Clockwise from top-left: Madalina Randasu, PR Coordinator; Marius Stefanica, Administrative Dept. Coordinator; Chris Germanacos, Director for Europe and Senior V-P; Crina Nicolae, Contracts and Accounting Dept. Coordinator, Calina Nistor, Deputy Director; and Silvia Duica, Marketing Coordinator.

Louis Berger Group’s contribution to the Romanian drive for infrastructure improvement is measured in much more than euros

Romania plans to sink billions of euros into infrastructure development over the coming years with the aim to reach E.U. standards.
One of the main players currently involved in getting Romania’s infrastructure on track is the French-U.S. engineering giant Louis Berger, which has provided assistance in the planning, design, implementation and supervision of projects throughout the United States, France and some 140 countries.

“Infrastructure is indeed one of Romania’s biggest challenges, as it has been in many other central and eastern European countries,” says Chris Germanacos, Director for Europe and Senior Vice President of Louis Berger Group. “With the current economic growth and the increase in consumer buying power, voters’ expectations and the needs on quality and quantity of infrastructure change. As an example, car ownership has increased so quickly that Bucharest is no longer able to cope. You only need to look at Bucharest and many other cities to see that a lot of work needs to be done on transport, water and wastewater, solid waste, buildings, public institutions etc.”

The company’s first project in Romania was in 1991. Upon the initiation of Louis Berger’s third project in 1993, it decided to staff a permanent office and Romania is now the hub for ongoing work in 16 countries in the central and eastern European region, including Russia and Ukraine.

In the private sector, the group is working for several clients of international reputation in residential, office and major industrial developments in the country. As an example, Louis Berger’s teams of experts have designed and supervised the construction of a steel processing plant and industrial warehouses for Arcelor Mittal. In addition, they have carried out due diligence for a variety of private infrastructure projects. Louis Berger is also involved in public-private partnerships and concessions for infrastructure projects.

One of Louis Berger Group’s major deals in Romania came in 2004 when it was awarded a large contract to upgrade and modernize 106 primary and secondary schools throughout the Bucharest municipality. Other projects include helping the water companies and municipalities in over 15 cities in the country to upgrade their water and solid waste networks.

Louis Berger is also providing consultancy on highway and railway works, advising on studies, design and construction supervision. It is involved in planning, designing and supervising the last half of the Bucharest – Constanta highway including a bypass in Constanta, located on the Black Sea coast.

Shifting its focus to the Romanian energy sector, Louis Berger is currently working on several projects funded by the European Union as part of a consortium of companies. Mr. Germanacos says, “The aim of the projects is to establish a basic framework for the development of the gas and oil corridors from central Asia to central Europe. It is known as the E.U.’s Inogate program. It is the largest of its kind in the region. Its focus is to move energy from east to west.”

Another priority will be to help authorities cope with absorbing billions of euros available in E.U. funding for infrastructure. To this end, Louis Berger is offering technical assistance to 11 municipalities in Romania to prepare and strengthen their absorption capabilities.

The company’s main advantages in Romania, Mr. Germanacos believes, are “the domestic experience that we have gained since 1991, our size, state-of-the-art international experience, and the fact that we operate under a decentralized system. We are based in Romania, not in Washington D.C, Paris or New York. So clients are assured of a fast decision-making process because if something needs key decisions, we can work it out a lot faster than all of our competitors.” He adds: “I do not think that there is any other company here of our size with a track record as long and as extensive as ours, and at the same time working in a decentralized fashion but still being able to draw from the resources and experience of one of the largest development consultants worldwide.”