Industry organisations Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) and the Interstate Consultants Engineers Guild (ICEG) of Ukraine have signed an agreement to strengthen collaboration between South African and Ukrainian companies to support the European country’s recovery and reconstruction.

Ukraine has been at war with Russia since February 2022, when Russian forces invaded the Eastern European country.

The memorandum of understanding signed by CESA and the ICEG establishes a framework for cooperation that aligns with the International Federation of Consulting Engineers' (FIDIC’s) global aspiration to improve quality of life and promote the highest international standards in procurement, design, construction and asset management across the built and natural environment.

“This partnership is not only about contributing to the recovery of Ukraine, but also about building stronger bridges of collaboration between our countries. Together, we can harness the strength of engineering excellence to deliver infrastructure that transforms lives,” says CESA president David Leukes.

Specifically, key areas of collaboration include promoting economic cooperation to drive development in both South Africa and Ukraine, and strengthening partnerships in construction and related fields during Ukraine’s recovery, while also leveraging Ukrainian expertise to support similar projects in South Africa.

The organisations will also collaborate to facilitate networking and information-sharing among member companies to encourage partnerships and business opportunities, as well as to advance innovation and best practices in engineering.

Further areas of collaboration include supporting joint initiatives within the FIDIC framework and maintaining ongoing dialogue to deepen relations between the two associations and their members.

“Through this cooperation, Ukrainian and South African engineers will share expertise, foster innovation and develop sustainable solutions that benefit both our nations,” says CESA CEO Chris Campbell.

The agreement fosters global engineering collaboration and demonstrates the commitment of the organisations to advance infrastructure development, resilience and sustainable growth, he says.