Capital Earthquake Engineers Score $3m Contract In Turkey
Positively Wellington Business congratulates members of the Earthquake Engineering New Zealand cluster, whose innovative
technology and world-leading practices to reduce the consequences of earthquakes on communities have led to a $3 million
contract win in Istanbul, Turkey.
Earthquake Engineering New Zealand (EENZ) cluster member Beca International Consultants Ltd have signed a contract with
the Turkish government as a lead partner of a joint venture with Turkish consulting engineers Prota. Other EENZ cluster
members involved in the collaborative bid are Holmes Group, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, and David
Hopkins Consulting. The eight-month contract they have won involves a feasibility study of the earthquake strengthening
of 369 multi-storey apartment buildings in the Istanbul municipality of Bakirkoy. Dr Richard Sharpe of Beca
International Consultants will direct the project while Dr David Hopkins will be the resident project manager. There
were a number of deaths from building collapses in this municipality following the devastating 1999 earthquake that
claimed at least 25 000 Turkish lives. Beca will set up a branch office in Turkey to deliver the contract, and the
consortium will be well positioned to bid for consulting contracts in follow-on projects, which are expected to be worth
US$12 million.
“This win is evidence of the international reputation local earthquake engineers have built for their cutting-edge work
in this area, and demonstrates the significant leverage the business cluster model can provide for our businesses in the
global marketplace,” says Positively Wellington Business’ (PWB’s) Chief Executive Philip Lewin.
PWB’s predecessor, Capital Development Agency, fostered the EENZ cluster in 1998, as a forum for members to share
knowledge, develop new approaches and ideas for generating business, and to facilitate cooperation amongst members in
pursuit of contracts. The cluster now has over 30 members and its focus is on overseas work that would not otherwise be
generated by individual members – over the next five years EENZ estimates that collaborative cluster initiatives will
assist members generate an additional 15% in export income above what they can achieve by themselves. EENZ also receives
support from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
“The Istanbul contract is a terrific endorsement of the cluster concept in that it’s involved a number of firms, whose
skills are brought together under one banner. It’s the result of considerable patience and perseverance and it will help
to place our earthquake engineers on the map for further work internationally,” says EENZ co-chairperson Dr David
Hopkins.
Other business clusters and networks spawned by PWB as a way of encouraging networking and collaboration for commercial
benefit include: Natural Hazards New Zealand Cluster; I.C.T Wellington Cluster; Wellington Creative Manufacturing
Cluster; Tertiary Education Cluster; Maori and Pacific Consultants Network ; Biotechnology Network; Trade Navigators
Network; and Digital Content Network.