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.

Acerca de GHD

GHD es una empresa líder en servicios profesionales que opera en los mercados mundiales de agua, energía y recursos, medio ambiente, infraestructura y edificaciones, y transporte. Comprometidos con la visión de garantizar que el agua, la energía y las comunidades sean sostenibles para las futuras generaciones, GHD ofrece soluciones en consultoría, servicios digitales, ingeniería, arquitectura, medio ambiente y construcción a clientes del sector público y privado. Fundada en 1928 y propiedad de sus trabajadores, GHD cuenta con una red de más de 12.000 profesionales en más de 165 oficinas en cinco continentes.