NKY Architects & Engineers is strengthening its international presence and consolidating its position on the Romanian market, as the company enters 2026 with an ambitious growth and diversification strategy. With a solid portfolio of healthcare projects in Romania, such as the Craiova Regional Emergency Hospital (REH) and the "Prof. Dimitrie Gerota" Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, NKY is expanding its focus towards transportation and other social infrastructure investments. At the same time, the company is pursuing geographic growth, including its planned expansion in Western Europe through a new subsidiary in Italy, alongside ongoing projects in Asia and Africa. In the interview below, Ömer Ünlü, PMP MCIOB, General Coordinator & Romania Country Manager, NKY Architects & Engineers, discusses the company’s performance in 2025, expectations for the year ahead, and the key factors shaping its development plans.
- What expectations do you have for 2026, considering the challenging economic and fiscal context, as well as the regional geopolitical tensions?
- We are passing through times when regional tensions evolve into global challenges, and there are major uncertainties that disrupt companies’ routes to their goals and objectives. Considering this environment, NKY prioritizes geographical growth and investing in projects that touch people’s lives. We already have a substantial portfolio of healthcare projects in Romania, and we are expecting this to develop further into transportation and other social infrastructure in 2026. We are also expecting an expansion to Western Europe, planning to fully utilize our new subsidiary in Italy.
Spitalul de Urgență MAI "Dimitrie Gerota"
- What projects are you currently working on?
- Design of Craiova Regional Emergency Hospital was NKY’s first assignment in Romania, and in early 2025, we witnessed the signing of the Works Contract. It is a +800-bed complex organized around six Centers of Excellence. Currently we are conducting Technical Assistance Services for Craiova SRU along with our local partner Popaescu & Co. Architects. Progress on site is fully compliant with expectations, and it will be the first "REH" to be opened. However, we are currently spending more resources on "Prof. Dimitrie Gerota Emergency Hospital" in Bucharest. It is a 450-bed tertiary hospital with seismic base isolators, and all civil work will probably be completed in 2026.
- How did your company’s activity evolve in 2025, and what estimates do you have for 2026?
- I am happy to say that we have met all the goals we set for our company in 2025, especially related to growth and diversification. We estimate that due to the completion of some EPC projects in Turkey and a few new projects especially in East Africa, our turnover in 2026 will see a significant increase compared to last year. We will be handed over new construction sites in Pakistan and Tanzania, meaning that we would be employing many local and international team members. Also, we expect to sign at least two new supervision contracts in Romania, which would result in increasing our access to Romanian experts.
Spitalul Regional de Urgență (SRU) Craiova - șantier
- What were the main challenges faced by the architecture and design sector in 2025, and to what extent did these affect the activity of your firm?
- I believe the main challenges our industry is facing are macroeconomic uncertainties and delays in executive decision making. Economic slowdown yields to tighter financial conditions, which then results in budget constraints and firms competing across borders for major projects. There are even investments that get cancelled or put on hold, which surely has dire contractual effects on companies. NKY is well known for their attention to risk management in general, so it is safe to say implications of these conditions were not destructive to our business. Despite this, we have a very big risk appetite so we also had to learn to rationalize our decisions more and more, especially starting from late 2025.
- How do you see the evolution of the design and construction sector at the beginning of 2026, and how do you believe it will develop in the short and medium term?
- I see that a leading keyword this year in our sector will be "efficiency". The growth of AI and data-driven processes has brought benefits in areas such as performance optimization, risk prediction, and the automation of repetitive tasks; both in project management and in design. BIM and cloud-based collaboration tools have further advanced, clearly redefining project life cycles. Another topic that, in my opinion, deserves mention is "energy performance", a field in which we have also been deeply involved over the past year. Today, not only architects and engineers but also investors recognize that quality and performance are more important than area-based metrics. This is why energy efficiency and long-lasting, sustainable system solutions are increasingly preferred. Particularly in public projects, we have frequently encountered carbon reporting requirements and renewable energy obligations - both our designs in Romania follow a strict nZEB requirement for example.
Spitalul Regional de Urgență (SRU) Craiova - randare
- What development plans and objectives does your company have for 2026?
- Sustainable development in Romania is very important for us, so we will attend many public tenders in 2026 ambitiously. We wish to bring into the Romanian market even more of our international experience in design and engineering. Alongside our already established network in Asia and growing presence in Africa, we intend to enhance our involvement in investment opportunities around the World that can benefit not only us as a firm, but also the beneficiaries. 2026 is NKY’s 35th year in the industry and we are proud to be adding value to the sector and the people we serve.
NKY își extinde portofoliul de proiecte medicale și vizează noi piețe în 2026
NKY Architects & Engineers își consolidează poziția pe piața din România și își accelerează expansiunea internațională, intrând în 2026 cu o strategie ambițioasă de creștere și diversificare. Într-un context marcat de incertitudini economice și tensiuni geopolitice, compania mizează pe extinderea geografică și pe dezvoltarea unor proiecte de infrastructură cu impact social major, în special în domeniul sănătății, dar și în transporturi și alte investiții publice. NKY dispune deja de un portofoliu solid de proiecte medicale în România, printre care Spitalul Regional de Urgență (SRU) Craiova și Spitalul de Urgență "Prof. Dimitrie Gerota" din București. Anul 2025 a fost unul favorabil pentru NKY, compania atingându-și obiectivele de creștere și diversificare. Pentru 2026, estimările la nivel de grup indică o majorare semnificativă a cifrei de afaceri, susținută de finalizarea unor proiecte EPC în Turcia și de lansarea unor noi investiții, în special în Africa de Est. În același timp, NKY își extinde activitatea în Pakistan și Tanzania și vizează semnarea de noi contracte de supervizare în România, ceea ce va contribui la creșterea implicării specialiștilor locali. Potrivit lui Ömer Ünlü, General Coordinator & Romania Country Manager NKY, sectorul de arhitectură și proiectare continuă să fie influențat de volatilitatea macroeconomică și de întârzierile în luarea deciziilor investiționale, care pot conduce la restrângerea bugetelor sau chiar la amânarea unor proiecte. În acest context, NKY a pus un accent sporit pe managementul riscului și pe optimizarea deciziilor strategice, menținându-și totodată apetitul pentru proiecte complexe. În 2026, compania își propune să își consolideze prezența pe piața locală prin participarea la licitații publice și valorificarea expertizei internaționale în proiecte din România, în paralel cu extinderea în Europa de Vest, prin subsidiara din Italia, și cu dezvoltarea rețelei din Asia și Africa. Compania marchează, totodată, 35 de ani de activitate, reafirmându-și obiectivul de a genera valoare durabilă pentru sector și pentru comunitățile deservite.
