and infrastructure inspection, with four offices in Derby, Falkirk, Cumbria and Cheshire. The company primarily serves the highway infrastructure sector, participating in multiple industry framework agreements and major infrastructure projects. Its clients include National Highways and other organizations, and it has established business relationships with Network Rail and other major infrastructure owners.

The acquisition integrates Inertia Consulting's expertise into SOCOTEC's existing engineering services. SOCOTEC's original infrastructure business includes civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural investigation, construction inspection, engineering monitoring and surveying services; the newly added business covers bridge engineering design, temporary works design, structural inspection and non-destructive testing (NDT). Following the integration, SOCOTEC can provide highway and railway infrastructure owners and tier-one engineering contractors with services ranging from engineering design and temporary structural technical support during construction to inspection and asset management of existing bridges.

The acquisition is also part of SOCOTEC UK & Ireland's continuous expansion of its UK critical infrastructure engineering business. In May 2026, the company acquired UK energy infrastructure engineering services firm LSTC Group, its 16th acquisition since 2017. Founded in 1954, LSTC primarily provides transmission line design, engineering surveying, geotechnical assessment, earthing solutions and power infrastructure asset inspection services, with clients including transmission network owners, distribution network operators and independent power connection service providers. With the acquisition of Inertia Consulting, SOCOTEC's UK infrastructure business further extends into bridge, highway and railway engineering.