Meinhardt Japan marked a significant milestone with the celebration of its third anniversary, hosting an exclusive event that brought together close to 150 industry stalwarts including developers, government, officials, technology players, Meinhardt Group Global Board Members and management staff. Held in Tokyo on October 8, 2024, the anniversary celebration highlighted Meinhardt Japan’s rapid growth, the unveiling of groundbreaking innovations, and the company's strategic vision for the future.

The celebration also commemorated the broader achievements of the Meinhardt Group as it looks forward to its 70th anniversary in 2025. With a strong focus on innovation, cross-border collaboration, and digital transformation, the event served as a platform for announcing Meinhardt Japan’s continued expansion in the Japanese market and beyond. 

Among the distinguished attendees were government officials and key industry leaders. The presence of Mr Low Hon Mun, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Singapore Embassy in Japan, underscored the importance of cross-national collaboration, while senior executives from Japan’s leading general contractors and design consultancies added further gravitas to the occasion. 

The event provided a unique opportunity for Meinhardt Group’s leadership team, including over 20 representatives from the company, to engage directly with key clients and partners, fostering new business opportunities and strengthening existing relationships.

In his keynote address, Dr Shahzad Nasim, Executive Chairman of Meinhardt Group, delivered an impactful speech that not only reflected on Meinhardt Japan’s journey over the past few years but also outlined the plans for the future. He highlighted Meinhardt Japan’s evolution since its founding in February 2022, noting how the office has grown into a first-class consultancy with a dedicated team of specialists in architectural, structural, and MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) design backed up by the full weight of the Group’s global resources.

“We certainly did not come to Japan to teach anything new to Japanese companies who are known internationally for their innovation, high quality and attention to detail. We are here to strengthen and leverage our existing relationships with Japanese companies to extend and expand our collaboration both in Japan and globally, where Meinhardt has strong presence, people and expertise. This is a win-win proposition. Japan is facing what most developed countries are facing – a shortage of skilled manpower. Meinhardt will utilise its global expertise and more than 6000 technical staff to support Japanese companies in design, BIM modelling and production of drawings for their projects both in Japan and abroad. Our strong presence here will make this collaboration easier. Our bilingual engineering team, combined with dedicated access to global talent, positions us as ideal partner for Japanese companies to collaborate,” said Dr Nasim in his speech.

“This paves the way for collaboration on bigger, more complex and technology projects, such as high-tech industrial projects, mission critical facilities, high-rise buildings, smart cities and major infrastructure projects, where Meinhardt has an enviable reputation. Our focus on digital planning, technology and data driven design, positions us to deliver sustainable cities of the future. We are here for the long term and are committed to playing a key role in Japan’s dynamic engineering landscape,” he added.

One of the highlights of the evening was the introduction of Meinhardt Digital Technology Solutions’ (DTS) groundbreaking Generative AI engine. Developed under the Trailblazers 2.0 programme – spearheaded by the Communications and Information Ministry, Digital Industry Singapore, the Smart Nation Group and Google Cloud – and supported by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), this new Consultancy Augmentation Tool is instrumental to Meinhardt’s ongoing digital transformation. The platform assists with the streamlining and enhancement of the production of consultancy deliverables.

“This AI-powered tool is designed to amalgamate Meinhardt’s tremendous domain knowledge and practical experience across the world to position Meinhardt as a pioneer in leveraging AI to redefine the consulting landscape. We believe this tool will address various challenges faced by project delivery teams, creating a more connected and intuitive consulting environment, and underscoring Meinhardt’s commitment to innovation and digitalisation,” said Mr Omar Shahzad, CEO of Meinhardt Group.

A key theme of the event was Meinhardt Japan’s role as a bridge between Japan and the global market. Through cross-border collaboration, Meinhardt Japan has successfully integrated the expertise of the multi-disciplinary Meinhardt Group to bring the latest international design trends into local projects. This collaboration has been crucial to overcoming Japan’s skilled labour shortage by tapping into Meinhardt’s global talent pool, ensuring projects are delivered on time and to the highest quality standards.

The event also provided an opportunity for Meinhardt Japan to share its vision for the future.

“We are proud of our cross-border design collaboration. This approach has enabled us to work on projects like the US and UK pavilions for the Osaka Expo 2025, which not only showcase our technical capabilities but also highlight the strength of our international partnerships.

Looking ahead, Meinhardt Japan plans to expand its services in key industrial sectors, including data centers, where the company has already begun taking on substantial projects for major players. Additionally, Meinhardt Japan is extending its services locally to include façade design & testing and commissioning, while supporting Japanese companies in their overseas ventures by providing comprehensive design and on-site engineering solutions,” said Mr Kazuhiko Ono, CEO for Meinhardt Japan.

“In alignment with Meinhardt Group’s recognition as a Centre of Excellence for smart cities in Singapore, Meinhardt Japan is committed to merging Singapore’s smart city frameworks with Japan’s technological prowess. This collaboration will pave the way for new benchmarks in urban development and create opportunities for innovative, data-driven solutions in third countries,” he added.

Beyond the celebrations, the visit of several Meinhardt Group leaders to Tokyo was a golden opportunity to host a series of meetings with key clients, industry partners, and government officials. These interactions were essential in promoting collaboration on both domestic and international projects, allowing the company to strengthen its relationships with key stakeholders.

The third anniversary celebration of Meinhardt Japan was a resounding success in successfully conveying Meinhardt Group’s strong presence both in Japan and globally, while showcasing the impressive growth of Meinhardt Japan in just a few years. With a clear focus on digital transformation, cross-border collaboration, and sustainable urban development, Meinhardt Japan is well-positioned to continue driving innovation and delivering world-class engineering solutions for its clients.