Our four founding fathers

The founders behind NIRAS

Jørgen Kristian Nielsen portrait

Jørgen Kristian Nielsen

1925-2017 Civil engineer
Konrad Rauschenberger portrait

Konrad Rauschenberger

1924-2015 Civil engineer
Ludvig Birch portrait

Ludvig Birch

1877-1955 Engineer
Jacob O. P. Krogboe portrait

Jacob O. P. Krogboe

1879-1950 Engineer
1956

Jørgen Kristian Nielsen & Konrad Rauschenberger

Back in 1956, Jørgen Kristian Nielsen and Konrad Rauschenberger teamed up to solve real problems in one of the toughest places on earth: Greenland.

Nielsen had worked with hydropower in Iceland. Rauschenberger had fled Hungary during the war and was passionate about engineering with a purpose. Together, they started a small consultancy 'Nielsen & Rauschenberger, Rådgivende Ingeniører' (or simply N&R), which later became NIRAS.

They were very different, but that is what made them a great match. Nielsen was the strategist. He thought big, planned, and made sure the business had a clear direction. He was a visionary Managing Director and a cosmopolitan figure who excelled at representing the company externally.

Rauschenberger was the technical brain. A Hungarian refugee, he brought creativity and deep engineering skills – especially in water systems. He was a strong role model for the management style that later became known as 'management by walking around', and he has had a significant impact on NIRAS's corporate culture, promoting widespread autonomy and a flat management structure.

What brought them together was not just engineering. It was the belief that their work should make life better for people and communities. That purpose became part of NIRAS's DNA.

1912

Ludvig Birch & Jacob O.P. Krogboe

If we rewind even more, we find Ludvig Birch and Jacob O.P. Krogboe. These two started Birch & Krogboe (later known as Alectia, which merged with NIRAS in 2017) back in 1912 after working together at a Danish engineering firm.

Like Nielsen and Rauschenberger, they were also both talented but had very different personalities:

Birch was the outgoing one – visionary, social, and inspiring to younger colleagues. Krogboe, known as "Akkuranten" (meaning precise or exact) was calm and meticulous. He was respected for always being hands-on and detail oriented.

Together, they built hospitals, public infrastructure, and a strong reputation for quality.

Our growth journey

From 2 founders to 3,000+ professionals

2017

The merger: When two stories became one

In 2017, NIRAS and Alectia merged to form one unified company. Even though the four original founders came from different eras and backgrounds, they shared several defining qualities:

All four founders envisioned their work contributing to something greater, from advancing infrastructure and food production in Greenland, developing global energy solutions, or shaping the future of hospital construction.

They were technical pioneers who challenged conventions and developed solutions for complex challenges. United by a commitment to expertise and professionalism, and strong client-focused project management, they laid the foundation for the culture that still drives the company today.

Today, NIRAS stands not only as a successful engineering company but as a living expression of visionary leadership can create. The founders’ legacy continues through the company’s daily work and through the NIRAS Foundation, which promotes research, supports education, and delivers engineering solutions where they matter most.

How we create value

A foundation built on trust and collaboration

At NIRAS, value creation in client projects is at the heart of everything we do. Spanning the lifecycle of projects, we strive to deliver solutions that are financially viable, environmentally and socially sound.

Trust & collaboration

Our decentralised structure embodies our commitment to trust, collaboration and agility. Guided by our core principle – we listen, learn and deliver – team leaders are empowered with autonomy to manage client relationships, oversee project delivery and foster team development.

Global perspective

By combining local expertise with a global perspective, we create lasting impacts across diverse projects and geographies. This flat, trust-based model reduces bureaucracy, enabling swift decision-making and tailored solutions.

Responsible advisory approach

Responsible decision-making is an integral part of our client advisory services. We address complex trade-offs early in the project process to ensure informed choices and well-considered outcomes. NIRAS’s engineering expertise supports long-term business performance while strengthening resilience and adaptability.

The NIRAS Foundation

Long-term ownership and value creation

The NIRAS Foundation was originally established in 1976 when shareholders donated their shares to ensure stable and long-term ownership. The NIRAS Alectia Foundation was established through the merger of the NIRAS Foundation and the Alectia Foundation in 2017, prior to the companies' own merger. Today, the name has been changed to NIRAS Foundation but the foundation on which we stand remains unchanged.

The foundation's purpose is to ensure that the company operates with a long-term perspective, a strong focus on innovation, and a clear sense of responsibility. This includes support for education and research, funding PhD projects and research initiatives that contribute to addressing major challenges within climate, energy, and societal development. As a foundation-owned company, NIRAS is free from short-term shareholder pressure, making it possible to focus on long-term initiatives, invest in innovation, and create lasting value for clients and society alike.

The NIRAS foundation's purpose is not only to generate economic growth but also to ensure that the company's work makes a meaningful and positive contribution to the world around us.

International Growth and M&As

From Danish roots to global impact

Towards the end of the 2010s, NIRAS adopted a more international outlook. Although NIRAS had been built over time through the integration of many smaller companies, it was during this period that a clear vision emerged—to pursue growth beyond Denmark and expand internationally in a more structured and strategic way.

The 2017 merger with Alectia—formerly Birch & Krogboe, founded in 1912—significantly strengthened NIRAS's position in the food & beverage, life sciences, and building sectors.

Since then, NIRAS has completed several strategic acquisitions, including companies in Ireland, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands—particularly within the process industry, with a strong focus on life sciences and food & beverage, as well as Monitoring & Evaluation.

In 2024, we passed the milestone of 3,000 employees as we move steadily towards our ambition of reaching 5,000 employees by 2030. Our decentralised structure fosters local expertise, agility, and cross-border collaboration, ensuring value creation for our clients and the societies in which we operate.

What started with water pipes in Greenland has grown into a global organisation delivering long-term solutions, firmly rooted in the same values of purpose, professionalism and progress.

Engineering solutions for a shared future

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