International projects, one reliable foundation: how Ney & Partners applies standards in practice
Last updated:
April 23, 2026
From iconic bridges to complex infrastructure projects: Ney & Partners designs structures in Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Japan, Vietnam, and beyond. For an engineering firm with 150 employees—about 80 of whom are based in Brussels—standards are not a mere formality, but a daily reality.
“The Eurocodes are really the foundation of our work,” says Benoît Olislager, an engineer and project manager. “They determine what is and isn’t possible. They serve as the starting point for all our calculations.”
For projects in Europe, the Eurocodes serve as a common language. They enable Ney & Partners to work with the same technical standards across different countries, requiring only minor adjustments to comply with national annexes. “This gives us a common ground for discussions with engineering firms, architects, clients, and contractors.”
This uniform approach makes international cooperation more efficient and transparent. Eurocodes have also proven to be a strong benchmark outside of Europe. In some countries, they are fully accepted; in others, they are combined with local regulations, for example, for seismic calculations. “Eurocodes are internationally recognized. If you base your work on them, it will be accepted in many countries.”
For an agency operating across multiple continents, this means: less uncertainty, greater consistency, and a solid technical foundation.
In addition to technical standards, ISO 9001 also plays an important role. Ney & Partners is certified, and according to Benoît, this is more than just a formality. “That certification is a guarantee of quality for our customers. It demonstrates that we organisation a well-structured organisation and that an external, neutral party verifies this.”
The ISO structure ensures that projects follow established processes: files are organized in a standardized manner, internal checks are conducted at set intervals, and follow-up is systematically integrated.
This is essential for complex projects involving significant responsibilities. “It helps us make sure we’re on the right track.”
In Brussels, at least sixty employees actively use standards. This requires a clear structure.
In the past, the agency worked with documents stored on servers or as individual copies. Keeping track of changes and new versions was a challenge. The switch to the NBN standards portal changed all that. “One of the biggest challenges we used to face was keeping track of new developments and updates. Now we receive notifications whenever documents are updated.”
The timing was no coincidence. Ney & Partners is in the midst of transitioning to the second generation of the Eurocodes. “It was the right time to make sure we don’t miss anything and always work with the latest versions.”
Another key advantage is the clear status of standards on the portal: which version is applicable, which has been superseded, and whether a national annex is available. “That official status used to be unclear. Now it’s clear. That’s a major advantage.” For engineers with significant responsibilities, that certainty is crucial.
Three employees within the agency serve as administrators of the standards portal. They ensure that users are added correctly and that new requirements are addressed.
According to Benoît, the collaboration with NBN is going smoothly. “Our questions were addressed, and communication was good. We also always received answers to our technical questions.” That accessibility is important when standards are a daily work tool.
Benoît doesn’t agree that standards hinder innovation. “Standards provide a foundation for our work and ensure that all partners are on the same page.”
New solutions sometimes require additional justification or testing, but innovation and standards development influence each other. “Innovation has driven the evolution of standards. This shows that standards do not hinder innovation.”
According to Ney & Partners, standards do not impose limitations, but rather provide a solid foundation on which to build—both technically and creatively.
Sustainability is a core priority at the firm. This is reflected not only in design choices but also in measurable analysis. Ney & Partners collects project data and assigns a CO₂ equivalent to it in order to objectively compare projects.
An important principle: preserve existing structures whenever possible. “It is better to renovate and preserve the existing structure than to demolish it and rebuild.”
Here, too, standards provide the technical foundation for developing safe, efficient, and resource-efficient solutions.
When Benoît hears the NBN sloganTrusted Knowledgehe sees himself reflected in it. “By grouping versions together, clearly indicating their status, and showing which version is the latest, we can be confident that we’re working with the right documents.”
For an international engineering firm, this means, in concrete terms: working with confidence. And it is precisely that confidence that leaves room for what really matters—well-thought-out designs, efficient structures, and sustainable solutions.
