What 4way Consulting does

4way Consulting is a UK-based specialist technology consultancy founded in 2010 that delivers intelligent transport systems (ITS), smart motorway technology, and smart city infrastructure services to public-sector transportation clients. The firm operates across three practice areas: Connected Roads (smart motorway technology, tunnel control systems, and operational technology for the strategic road network), Smart Cities (urban traffic control, LED street lighting, and Centralised Management Systems for local authorities), and Future Mobility (C-ITS, connected and autonomous vehicle corridors, and floating vehicle data analytics). Underlying technology spans variable message signs, MIDAS detection, Stopped Vehicle Detection (SVD), SCOOT/MOVA adaptive signal control, tunnel control room integration, and AI-assisted traffic optimisation delivered through partner technology providers such as Simplifai Systems and Swarco.

The company's business model is professional services delivery: revenue is generated through consultancy engagements, design contracts, and implementation/commissioning services sold on a project and framework basis to UK government clients, predominantly National Highways and county/unitary authorities. Customer acquisition occurs through direct enterprise engagement, repeat framework contracts, and sub-contracting relationships with prime infrastructure contractors including Costain, Pell Frischmann, Ringway, and Arcadis. Pricing is negotiated and quote-based rather than standardised. Delivery scale cited includes 25 smart motorway schemes, contributions to all 12 National Emergency Area Retrofit (NEAR) Programme schemes completed by March 2025, and LED lighting programmes covering over 200,000 lanterns across the UK.

4way is a privately held limited company incorporated in England and Wales (Company Number 08913460), with operational offices in Birmingham and Manchester and a registered office in London. Ownership is connected to RAG-Stiftung, a German foundation that channels profits to environmental and social restoration projects—an unusual structure that constrains the business to a private, non-investor-backed growth path. The leadership team is composed of long-tenured ITS specialists from Atkins Odlin and Mouchel, several of whom worked on the original M42 Active Traffic Management project that seeded the UK's smart motorway programme.

Name

4way Consulting

Legal name

4way Consulting Ltd

Website

https://4wayconsulting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

4way Consulting is a UK specialist technology consultancy delivering intelligent transport systems design, smart motorway technology, and smart city infrastructure services primarily to UK public-sector clients including National Highways and local authorities across England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intelligent Transport Systems Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Transportation & Traffic Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Intelligent transport systems
• Smart motorway design
• Urban traffic management
• LED road lighting
• Connected vehicle corridors

Headquarters

HQ city

Leamington Spa

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technology Consultancy and Professional Services: 4way generates revenue by providing specialist technology consultancy services across the project lifecycle — from design and assurance through to commissioning, implementation, and optimisation — for public-sector transportation clients. Services range from individual specialist secondments to fully outsourced teams, delivered on a project and contract basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

4way Consulting is a specialist technology consultancy that designs, delivers, commissions, and optimises intelligent transport systems for public-sector transportation clients in the UK. Its core work spans smart motorway technology, tunnel operational control systems, LED street lighting programmes, urban traffic control, traffic signal design, and connected/autonomous vehicle corridors, delivered as consultancy, design, implementation, and assurance services.

Product overview

4way Consulting is a specialist technology consultancy delivering services across three core domains: Connected Roads (motorway technology, smart motorways, tunnel systems), Smart Cities (urban traffic control, LED lighting, MOVA/SCOOT traffic signals), and Future Mobility (connected vehicles, data analytics, decarbonisation). The company offers an integrated portfolio of consultancy, design, implementation, commissioning, and optimisation services for intelligent transport systems and highway technology infrastructure. Key service offerings include Smart Motorway Design & Implementation, LED Lighting Design & Implementation, Urban Traffic Control & Remote Monitoring, Floating Vehicle Data Services, Operational Technology Cost Modelling, and various project delivery services. The company was established in 2010 and operates from offices in Birmingham and Manchester.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Motorway Design & Implementation Design and delivery of smart motorway technology infrastructure including digitally enabled design, on-site assembly, and value engineering for strategic road network upgrades. For National Highways and prime contractors.
• Operational Tunnel Control Systems Migration and integration of tunnel operational control systems including survey, design, communications links, control room solutions, and operator training. For National Highways tunnel operators.
• LED Lighting Design & Implementation Street lighting design and Centralised Management System (CMS) design services for LED technology upgrades, including business case development, implementation, and energy optimisation. For local authorities and Ringway.
• Urban Traffic Control & Remote Monitoring Implementation of UTC systems and Remote Monitoring Systems (RMS) for traffic signal sites, providing real-time asset performance and fault data for improved maintenance decision-making. For local authorities and transport authorities.
• Floating Vehicle Data Services Near real-time traffic monitoring service using floating vehicle data through exclusive partnership with mooven, enabling junction optimisation, network performance analysis, construction programming, and disruption management. For UK transportation clients.
• Operational Technology Cost Modelling Cost estimating models and intelligence for operational technology assets covering both OPEX and CAPEX, including through-life cost estimation and Net Zero carbon emissions analysis. For National Highways and infrastructure operators.
• Roadside Technology Renewal & Improvement Programme End-to-end lifecycle management of technology asset renewals including scheme identification, prioritisation, design, and delivery. Delivered for National Highways and local authority clients.
• Smart Roads Design Assurance Design assurance and value engineering services for smart motorway schemes, including innovative cabinet configurations, helical piled gantries, and off-site assembly solutions. For prime contractors and National Highways.
• Commercial & Procurement Consultancy Technical and procurement advisory services for LED replacement and smart cities technology projects, including specification review, tender documentation, and CMS system recommendations. For local authorities and infrastructure operators.
• A2/M2 Connected Corridor (C-ITS) Connected and Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) test bed project enabling vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications as part of the EU InterCor initiative. Delivered for Department for Transport / National Highways.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12% average journey time reduction (18.7 seconds) on M27 J7 traffic signal optimisation using Floating Vehicle Data
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ArcadiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20244way partnered with Arcadis to provide technical consultancy and design skills supporting National Highways' Operational Technology Strategy (OTS) implementation over a five-year programme. This builds on their prior collaboration delivering the Tunnels Digital and Operations Strategy and managing production of tunnel technology specifications. The partnership positions both firms as key delivery partners for National Highways' technology enhancement roadmap.
• Blackpool CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20244way collaborated with Blackpool Council, E.ON, and Pell Frischmann on the Blackpool Smart Traffic Corridors project, funded by the Department for Transport's Green Light Fund. The project deploys Smartmicro TRUGRD radar detectors, AI-driven Simplifai Systems optimisation, and Swarco MyCity Strategy Manager cloud-based traffic control across five major transport corridors. The project won the ITS UK Sustainable Environment through Technology Award 2025.
• moovencoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 20224way holds an exclusive business partnership with mooven to deliver near real-time traffic monitoring services using floating vehicle data across the UK. mooven's smart mobility infrastructure management platform, founded in 2018 with operations across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, is brought to the UK market exclusively through 4way. The partnership enables junction optimisation, network performance analysis, construction programming, and disruption management for UK clients.
• Pell FrischmanncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner4way shares office space with Pell Frischmann in Birmingham and collaborates on infrastructure delivery projects including the Gallows Corner Flyover refurbishment for Transport for London and the Blackpool Smart Traffic Corridors initiative. Joint festive celebrations indicate close working relationship and cultural alignment.
• RingwaycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLong-standing supply chain relationship with Ringway for LED lighting and street lighting projects across multiple UK local authorities. Projects include Hertfordshire County Council (140,000 lighting units), Isle of Wight PFI highways contract, Hounslow projects, and Milton Keynes (53,000 lighting assets). 4way serves as Designer and Integrator for powered apparatus across these programmes.
• NRTS (National Roads Telecommunications Service)supportingTechnology or Integration4way coordinated with NRTS as part of the NEAR Programme, managing technology integration, communications enablement, and design validation across 12 schemes. NRTS provides the national road telecommunications infrastructure critical to smart motorway and tunnel operations.
• ColassupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNEAR Programme partner responsible for civil works across 12 schemes; 4way coordinated civil and technology works to ensure readiness for commissioning.
• NavtechsupportingTechnology or IntegrationNEAR Programme partner providing technology equipment; 4way managed supplier interfaces including NRTS, Colas, Navtech, and NH Bulk Purchase to align delivery requirements.
• NH Bulk PurchasesupportingTechnology or IntegrationNEAR Programme partner for bulk equipment procurement; 4way coordinated procurement and logistics to ensure timely delivery across the programme.
• CostaincoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner4way provided Project Management and Service Leadership to Costain for A2/M2 Connected Corridor C-ITS test bed delivery. Also partnered on UTC and Remote Monitoring System implementation for National Highways South East. Costain serves as prime contractor on major infrastructure programmes.
• ClearviewsupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntelligent road stud supplier for the Switch Island project; 4way led detailed design and testing of traffic signal configurations and their interface to the intelligent road stud controller. First deployment of intelligent road studs at a motorway junction in England.
• Gather ConsultingsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGIS solutions provider partnered with 4way for Milton Keynes LED lantern replacement project; Gather Consulting provided GIS data to support accurate asset mapping and design.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pell Frischmann: UK-headquartered engineering consultancy with overlapping highways, ITS, and smart cities practices. 4way shares office space with Pell Frischmann in Birmingham and partners with them on NEAR and Blackpool, making them both a collaborator and a directly comparable specialist peer.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with a UK highways and mobility technology business. Arcadis is a strategic partner on National Highways Operational Technology Strategy and Tunnels Digital, and John Westwood previously worked at EC Harris (now Arcadis), making it both a partner and a comparable consulting peer.
• Costain Group: UK infrastructure delivery contractor with a growing technology, smart motorway, and operational technology capability. Costain is both a prime contractor partner (A2/M2 Connected Corridor, UTC/RMS) and a competitor for technology-led roles on National Highways programmes.
• Kier Group (including Mouchel): UK infrastructure services group whose highways division absorbed the former Mouchel business (4way's founders all came from Mouchel). Directly comparable in highways technology and asset management consulting, particularly on local authority and Traffic Management Contract work.

Broad incumbents

• AtkinsRéalis (Atkins): Global engineering consultancy with a substantial UK transportation technology practice (formerly Atkins Odlin, Mouchel). Multiple 4way senior leaders (Goddard, Westwood, McNulty, Clift, Pengelly) trained at Atkins/Mouchel, making it the most relevant established competitor for senior ITS talent and frameworks.
• WSP: Global engineering consultancy with a major UK transportation and intelligent transport systems practice. Shane Collins previously worked at WSP before joining 4way, indicating direct overlap in traffic signals and highways technology consulting.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering consultancy with significant UK transportation, highways, and smart mobility capability. Comparable to 4way at the project delivery level on major UK road and smart motorway programmes, but with broader international reach and larger scale.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with a sizeable UK transportation technology practice spanning highways, smart cities, and connected mobility. Competes for the same National Highways and local authority frameworks as 4way, but from a much larger platform.
• Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with strong UK transport and smart cities credentials, frequently engaged on UK road and urban mobility programmes. Comparable in the type of specialist advisory work 4way performs, but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Jacobs: Global professional services firm with a substantial UK transportation, highways, and ITS consulting practice following its CH2M acquisition. Competes with 4way for National Highways and local authority technology advisory work, but at a much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4way-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 4way Consulting