What Roughan & O'Donovan does

Roughan & O'Donovan (ROD), legally Roughan & O'Donovan Consulting Engineers and trading as ROD, is a privately held Irish-headquartered engineering consultancy founded in 1974 that plans, designs, and manages major civil, environmental and structural infrastructure projects. It is organised around six technical markets — bridges, transportation, buildings, water, environmental, and research — and five service lines: engineering and design, planning and environmental, asset management, contract procurement, and project management. The firm operates from four offices (Sandyford HQ and North Dublin, plus Cork in Ireland and Otley/Leeds in the United Kingdom) with a 101–250 employee headcount, and is structured as Roughan & O'Donovan Ltd (Republic of Ireland) with a UK branch.

The firm's core technology stack centres on Building Information Modelling: ROD was one of the first organisations globally to achieve BSI BIM verification to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2, integrating 3D modelling, parametric design and analysis, 4D visualisation, linked-data and semantic-web tooling with its quality management system. Its recent technical scope has expanded to AI-enabled road operations via a PIARC Special Project on AI in the Road Sector and deployment support for Valerann's AI-powered Lanternn traffic management platform on the M1 and M6 motorways, alongside intelligent transport systems delivery for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the eMOS programme.

ROD earns revenue through fee-based professional services engagements awarded via public competitive tender and direct commission from Irish and UK public-sector clients, including Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority, Iarnród Éireann, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, the Health Service Executive, Waterford City and County Council, Dublin City Council, and PIARC. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. GTM motion is sales-led and partnership-heavy: ROD routinely forms joint ventures (e.g., ROD-TYPSA on BusConnects Dublin Infrastructure Project D since 2019; ROD-AECOM on Galway to Dublin Cycleway and DART+ West) and is appointed by contractors (e.g., BAM Farrans JV on Herring Bridge) and architectural/design partners (H&H, Knight Architects, Sean Harrington Architects). All sources confirm no fundraising, no institutional investors, no M&A activity, and no parent company.

Name

Roughan & O'Donovan

Legal name

Roughan & O'Donovan Consulting Engineers

Website

https://rod.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Roughan & O'Donovan is an Irish-headquartered civil, environmental and structural engineering consultancy founded in 1974 that plans, designs, and manages major infrastructure projects for public-sector clients across Ireland and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Consultancy

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Civil engineering consultancy
• Bridge engineering design
• Transportation infrastructure
• Structural engineering services
• Environmental engineering consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandyford

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consultancy Services: Roughan & O'Donovan generates revenue by providing civil, environmental and structural engineering consultancy services including design, planning, project management and construction supervision for major infrastructure projects. Revenue is earned through fee-based engagements on public-sector infrastructure projects procured via competitive tender.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Roughan & O'Donovan is a civil, environmental and structural engineering consultancy that plans, designs and manages major infrastructure projects for public-sector clients. Core deliverables include bridge engineering, transportation infrastructure design, buildings, environmental and planning services, BIM-based asset information management, and project management/construction supervision, executed under fee-based engagements typically procured via competitive tender.

Product overview

Roughan & O'Donovan (ROD) is a civil, environmental and structural engineering consultancy delivering design excellence since 1974. The company operates as a service-based consultancy rather than a software product company, offering integrated engineering services across multiple markets including bridges, buildings, transportation, water, environmental, and research. Core offerings include BIM and Asset Information Management (with BSI verification to ISO 19650), AI consulting for road infrastructure (via PIARC Special Project), bridge engineering services, transportation infrastructure design, environmental and planning services, and project management. The company has delivered major infrastructure projects including signature bridges (Northern Spire, Samuel Beckett, Mary McAleese), rail projects (DART+ West, Navan railway), and urban regeneration schemes across Ireland and the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil and Structural Engineering Consultancy Full-service civil, environmental and structural engineering consultancy that delivers design excellence across bridges, buildings, transportation, water, environmental and research markets, providing planning, design and management of major infrastructure projects for public-sector clients.
• Bridge Engineering Services Specialist bridge engineering services covering design, assessment, maintenance, asset management and long-span bridge expertise; includes moveable bridge capability delivered with H&H and has produced more than 70 rail bridge designs since 2002.
• Transportation Infrastructure Services Transportation planning, highways and roads design, public transport systems, cycling and pedestrian facilities, and intelligent transport systems for national and local authorities across Ireland and the UK.
• Environmental and Planning Services Environmental assessment, planning and environmental services, strategic environmental assessment, and flood risk assessment for major infrastructure schemes.
• BIM and Asset Information Management Building Information Modelling services using 3D modelling, parametric design and analysis for design, risk management, construction and asset management; BSI verified to ISO 19650 Parts 1 and 2 and integrated with ROD's quality management system, with capability in linked data and semantic web technologies.
• Project Management Project management services including contract procurement, construction supervision, and employer's representative services for major infrastructure projects.
• AI in Road Sector Consulting (PIARC Special Project) Strategic consulting engagement delivered under PIARC (World Road Association) providing guidance on integrating AI across the road asset lifecycle — covering planning, design, operations and maintenance — with governance principles, capacity-building strategies and digital readiness measures for road owners and managers in 128 member countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of incidents detected within five minutes using data fusion technologies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jons Civil Engineering Ltd. (JCEL)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 September 2025TII engaged JCEL and ROD on emergency design-and-build basis in September 2025 to replace George's Dock Bridge following fire damage. Delivered new bridge in 12-week programme.
• TYPSAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019ROD-TYPSA joint venture appointed by the National Transport Authority in 2019 to progress BusConnects Infrastructure Project D, covering Ballymun, Finglas, Kimmage and Ringsend to City Centre bus corridors.
• IDOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROD worked with IDOM as sub-consultant on DART+ West, acting together with Iarnród Éireann's delivery team to complete option selection, design stages, EIA, Appropriate Assessment and Railway Order documentation.
• BAM Farrans Joint VenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAM Farrans JV (BAM UK & Ireland and Farrans Construction) appointed ROD to lead detailed design of Herring Bridge, Great Yarmouth. Design partners were H&H (moveable bridges) and Lanpro (architecture).
• H&H (Hardesty Hanover)coreTechnology or IntegrationH&H collaborated with ROD on multiple moveable bridge projects including Renfrew Bridge, Herring Bridge, George's Dock Bridge and Samuel Beckett Bridge operation, providing global expertise in moveable bridges.
• AECOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoughan & O'Donovan-AECOM partnership on multiple transport projects including DART+ West, Galway to Dublin Cycleway, and enhancing Motorway Operation Services for TII.
• H&H and Knight ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROD working with H&H and Knight Architects on the Sustainable Transport Bridge and associated south plaza for the Waterford City Public Infrastructure Project.
• Sean Harrington Architects and J.V. Tierney & Co. Consulting EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROD working with Sean Harrington Architects and J.V. Tierney & Co. on the transport hub for the Waterford City Public Infrastructure Project.
• Nicholas O'Dwyer Ltd.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerROD working with Nicholas O'Dwyer Ltd. on the Ferrybank pumping station and flood defence works for the Waterford City Public Infrastructure Project.
• GRAHAMcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGRAHAM led the design-build of Renfrew Bridge with Hollandia-Iemants. ROD collaborated with H&H as design partners for the project.
• Sean Harrington ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROD-AECOM partnered with Sean Harrington Architects on the Whitegates to Athlone Castle Cycleway bridge design, Westmeath County Council project.
• BAM IrelandcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBAM Ireland as main contractor for Narrow Water Bridge project. ROD providing environmental assessment, planning, detailed design and construction contract procurement services.
• PIARC (World Road Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROD delivered a PIARC Special Project on AI in the Road Sector, engaging with 70 stakeholders across 128 PIARC member countries to develop a framework for AI integration in road infrastructure.
• AECOM-Mott McDonald, Arup, JacobscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive collaboration with three other design teams on BusConnects Infrastructure Project D: AECOM-Mott McDonald, Arup and Jacobs. Collaboration with Environmental Assessment and traffic modelling teams comprising Jacobs, ARUP and Systra.
• Sisk Roadbridge Ltd and RPS GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRoughan & O'Donovan-RPS undertook detailed design and construction supervision of M8/N8 Cullahill to Cashel scheme with Sisk Roadbridge Ltd as contractor.
• Waterford City and County CouncilcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerROD-AECOM appointed by Westmeath County Council to plan and design the Galway to Dublin Cycleway spanning 276km across Ireland.
• Louth County CouncilcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerROD provided environmental assessment, planning, detailed design and construction contract procurement services for the Narrow Water Bridge project under commission with Louth County Council extending back to 2007.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jacobs: Global professional services firm with deep Irish and UK infrastructure presence. Competes with ROD on BusConnects Dublin environmental and traffic modelling work and on broader transport and water engineering assignments.
• Mott MacDonald: International engineering consultancy active across Ireland and the UK in transport, bridges, water, and environmental sectors. Competes with ROD as part of the AECOM-Mott MacDonald design team on BusConnects Dublin Infrastructure Project D.
• RPS Group: Irish-headquartered engineering and environmental consultancy of comparable scale to ROD. RPS is a recurring peer on Irish public-sector schemes (e.g., ROD-RPS joint venture on M8/N8 Cullahill-Cashel) and competes across transport, water, and planning.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm and recurring ROD joint-venture partner (DART+ West, Galway-Dublin Cycleway, eMOS). Competes with ROD on Irish and UK transport, bridge, and highways projects while also partnering via ROD-AECOM consortium bids.
• TYPSA: Spanish engineering consultancy with established Irish operations. TYPSA is ROD's JV partner on BusConnects Infrastructure Project D and competes on European transport and infrastructure tenders.
• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with a major Dublin and Belfast presence. Arup competes head-to-head with ROD on flagship Irish schemes including BusConnects Dublin and operates across the same bridge, transportation, and environmental engineering disciplines.

Broad incumbents

• WSP: One of the world's largest engineering consultancies with a strong UK and Ireland footprint. Competes with ROD across transport, bridges, environment, and property advisory, offering broader multidisciplinary capabilities as part of a global platform.
• AtkinsRéalis: Global engineering services firm with significant Irish and UK transportation and infrastructure operations. Competes with ROD on rail (DART+ adjacent), highways, and major public-sector frameworks at greater scale.

Regional players

• IDOM: Spanish-origin engineering consultancy active in Ireland and the UK. IDOM worked with ROD as sub-consultant on DART+ West, demonstrating overlapping rail, transportation, and infrastructure design capabilities.

Emerging players

• Hardesty & Hanover (H&H): US-headquartered moveable-bridge specialist. H&H is ROD's design partner on multiple moveable bridge projects (Renfrew, Herring, George's Dock, Samuel Beckett), making it a niche capability peer rather than a broad market competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RODEngineers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roughan-&-o%27donovan
• Instagraminstagram.com/rodengineers

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roughan & O'Donovan