Granlund’s CEO, Pekka Metsi, chaired a meeting of the European FirstQ Network in Helsinki. Representatives from various parts of Europe discussed opportunities for collaboration and recent, hotly debated topics.
”These meetings are always great because they provide a different perspective on things. This time, we had a long discussion about the different approaches to energy calculation in different countries and about new opportunities for optimisation. Integrating knowledge management into design was also on the agenda”, Metsi says.
The FirstQ Network is a network of European design companies. It currently includes 10 engineering and consulting companies from various parts of Europe and new partners are constantly sought. Granlund joined the network in autumn 2015 and has been actively involved in developing it since then.
The purpose of the FirstQ Network is to disseminate information about current issues and enable members to develop operating models together. In terms of projects, the network provides a natural field of collaboration for projects run by members’ own regular customers in other European countries.
Members of the network are involved in projects all over Europe. More details are available on the website. The expertise of different companies comes to the fore in complex projects in the hospital, education, data centre and commercial sectors.
The companies in the network are investing in similar strengths and areas of expertise, such as energy and sustainable development, which are key focuses for Granlund. Other important themes include facility management and BIM.
”It is great to be involved in a community where all of the participants are focused on expertise. It also provides us with an opportunity to benchmark our operating models and to gain new perspectives by sharing insight. Building services and information technology will become increasingly important in the near future and this network provides amazing opportunities to get involved in creating a new future”, says Metsi.
