Arup needed to improve productivity, knowledge sharing, and collaboration to address the complexities of sustainable development in the built environment.
Arup adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot, generative AI, and the Phoenix chatbot to streamline workflows and enhance global knowledge access.
AI tools saved time, boosted creativity, and improved decision-making, empowering Arup to deliver high-quality, sustainable solutions for clients worldwide.
“We see AI as a key way of augmenting our deep domain expertise in all areas of the built environment.”
Tom Heath, Global Director of Data Science & AI, Arup
Arup, a global multinational professional services firm, provides design, engineering, architecture, planning, and advisory services across every aspect of the built environment. Founded in 1946 by Sir Ove Arup, the firm employs about 18,000 people in over 100 offices across 40 countries.
With the built environment responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon output, Arup is committed to reducing its environmental impact while delivering innovative, evidence-based solutions to its clients and society.
Arup’s work spans across multiple disciplines and geographies, requiring collaborative, knowledge-driven approaches. “Real complexity is bound up in the concept of sustainable development,” Jerome Frost, CEO at Arup, explains. To navigate this complexity, AI emerged as a key enabler of progress.
“We see AI as a key way of augmenting our deep domain expertise in all areas of the built environment,” expands Tom Heath, Global Director of Data Science & AI at Arup.
Recognising the need to efficiently access global knowledge across teams, Arup adopted AI solutions like Microsoft 365 Copilot. After months of testing, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“Copilot creates a whole new paradigm for information and knowledge management. It's democratising access to AI and allowing members to interrogate our organisation's data at scale,” explains Rob Greig, Group CIO at Arup. “If everyone at Arup has the same access to our collective knowledge and learning that means our technical excellence can make a greater impact.”
“Once people have Copilot, they don’t want to go back,” highlights Tom Heath. The AI-powered solution not only saves time but also allows professionals to focus on maximising the quality of their work.
Improved decision-making across global teams
Arup further partnered with Microsoft to develop the Phoenix chatbot, a custom AI application for domain specialists.
“It’s a way of increasing efficiency, but crucially helping to ensure that people always find the right material to refer to, and this has the potential to improve the quality,” explains Mike Deevy, Associate Director, Fire Safety, Arup.
“Being a knowledge-based firm, it’s essential to find and access information quickly to make the right decisions,” notes Ben Gilson, Associate, Geotechnics, Arup.
“The ability of a large language model to translate between different languages is hugely beneficial for our project teams working across complex geographic with many different nationalities,” raises Tom Heath.
“We want to be an ‘AI first’ organisation in the real sense of the term,” explains Rob Greig. “That’s not about AI leading what we do, it’s about us using AI in everything we do. It gives us access to more information but also challenges us to question how we validate what we see in front of us. If we get the balance of these two things right that is incredibly powerful - it will make us a better firm and lead to better outcomes for our clients and society.”
By integrating AI solutions, Arup combines the emergent complexity of the world with the deep knowledge and creativity of its members. This synergy positions Arup to tackle sustainability challenges head-on while delivering innovative, future-ready solutions for clients.
“Once people have Copilot, they don’t want to go back.”
Tom Heath, Global Director of Data Science & AI, Arup
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