What Dr. Born - Dr. Ermel does

Dr. Born - Dr. Ermel GmbH is an independent German engineering consultancy and interdisciplinary general planner headquartered in Achim, Lower Saxony. Founded in 1972 by Rainer Born, the firm delivers planning, design, and project management services across four practice areas: Wasserwirtschaft (water management), Infrastruktur (infrastructure), Energietechnik (energy technology), and Planungsmanagement (planning management). It serves both public-sector clients (municipal water utilities, airports, cities) and private industrial customers, with reference projects spanning wastewater treatment plants, drinking water reservoirs, airport runway drainage, biogas and combined heat-and-power facilities, and steam networks for chemical and refining operations. The firm operates from seven locations across Germany (Achim, Aurich, Dresden, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, München, and a 2025 Münster co-working space) and has subsidiaries in energy technology (pbe energietechnik gmbh) and an undisclosed second entity (SIKMa GmbH).

The firm's technical stack is built on BIM (Building Information Modeling) workflows, having transitioned from traditional drawing boards per its company history. It positions itself as a full-scope general planner delivering projects "from analysis to implementation" rather than a software platform, and its proprietary features consist of its cross-disciplinary integration of water, energy, and infrastructure planning rather than a productised technology stack. Selected named customers include Fraport AG (airport drainage), BASF Pharmachemikalien, Merck KGaA, BP Europa SE, InBev Deutschland (Brauerei Beck), Stadtwerke Kiel, and Stadtentwässerung Frankfurt am Main; an Arbeitsgemeinschaft (ARGE) joint venture with Obermeyer Planen + Bauen GmbH supports Frankfurt Airport runway and drainage projects.

The revenue model is professional services: project-based engineering fees quoted per engagement rather than product licensing or subscription pricing. Customer acquisition is sales-led, driven by direct relationships with municipalities, public utilities, and industrial companies and supported by branch-office proximity and a reference base of 8,000+ completed projects. The company is family-owned (GmbH), with no disclosed external investors, and is led by Managing Director Dipl.-Ing. Jörn Ermel following a generational handover that paired family continuity with an explicit digital-development agenda. Marketing channels are limited to a corporate website, LinkedIn presence, and a dedicated career portal (karriere.born-ermel.eu).

Name

Dr. Born - Dr. Ermel

Legal name

Dr. Born-Dr. Ermel GmbH

Website

https://born-ermel.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dr. Born - Dr. Ermel is a family-owned German engineering consultancy founded in 1972 that provides interdisciplinary general planning across water management, infrastructure, energy technology, and project management for municipal utilities and industrial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Planning Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction Program Management (Multi-site/Portfolio) (IMAFAAAF), Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)

Keywords

• Engineering planning services
• Water management consulting
• Infrastructure engineering
• Energy technology services
• Construction project management

Headquarters

HQ city

Achim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Planning Services: Professional engineering consulting services including planning, project management, construction supervision, and technical equipment design for water, energy, and infrastructure projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dr. Born - Dr. Ermel is an interdisciplinary general planning engineering firm offering integrated services across four core areas: Wasserwirtschaft (Water Management), Infrastruktur (Infrastructure), Energietechnik (Energy Technology), and Planungsmanagement (Planning Management). The firm delivers end-to-end engineering solutions — from analysis and planning through construction supervision and implementation — for public and private clients including municipalities, public utilities, airports, and industrial companies. Services cover water supply and wastewater treatment plants, civil and airport infrastructure, biogas and waste-to-energy facilities, and BIM-based construction project management.

Product overview

Dr. Born – Dr. Ermel is an interdisciplinary general planning firm offering integrated engineering services across four core areas: Wasserwirtschaft (Water Management), Infrastruktur (Infrastructure), Energietechnik (Energy Technology), and Planungsmanagement (Planning Management). The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing end-to-end engineering solutions from initial analysis through implementation. Their services encompass water and wastewater treatment plant planning, infrastructure development, energy systems design, and construction project management, serving both public and private clients with projects that emphasize efficiency, digitization, and sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wasserwirtschaft (Water Management) Engineering planning services for water supply and wastewater treatment, including planning of waterworks, sewage treatment plants, drainage systems, and water pipeline infrastructure for public utilities and industrial clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8000+ completed projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Obermeyer Planen + Bauen GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture (ARGE) partnership for Frankfurt Airport projects including runway 18 West drainage system and runway expansion projects. The working group (Arbeitsgemeinschaft) combines expertise for complex airport infrastructure projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll: Danish-headquartered engineering consultancy with German operations across water, environment, and infrastructure. Competes for similar interdisciplinary planning mandates in the German market.
• Arcadis: Global design and engineering consultancy with active German operations in water, environment, and infrastructure. Operates at a larger scale but overlaps with Born Ermel's core verticals, including wastewater treatment and industrial water management.
• AFRY (formerly Pöyry / ÅF): European engineering, design, and consulting firm with deep German operations in water, energy, and infrastructure. Competes for similar municipal and industrial engineering planning contracts as Born Ermel.
• WSP (incl. Spiekermann): Global engineering consultancy with a German presence built around Spiekermann Ingenieure, focused on infrastructure and water projects. Competitor for large German municipal and industrial planning commissions.
• Sweco: European engineering consultancy with a substantial German presence focused on water, environment, and infrastructure. Comparable general-planner offering and serves similar public and industrial clients across Germany.

Emerging players

• Golder Associates (now WSP): Engineering consultancy specializing in environment, water, and infrastructure. Partial overlap with Born Ermel's water and environmental planning offering, particularly for industrial clients.

Direct peers

• CDM Smith: International engineering and construction firm with strong water and environmental focus, active in Germany. Directly comparable on water/wastewater treatment plant planning and industrial water engagement.
• Dorsch Gruppe: German engineering services group providing water, infrastructure, and energy planning. Most directly comparable mid-sized German engineering firm to Born Ermel in terms of service portfolio and client mix.
• Krebs + Kiefer: Mid-sized German engineering firm providing infrastructure and water planning services. Comparable interdisciplinary general planner profile and similar size band to Born Ermel.
• Tractebel (Engie): European engineering consultancy with a strong German presence providing water, energy, and infrastructure engineering services. Directly comparable to Born Ermel in Wasserwirtschaft, Energietechnik, and Infrastruktur pillars, with a similar general-planning positioning on complex projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dr.-born---dr.-ermel-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Dr. Born - Dr. Ermel