SOCOTEC UK & Ireland, the UK arm of French testing, inspection and certification group SOCOTEC, has acquired Inertia Consulting, a Derby engineering consultancy specialising in bridge engineering and inspection, adding 50 employees. The deal is its 17th acquisition since 2017 and strengthens its position in transport and highways infrastructure.

Founded in 2006 by David Roome, Inertia also specialises in temporary works design, structural inspection and non-destructive testing, and operates nationally from offices in Derby, Falkirk, Cwmbran and Cheshire. It carries out more than 4,000 inspections a year and works with clients including National Highways.

SOCOTEC’s engineering operations already cover civil and geotechnical engineering, structural investigation, construction testing, monitoring and surveying, and the acquisition adds bridge engineering, temporary works design, structural inspection and NDT expertise.

SOCOTEC said the deal strengthens its ability to target work with National Highways, Network Rail, other major asset owners and Tier 1 contractors.

SOCOTEC employs about 14,500 people in 26 countries and reported revenue of €1.7 billion in 2025.

Hervé Montjotin, CEO of SOCOTEC Group, said: “Bringing Inertia Consulting onboard will help SOCOTEC UK & Ireland reach a new level of scale and capability in bridge engineering and structural inspection.”

Matthew Marriott, CEO of SOCOTEC UK & Ireland, said the acquisition expands infrastructure asset inspection capabilities as investment continues across the UK’s road and rail networks, adding: “Inertia Consulting’s expertise in bridge engineering, temporary works design, structural inspection and infrastructure asset management, combined with their talented team, will significantly strengthen our engineering capabilities and expand our asset inspection offerings in this critical sector.”

David Roome, co-group director at Inertia Consulting, said: “Joining forces with SOCOTEC UK & Ireland provides an exciting opportunity to expand our bridge engineering, structural inspection and asset management services while accessing wider resources, expertise and clients.”

Ryan Bradley, co-group director at Inertia Consulting, added: “Our team has built strong relationships with National Highways and other major infrastructure clients over two decades, and now, as part of SOCOTEC, we look forward to building on that legacy.”

The structural driver is continued investment across the UK’s road and rail networks, the context in which SOCOTEC says it is expanding its infrastructure asset inspection capabilities. For the sector, the deal combines bridge engineering design with inspection and testing capability in one group.

Source: thebusinessdesk.com / bdeibig.com / eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk / geplus.co.uk