Arup appoints new Southeast Asia leader and expands into Johor, Malaysia

The changes underscore the firm’s recently announced expansion plans in the APAC region which accounts for 39% of global GDP and is forecast to continue growth for the next two decades. Lau’s role is part of Arup’s new leadership structure, designed to enable the firm to play a bigger role in influencing sustainable development trends in the critical APAC market.

Lau said: “I’m eager to continue the work of diversifying Arup’s business offering, leveraging the exciting opportunities emerging across Southeast Asia. The rapid acceleration of urbanisation across Southeast Asian developing countries, coupled with increasing interest in sustainability services and decarbonisation, makes us perfectly placed to partner with clients and industry. Having developed innovative sustainable solutions in the Asia Pacific for more than six decades, our renewed focus in Southeast Asia will allow us to more seamlessly access the skills and expertise of our members, leading to better outcomes for our clients.”

He added: “Expanding our operations with a new office in Johor underscores our commitment to growth in Southeast Asia. Recognised for development potential, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and Forest City Special Financial Zone offer significant opportunities in infrastructure development, data centres, industrial parks, and real estate investment. Having our people on the ground in Johor will deliver better outcomes for our clients, illustrated by a deeper understanding of local market dynamics.”

The firm, which recently celebrated 60 years in Malaysia, remains committed to creating a resilient and sustainable future by drawing upon its broad range of skills and multidisciplinary expertise. Their recent projects in Johor include Smart City Masterplan for Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC), Majlis Bandaraya Iskandar Puteri (MBIP) Public Transport Action Plan, and owner's engineer for a 500MWac solar PV power plant.