What Emch+Berger does

Emch+Berger is an employee-owned German engineering services group headquartered in Berlin, founded in 1979, with operations spanning Germany and France across eleven-plus office locations and a workforce of approximately 350 to 500 professionals depending on the source. The company delivers planning, project management, construction supervision, and building inspection services for large-scale infrastructure projects, with particular specialization in rail, road, bridge, and tunnel construction for public-sector clients.

The firm's core technology is Building Information Modeling (BIM), used to produce digital twins of complex infrastructure assets. Emch+Berger has developed a proprietary model-based sustainability analysis capability connected through an in-house API interface, and in April 2023 it deployed drone-based photogrammetry and LiDAR for faster site data capture. The company serves clients including Deutsche Bahn, the Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE), federal and state authorities, and municipalities, and has engaged in non-traditional segments such as electric urban air mobility (Volocopter hangar) and nuclear waste storage (Asse 2 mine).

Revenue is generated through professional services fees regulated under HOAI, the German statutory fee schedule for engineering services, with contracts awarded through public procurement processes. The business model is project-based, typically multi-year, with the employee-ownership structure aligning long-tenured staff (some beyond 40 years) with client continuity. Notable recent activity includes new office openings in Karlsruhe (2025) and a relocated, expanded Hannover office (March 2024), as well as a joint venture with BUNG and Schimetta for the Suedschnellweg Hannover road project.

Name

Emch+Berger

Legal name

Emch + Berger Holding GmbH

Website

https://emchundberger.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Emch+Berger is an employee-owned German engineering firm providing planning, project management, construction supervision, and BIM-based digital services for rail, road, bridge, and tunnel infrastructure, serving public-sector clients including Deutsche Bahn, BGE, and municipalities across Germany and France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Specialized Design Services (5414)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK), Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC), Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) Risk-Based Design (AFALAOAN)

Keywords

• Infrastructure engineering services
• Construction supervision services
• Building information modeling
• Transportation infrastructure planning
• Civil engineering consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering & Consulting Services: Professional services revenue from planning, project management, construction supervision, and inspection services for infrastructure projects. Revenue is project-based and derived from public and private infrastructure clients through contract work.
2. BIM Consulting Services: BIM advisory and coordination services, model-based sustainability analysis, creation of existing condition, baseline, and as-built models, BIM content development, and BIM2field technology deployment for construction sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Emch+Berger is a mid-sized, employee-managed engineering group providing infrastructure planning, project management, construction supervision, and building inspection services for rail, road, bridge, and tunnel projects across Germany and France. The firm applies Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodology across all project phases, complemented by drone-based documentation, digital twin creation, and model-based sustainability analysis. Core clientele are public sector authorities (Deutsche Bahn, federal and state road authorities, municipalities) and select industrial clients, with projects acquired through public procurement and joint venture partnerships.

Product overview

Emch+Berger is a mid-sized, employee-owned engineering group with approximately 500 employees in Germany and France, offering a comprehensive portfolio of infrastructure engineering services. The core service offering includes Project Management, Planning, Construction Supervision, and Building Inspection, supported by specialized competencies in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Digitalization & Sustainability. The company operates across several competence areas: Rail Transport, Road Transport, Building/Industrial Plants, Environmental and Landscape Planning, and Structural Engineering. BIM is positioned as the core technology methodology underpinning all projects, while the Digitalization and Sustainability division provides BIM consulting, model-based sustainability analyses, and BIM2field technology services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Management (Projektmanagement) Comprehensive project management covering all phases from project launch to completion, including cost management, schedule management, conflict management, quality management, and contract management for infrastructure construction projects. Services are provided for public and private sector clients across rail, road, bridge, and industrial facility projects.
• Planning (Planung) Engineering and planning services for buildings and civil engineering projects, providing high-level professional expertise for public and private clients from initial concept through execution and acceptance.
• Construction Supervision (Bauüberwachung) Construction supervision coordinating project execution and ensuring proper implementation of construction measures, with specialists in railway and road construction, bridges, special civil engineering, tunnel, and line construction. Highlights include the nighttime precision 80-ton steel bridge deck insertion at Hannover Hauptbahnhof using two railway cranes.
• Building Inspection (Bauwerksprüfung) Expert inspection and control of structures including bridges and infrastructure assets, using the central bridge structure database SIB Bauwerke for documentation and condition reporting. Reference projects include the Brückenhauptprüfung Schlossbrücke and Schiffshebewerk Niederfinow-Nord.
• Digitalization and Sustainability (Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit) Digital services including BIM consulting and coordination, model-based sustainability analyses (life cycle environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption), creation of existing, baseline, and as-built models, BIM content development, and BIM2field technology bringing modern digital tools to construction sites. Uses an internal API to link BIM-extracted building material masses with environmental database datasets.
• Building Information Modeling (BIM) Digital planning methodology for infrastructure projects using BIM across all project phases from preliminary planning to implementation, with interactive 3D BIM project showcases. Multiple small, medium, and large BIM projects have been completed with developed efficient workflows for future projects.
• Rail Transport (Schienenverkehr) Planning, control, and supervision of railway infrastructure projects including tracks, stations, and rail systems. Reference projects include S21 Berlin, NBS Wendlingen-Ulm, VDE 8.1 PA19 ABS Nürnberg-Ebensfeld, ABS Oldenburg-Wilhelmshaven, and the BIM pilot project ABS Stendal-Uelzen with Deutsche Bahn Netz AG.
• Road Transport (Straßenverkehr) Planning, control, and supervision of road construction measures including highways, national roads, and urban roads, as well as cycling paths and service roads. Reference projects include the Südschnellweg Hannover (B3), B 247 Ortsumgehung Ferna/Teistungen, and BUGA 2021 Petersberg approach road redesign.
• Building and Industrial Plants (Hochbau/Werksanlagen) Factory and industrial building planning including production halls, administrative buildings, social and storage buildings, and workshops for trains, trams, and buses. Reference project includes the Volocopter GmbH serial production hangar in Bruchsal (operational from 2024).
• Environmental and Landscape Planning (Umwelt- und Landschaftsplanung) Environmental impact assessments, species protection expertise, mapping of animal groups, permitting procedures for wind turbines, and lake dredging area development. Delivered through Emch+Berger Umwelt GmbH.
• Structural Engineering (Konstruktiver Ingenieurbau und Tragwerksplanung) Infrastructure project processing for road, railway, and waterway construction using BIM methodology, including massive construction, steel construction, composite steel construction, and special civil engineering. Reference project includes Erneuerung einer Eisenbahnüberführung (2021) and Brückenhauptprüfung Schlossbrücke.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully completed multiple small, medium, and large BIM projects from preliminary planning to execution
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung (BGE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Emch+Berger Projekt GmbH collaborates with BGE from January 2024 to support digitalization processes at the Asse 2 mine site. The partnership involves implementing BIM methodology holistically and sustainably, leveraging Emch+Berger's expertise in Building Information Modeling.
• BUNGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership (Ingenieurgemeinschaft) for Südschnellweg Hannover project. Emch+Berger serves as project lead with BUNG and Schimetta as partners for planning of traffic facilities and engineering structures.
• SchimettacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership (Ingenieurgemeinschaft) for Südschnellweg Hannover project. Emch+Berger serves as project lead with BUNG and Schimetta as partners.
• LAVIScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership (Ingenieurgemeinschaft) for Südschnellweg Hannover project in construction supervision phase. Emch+Berger continues as project lead with LAVIS.
• GRÖTZ GmbH & Co. KGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction company partnership for the Rheinmünster bicycle and farm path project. Emch+Berger provides planning and construction supervision while GRÖTZ handles construction execution.
• Volocopter GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmch+Berger Karlsruhe was responsible for infrastructure planning (roads, utilities including gas, water, electricity, telecommunications, rainwater and wastewater drainage) and construction supervision for Volocopter's serial production hangar in Bruchsal, operational from 2024.
• Wirtschaftsförderung Hannover (Hannover Region Economic Development)minorOthersEconomic development agency that supported Emch+Berger's drone project through the 'Hannover Region Green Economy' funding program, enabling construction monitoring optimization through drone technology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Schüßler-Plan: German engineering consultancy focused on infrastructure (rail, road, bridges) with comparable planning, project management and construction supervision services for DB and federal clients. Most direct Mid-market peer to Emch+Berger in scale and service mix.
• KREBS+KIEFER: German mid-sized engineering firm providing civil/structural engineering, transport infrastructure planning and construction supervision. Overlaps directly with Emch+Berger on rail and bridge work, and operates a similar Mittelstand-consulting model.
• Drees & Sommer: German engineering and consulting firm with strong BIM, digitalization, and sustainability practices serving both public and private clients. Comparable on BIM-led infrastructure and building services, though with a broader industrial/real estate footprint.
• Obermeyer Planen + Beraten: German engineering consultancy providing transport, structural and infrastructure planning plus construction supervision. Direct competitor for German public-sector rail/road framework contracts.
• Vössing Ingenieurgesellschaft: German engineering firm specializing in rail, road and tunnel infrastructure planning and supervision. Closely overlapping capabilities and client base with Emch+Berger in DB and federal road authority tenders.
• BUNG Ingenieure: German mid-sized engineering consultancy active in transport infrastructure planning and construction supervision; a current JV partner of Emch+Berger on Südschnellweg Hannover, indicating direct overlap in capability and client base.

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll Group: Large European engineering consultancy with significant transport, environment and BIM practices. Competes for the same public-sector framework mandates but at greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Arcadis NV: Global design and engineering consultancy with mobility, resilience and digital practices. Overlaps with Emch+Berger on rail and infrastructure advisory, but at global scale and with broader service portfolio.
• Sweco AB: European engineering and architecture consultancy with strong transport infrastructure and BIM offerings. Comparable capability set but operates across many more countries than Emch+Berger.
• WSP Global: Global professional services firm with substantial transport infrastructure and BIM advisory practices in Germany. Broad incumbent overlap, though much larger and more diversified than Emch+Berger.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcWP73lDy0eUwYEM4GPcrHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/emchundberger
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emch-berger-projekt-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/emchundberger

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Emch+Berger