Atkins, the UK’s largest engineer, is to set up an office in Baku, Azerbaijan, the first it has opened in the country.
The office will support the activities of oil and gas operators in the Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey region, with a particular focus on assets in and around the Caspian Sea.
The move into the market is part of Atkins’ "commitment to provide closer support to our key clients in the region".
James Todd, manager of Atkins’ Baku team, said: "Baku is the gateway to the Caspian Sea and as such, a presence here has the potential to open a lot of doors for Atkins in the future both in Azerbaijan and the wider central Asia region.
He added: "Azerbaijan is looking to reduce reliance on oil and gas in both its economy and energy consumption. Our five-to-10 year plan is to use our experience in all parts of the energy sector, including areas like offshore wind, as well as bringing in expertise from the wider Atkins Group in infrastructure, architecture and mass transit services, as we move forward in this region."
The firm was awarded a contract in 2011 to oversee the "regeneration" of Baku (pictured).
Image via Atkins
