History - China & Hong Kong

Two staff. One drawing board. A small room at the former Air Registration Board Building at the Kai Tak airfield. The year was 1952, and that was Scott Wilson's beginning in Hong Kong.

At the invitation of the Hong Kong Government, the late Henry Grace arrived in Hong Kong to plan a new international airport at the existing Kai Tak site. Scott Wilson was one of the first major international consultancy established in Hong Kong and it has operated continuously since those exciting early days at the old airport.

1960s and 1970s

Our numbers grew rapidly following the establishment of the initial Kai Tak office and soils laboratory. Scott Wilson Hong Kong's growth reflected the heady growth of the territory in the 1960s, 1970s and beyond. Rapid increases in population strained basic infrastructure.

Scott Wilson was commissioned to carry out major civil works, many of which required engineering ingenuity, vision and proven project management skills. Notable projects included Plover Cove Dam, Tuen Mun Highway, Kwai Chung Container Port, the first cross-harbour immersed tube tunnel, and the Light Rail Transit system.

Early expansion into China Mainland

The opening of mainland China in 1978 ushered in a new era. Scott Wilson's track record in China started in 1985 with a brewery in Tianjin. Since then we have completed over 100 assignments in mainland China, ranging from privatised highways and ports to new towns, manufacturing plants and environmental studies.

One of our most significant moves in China was the establishment in 1994 of Jiangsu Scott Wilson Engineering Consultants Co Ltd (JSW), a joint venture which has afforded us access to top-rate Chinese professionals and unprecedented local knowledge. Indeed JSW was the first provincial-level joint-venture company in China and it has successfully weathered the last six years, a time when many joint ventures in China have failed. Scott Wilson has since opened several offices throughout China.

The 1990s

In Hong Kong, Scott Wilson continued to transform itself throughout the 1990s to stay at the forefront of the engineering profession. The plan to build a new airport at Chek Lap Kok on Lantau Island generated a public works programme of unrivalled proportion in the territory. Scott Wilson Hong Kong contributed to over 10 contracts related to the Airport Core Programme.

The 1990s also initiated a new level of competitiveness not seen before in Hong Kong. Scott Wilson seized the opportunity to implement strategies to work smarter and focus more on clients, and adopt a corporate culture which rewards individual initiative and excellence as well as a strong team spirit. Restructuring has prepared us well for the future.

The path ahead

Well into the first decade of the 21st century, Scott Wilson has charted a new course for growth based on a unified operation in China. We are enjoying unprecedented work opportunities for our staff, strategic alliances with key clients, an extensive office network in China through which we serve our clients, and new capability in urban planning, architectural and landscape design, urban design, tourism development and electrical and mechanical engineering, in addition to our core strengths. This diversification in geographical and technical markets provides a sustainable long-term platform for Scott Wilson’s business in China and worldwide.