annual report - Royal Haskoning

the markets
report of the board of management
positioning as an integrated partner
Major changes are occurring in our markets. Changes in regulations and methods of tendering have led to new relationships
that originally appeared to threaten Royal Haskoning. In accordance with our objectives, we were able to improve our market
position in 2006, not only in Western Europe but also in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. We see opportunities for
growth, especially in such sectors as health care, oil and gas, water and public-private partnerships. Through our positioning
as a process integrator we can offer a wide range of high quality services in these promising sectors. That is clearly being
well received in the market. For example, in 2006 we acquired the first commission for the integrated development of
a new hospital, precisely because we could submit an integrated tender based on our multi-disciplinary knowledge and
experience. That the collaboration within our international network is becoming increasingly effective was underlined
yet again in 2006 when we were given the ABN-AMRO Anglo-Dutch Award for Enterprise by the Dutch-British Chamber
of Commerce. This prize has been awarded since 1981 to companies that operate both in the United Kingdom and the
Netherlands. It was precisely the successful collaboration across national borders, within our one-company concept, that
was the reason for the award of this prestigious prize.
innovative ability
We are aiming to increase our innovative ability in order to further increase our attractiveness to clients. That calls for further
development of our international knowledge infrastructure and creative combinations of new and existing technology. We
are therefore also looking for links and collaboration with other innovators and early adapters, and we are operating at
the interface of social issues, legislation and regulations, and the business cases of our clients. Speed is an asset here; our
innovative ability must also enable us to adapt quickly to changing market demand.
gathering and sharing knowledge
Our development and progress begin with people who want to learn from the market, from clients, from competitors
and from one another. A great deal of knowledge is also available in our international network. We want to deploy this
better in regional and local markets through more intensive collaboration and exchange. Diversity can play a positive role
in this. Differences between people, cultures and working methods must be used in order to generate innovative solutions
as a team. In 2006 we also used management training for the further development of leadership, precisely with aim of
promoting team spirit.
In order to be able to effectively collect and share this knowledge and experience internationally, as well as internally and
with our clients and suppliers, a properly functioning knowledge infrastructure is essential. We invested heavily in ICT in
2006 and long-term investments will also be needed in the coming years if we are going to realise our ambitions.
>> integrated services appeal to the market
>> excelling in promising market sectors
>> using our knowledge infrastructure to serve the market
16