The 2025 financial year was characterized by a high degree of planning uncertainty. Geopolitical tensions, volatile markets and a clear reluctance to invest also weighed on the construction and real estate industries. Despite these adverse conditions, the Stuttgart-based consulting firm Drees & Sommer SE – which specializes in construction, real estate and infrastructure – for the first time achieved annual sales of over €1 billion, and returned an operating result of €117.5 million.
Sales were up 5.5 percent and operating result up around 2.5 percent on the previous year’s levels of €964.2 million and €114.6 million, respectively. This trend of steady improvement has developed over several years: Sales in 2023 totaled €900 million, with an operating result of €102.7 million. The company has been supporting many of its customers for years, some even for decades, forging partnerships that endure even in difficult market environments. “We invested early in areas that are now in high demand – infrastructure, industry and international markets. The fact that we have continued to grow in a year that saw marked reluctance to invest validates this course of action. At the same time, this result creates the basis for continued targeted investment in innovative solutions and future technologies for our customers,” says Executive Board spokesperson Steffen Szeidl.
Infrastructure: implementation is decisive
The pressure on infrastructure is high: In Germany, one in three bridges is considered to be in need of renovation, and schools, roads and railways are all awaiting upgrades. The German federal government’s special-purpose fund of €500 billion for infrastructure and climate neutrality sends an important signal. In practice, however, a lack of prioritization, planning bottlenecks and limited implementation capacities are impeding progress on many projects. “There is often a lack of clarity about what needs to be tackled first. In this context, our strategic maintenance management service sets priorities,” says Steffen Szeidl. But faced with the renovation backlog, public funds alone are often insufficient, resulting in Public-Private Partnerships rising in importance. “When properly and transparently structured, PPPs can mobilize private capital, create planning certainty and accelerate projects,” Steffen Szeidl points out.
Frankfurt Airport’s Terminal 3 is a good example of how major infrastructure projects can be brought to a successful conclusion. The terminal started operations on schedule in April 2026 and will be able to handle up to 19 million travelers per year. Drees & Sommer supported the project for almost two decades, providing project management, construction management and tenant coordination services from a single source.
Real Estate: Operating despite cost pressure
The rising cost of materials and tradespeople, the skills shortage and increasingly strict sustainability requirements are severely constraining investment decisions in the real estate market. Residential construction projects are stalled because many processes are too complex and too expensive. Here, Drees & Sommer is focusing on serial construction: A modular, scalable solution that brings high quality to the construction site without driving costs up further – especially in the case of existing climate-friendly projects.
Industry: competence reformed for buildings
Drees & Sommer systematically transfers industrial experience in automation, digitalization and artificial intelligence to buildings and districts. The company’s strategic partnership with Neura Robotics is a good example. “We contribute our expertise in the sensorized environment and digital twins, while Neura Robotics complements this with cognitive robotics and interface expertise. We want to design buildings as learning, interactive systems and as environments that collaborate with humans and robots in real time. First pilot projects are already testing this approach during ongoing building operation,” explains Drees & Sommer Executive Board member Dierk Mutschler.
The Bau Ventures takes the approach of identifying, testing and scaling new technologies at an early stage. The Bau Ventures combines venture building and early-stage investment: The team develops its own business ideas and supports startups by acting as a venture studio, while also targeting investment in young companies in the construction and real estate industry. The goal is to work with partners to put new solutions into practice at an early stage and ensure their scalability – with measurable benefits in terms of costs, revenues and sustainability.
Water and security: fields with high future demand
In 2025, Drees & Sommer expedited two strategic corporate initiatives. These illustrate how closely economic performance, functioning infrastructure and social stability are linked: Record periods of drought and heavy rainfall are disrupting the water balance of entire regions, resulting in pressure on water as a production factor that is increasingly making location a key issue. “Our Water Initiative bundles our expertise in resilient water infrastructure, urban stormwater management and industrial water technology – from the sponge city to the use of closed water cycles in production,” says Dierk Mutschler. The second initiative launched by the company is in the area of Security and Defense, advising public and private clients on construction projects that combine civil, economic and security policy requirements.
International presence
Drees & Sommer is present wherever customers need support – that is the rationale behind its international expansion. Since January 2025, the integration of the US-based project and cost management company VVA has opened growth markets such as life sciences, semiconductors and data centers. In the UK, our merger with RSP Consulting Engineers has bolstered the company’s expertise in the financial sector and in data centers since March 2025.
People make the difference
Drees & Sommer has over 6,500 employees at more than 80 locations worldwide working on around 7,000 projects. “Implementation expertise is created not only by structures, but by people who take responsibility. Their commitment is the reason we have grown in a difficult year – for which we are sincerely grateful,” says Marc Schömbs, member of the Executive Board.
The economic environment remains challenging. Geopolitical tensions, tight project finances and a wave of insolvencies are putting pressure on the market. Drees & Sommer intends to continue on its stable, positive course with a highly diversified portfolio and an enhanced international presence.
More detailed information on the results of the group and a selection of flagship projects is available via the following link: Future Proofs 2026