Capacity Building

Growth from Water 

The Seventies

IMS is founded in Hamburg in 1972 as a subsidiary of Philip Holzmann AG in cooperation with Stefan Knabe, an experienced offshore engineer.
A group of young engineers starts a new business in the field of offshore engineering and technology. However, within a few years the limitations for German participation in the international offshore market become apparent. IMS reacts with diversification and starts services in hydraulic and civil engineering. Later the field of environmental engineering is added. The necessary addition of natural scientists to the team brings new impetus to the company.

Offering interdisciplinary services becomes an essential ingredient of IMS’s success.

The Eighties and Nineties

In 1987 the company is renamed “IMS Ingenieurgesellschaft”, reflecting the fact that most of its activities are no longer in the offshore sector. Projects like water quality measurement, rehabilitation of contaminated soil, land reclamation, tunnel construction and waterway engineering are added to IMS’s reference list. IMS even starts services abroad, for example in Abu Dhabi. The positive development of the company is further promoted by the German reunification. At the large constructionsite at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, IMS operates a ground water monitoring and management system. At the end of the nineties IMS is certified according to the quality assurance norm DIN EN ISO 9001 : 2000. IMS continues to develop into a problem-solving company. The high integrity and ability of IMS’s team members leads to additional services being added to the company’s portfolio, including management consultancy and project management.

IMS in the new Millenium 

On 1 January 2001, IMS is sold to Spiekermann Beratende Ingenieure GmbH, Düsseldorf. The renewable energy sector is opened up. With its work in the field of offshore wind energy, IMS experiences a renaissance of its offshore activities. In 2004 Dr. Helmut Salzmann retires after 30 years of service for IMS and Dr. Peter Ruland takes over as the new managing director. With over 50 highly qualified team members and excellent references. IMS is able to look to the future with great optimism.