COWI acquires Irish engineering consultancy PUNCH as infrastructure investment pipeline grows
Limerick-founded firm with six offices joins global engineering group to target offshore wind, energy and major infrastructure projects
3 June 2026 | editor@breakingground.news
PUNCH Consulting Engineers, one of Ireland’s largest indigenous engineering consultancies, has been acquired by international engineering group COWI in a move that strengthens the Danish firm’s presence in the Irish market ahead of a major pipeline of infrastructure and energy projects.
Founded in Limerick in 1973, PUNCH has grown from a local engineering practice into a multidisciplinary consultancy employing teams across offices in Limerick, Dublin, Cork, Galway, Glasgow and Macclesfield. The company provides civil, structural, environmental and sustainability engineering services across the built environment sector.
The acquisition will see PUNCH become part of COWI, a Denmark-headquartered engineering consultancy with operations across Europe, North America and Asia. The deal comes as Ireland advances significant investment programmes in transport, energy, water infrastructure and climate transition projects, including offshore wind developments and district heating networks.
PUNCH Managing Director Tim Murnane said the acquisition marks a significant milestone for both the company and the wider Irish engineering sector.
“We are very excited for PUNCH to become part of the COWI Group at a seminal time in the development of our country. Responding to the unprecedented level of infrastructure investment planned by our government requires the best global expertise and the best local knowledge,” he said.
“This move gives us the opportunity to build on our legacy while opening new pathways for our teams.”
The transaction brings together PUNCH’s established local market knowledge and client relationships with COWI’s international expertise in large-scale infrastructure delivery, energy systems and sustainability projects.
Andy Sloan, Executive Vice President at COWI UK and International, said the acquisition would create a stronger platform for serving clients across Ireland.
“PUNCH has built an outstanding reputation, delivering high-quality engineering solutions across the built environment. By combining its trusted local expertise with COWI’s international experience, we are creating a stronger platform to support clients,” he said.
The acquisition reflects increasing international interest in Ireland’s infrastructure and energy sectors as government investment programmes gather pace. Demand for engineering expertise is expected to rise significantly over the coming decade as projects progress across housing, transport, renewable energy, water services and climate adaptation.
For Limerick, the deal represents another significant corporate milestone for a company that has remained rooted in the city for more than five decades while expanding its operations across Ireland and the UK.
