GHD Awarded £11 Million Contract to Support National Highways’ Chief Data Office in Pioneering Data Architecture Initiative

London, November 20, 2025 GHD is proud to announce it has been awarded a £11 million, five-year contract to support the Chief Data Office at National Highways in the development and application of ontologies and taxonomies, foundational components for modern, interoperable data systems.

These frameworks, which define how data is described, connected, and understood, will underpin a more coherent and connected data architecture across National Highways’ complex infrastructure systems. By creating structured “maps” between and within data sources, this work will ensure that data is consistently classified and linked, enabling more intelligent decision-making and seamless integration of future technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Adam Locker, Head of Data Architecture & Engineering at National Highways, said: “This work is vital to our organisation being able to effectively manage the deep expertise of our people now and into the future, and lay the foundations for making better use of our data assets to help us deliver our work most effectively”.

This contract marks a significant milestone in GHD’s ongoing collaboration with National Highways, which began in early 2021. To deliver on this initiative, GHD has assembled a highly experienced consortium of specialist partners, including Kaiasm, Visual Meaning, Semantic Arts, and WSP, each bringing unique capabilities in data architecture, semantics, and digital infrastructure.

“This commission represents an exciting opportunity to reshape the data landscape of a nationally significant infrastructure organisation,” said Tom Bedeman, Business Group Leader – Data & Insights, UK. “The principles and practices we are applying here are also highly transferable to similar organisations globally, particularly those looking to lay the groundwork for scalable, enterprise-wide AI solutions.”

As National Highways continues to embrace a data-centric future, this partnership will provide the tools and structures necessary to ensure that information is consistently and meaningfully organised — enabling improved operational efficiency, better asset management, and enhanced service delivery across the UK’s strategic road network.

About GHD

GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 12,000+ professionals is connected across 165 offices located on five continents.