1.0Market Snapshot
- 7,198
- Engineering offices in 2024 (BFS STATENT, NOGA 71.12: 2,000 civil engineering offices, 1,385 building-services engineering offices and 3,813 other engineering offices). Architecture offices are counted separately.
- 63,806
- Employees of engineering offices in 2024 (BFS STATENT), 54,589 full-time equivalents. Civil engineering offices employ 24,162, building-services offices 9,030 and other engineering offices 30,614.
- +10.5%
- Growth in employees from 2020 (57,720) to 2024 (63,806), BFS STATENT NOGA 71.12. Since 2011 (43,666) employment has grown by 46%, while the number of offices rose only from 6,590 to 7,198.
According to Val Index analysis of Swiss commercial-register and federal data (2026), Switzerland counts 7,198 engineering & technical services companies — Engineering offices in 2024 (BFS STATENT, NOGA 71.12: 2,000 civil engineering offices, 1,385 building-services engineering offices and 3,813 other engineering offices). Architecture offices are counted separately..
2.0Industry Overview
Engineering offices plan and supervise Switzerland's buildings, roads, railways, tunnels, energy systems and water infrastructure. In 2024 BFS counted 7,198 engineering offices with 63,806 employees (STATENT, NOGA 71.12), up 10.5% in employment since 2020 and 46% since 2011. Civil engineering offices are the largest group by employees per office (about 12), and building-services engineers — heating, ventilation, electrical and sanitary planning — are smaller (about 7). The number of offices has grown much more slowly than employment: the sector is moving from small practices towards larger multidisciplinary groups.
3.0Industry Health Check (SWOT)
- Long-term infrastructure and building programmes
- Strong dependence on key engineers and project managers
- Energy transition, building renovation and data centres
- Shortage of qualified engineers
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Engineering & Technical Services business valuation in Switzerland
- Statutory Multiple (EBITDA)
- 4.0 - 6.0×
- Deal Multiple (EBITDA)
- 5.0 - 8.0×
- Market Trend
- Stable
Indicative ranges based on market research. Actual multiples vary by company size, growth, and market conditions.
8.0Regional Clusters
Zurich
1,219 engineering offices with 14,439 employees in 2024 (BFS STATENT), the most employees of any region and the largest offices (11.8 per unit); Amstein + Walthert and Basler & Hofmann are registered in Zurich.
Western Switzerland
1,577 offices with 12,515 employees, the most offices of any region; WSP Ingénieurs Conseils is based in Lausanne and Gruner opened in Geneva in 2026.
Northwestern Switzerland
963 offices with 9,767 employees; Gruner is headquartered in Basel.
Eastern Switzerland
1,151 offices with 9,100 employees; ARX Group is registered in Grono (GR).
Bern and Solothurn
876 offices with 8,238 employees; BKW Engineering is based in Bern.
Central Switzerland
948 offices with 6,400 employees, the smallest on average (6.8 per unit).
Ticino
457 offices with 3,347 employees; Pini Group, now ARX, was founded in Lugano.
Sources
9.0Frequently Asked Questions
▶How much is an engineering firm worth in Switzerland?
ValIndex's multiples table puts Swiss engineering services at 5.0–8.0× EBITDA in transactions and 4.0–6.0× EBITDA on statutory valuations. Firms with strong teams, public framework contracts and specialist niches such as tunnelling, energy or building services sit at the upper end; small offices that depend on the founder sit lower.
▶What drives the value of a Swiss engineering office?
Buyers price: (1) the team and its stability; (2) dependence on the founder and key project managers; (3) client mix, especially public framework contracts; (4) order backlog; (5) specialist know-how; (6) liability history and insurance.
▶How big is Swiss engineering services?
BFS counted 7,198 engineering offices with 63,806 employees in 2024 (NOGA 71.12), up 10.5% in employment since 2020 and 46% since 2011. No official figure for market revenue exists. Architecture offices are counted separately.
▶Who are the main engineering firms in Switzerland?
Gruner (Basel), Amstein + Walthert (Zurich), Basler & Hofmann (Zurich), WSP Ingénieurs Conseils (Lausanne, formerly BG), ARX Group (Grono, formerly Pini Group) and BKW Engineering (Bern) are among the larger firms. Most of the 7,198 offices are small practices.
▶What are the key trends in Swiss engineering services?
Five trends: (1) employment growth of 46% since 2011; (2) Swiss groups such as Gruner buying and expanding; (3) Pini Group's growth and rebranding as ARX; (4) foreign buyers such as WSP and Haskoning; (5) energy companies such as BKW building engineering arms.
▶What are the main risks when buying a Swiss engineering office?
The main risks are: (1) loss of key engineers after the sale; (2) dependence on the founder's client relationships; (3) price competition in public tenders; (4) project delays and budget cuts; (5) liability claims. Due diligence should check the backlog, contract terms, staff retention and liability insurance.
▶Who is buying engineering firms in Switzerland?
Swiss engineering groups such as Gruner and ARX buy regional and specialist offices; energy groups such as BKW build engineering arms; and international firms such as WSP and Haskoning buy Swiss firms for market access. Management buy-outs by senior staff remain common for smaller offices.
▶Where are Swiss engineering offices located?
Using BFS figures for 2024: Western Switzerland has the most engineering offices (1,577, with 12,515 employees), followed by Zurich (1,219; 14,439), Eastern Switzerland (1,151; 9,100), Northwestern Switzerland (963; 9,767), Central Switzerland (948; 6,400), Bern and Solothurn (876; 8,238) and Ticino (457; 3,347).