A leader in the UK civil engineering and remediation sectors, Cognition Land and Water delivers cutting-edge solutions across a diverse range of industries with a dedicated zero-carbon approach. We learn more with Managing Director, Robert Fox.
SOLUTIONS FOR A COMPLEX WORLD
Established in 2005, Cognition Land and Water (Cognition) has grown over the last two decades to become a trailblazer in civil engineering, remediation, and project management, alongside nuclear and environmental solutions.
Having begun its journey as a specialist land remediation contractor, the company soon grew due to outstanding client recognition and an unparalleled operational reputation, harnessing the ability to adapt its offering to client requirements and provide tailormade solutions for each project.
Today, Cognition stands as one of the most dynamic multidisciplinary contractors in the industry, partnering with developers, government bodies, and Tier 1 contractors to shape a better built environment.
The company has an exceptional track record of delivering state-of-the-art results on time and within budget across a plethora of sectors, including residential, commercial, industrial, nuclear, chemical, and pharmaceutical. Its dedication to innovation, excellence, and the ongoing evaluation of new technologies and techniques enables it to stay at the forefront of the industry.
“At Cognition, we are dedicated to pioneering innovative, sustainable, and high-quality solutions to complex civil and remediation challenges. Our unwavering commitment to excellence and client satisfaction drives everything we do,” introduces Robert Fox, Managing Director.
“At Cognition, we are dedicated to pioneering innovative, sustainable, and high-quality solutions to complex civil and remediation challenges”
Robert Fox, Managing Director, Cognition Land and Water
PROACTIVE PROJECT EXECUTION
Cognition draws upon a vast repertoire of in-house knowledge and expertise, allowing the company to de-risk challenging sites for its clients and provide innovative solutions to civil engineering and remediation issues.
“The extent of our in-house technical capability and broad service offering allows us to provide clients with bespoke solutions to their challenges, saving them time and money,” Fox expands.
This commitment to innovative solutions is evident in the company’s latest decommissioning project, comprising two cooling towers at the disused Barking Power Station in London.
The operation involved demolition, drilling, and grouting works on land and in the River Thames, which was required to make the site safe for future development and stabilise the ground.
In order to tackle the project, Cognition assembled a specialist team equipped with extensive civil and marine experience. Coupled with local river knowledge from its marine supply chain, the company was able to meticulously plan and execute the operation.
Additionally, Cognition has recently decommissioned a redundant gas pipeline as part of the former Barking Reach Power Station following its closure and ceasing of gas supply towards the end of 2014.
The project presented many geographical and logistical difficulties. For example, the pipeline spanned a distance of 19 kilometres that stretched across both compact urban settings and farmland in the countryside, which each required numerous environmental, ecological, and archaeological conditions for the operation to take place.
As a result, the company had to gain permission to work on 54 sites and liaise with 36 different landowners to work on the pipeline alongside a multitude of other stakeholders.
It formulated a dedicated team to obtain all the necessary approvals, permits, and wayleaves required, as well as act as a central contact point for landowners to keep them updated.
In another significant project, Cognition completed the remediation of the former Pirbright Institute in Compton.
This involved the demolition of 65 buildings, radiological and biological chemical contamination remediation, ground clearance and improvement, and the construction of a development platform for a proposed residential project.
Cognition’s robust quality, environmental, health, and safety (EHS) processes and systems ensured that the project was completed according to the highest possible standards and with minimal environmental impact.
A ZERO-CARBON APPROACH
Sustainability is at the core of Cognition’s operations.
In 2020, the company adopted a zero-carbon policy with an aim to become carbon neutral by the end of the following year.
By May 2021, however, Cognition was proud to announce that it achieved this target eight months ahead of schedule, becoming the first carbon-neutral contamination, remediation, and ground engineering contractor in the UK.
Through its continued focus on sustainable practices, Cognition has maintained its carbon-neutral status for four consecutive years, despite its rapid growth.
“The strategies and programmes we have undertaken since 2020 have allowed us to achieve our carbon-neutral goals and ensure they are consistently maintained and improved upon going forwards,” Fox asserts.
The extent to which a zero-carbon approach is a core company value is reflected by its Cognition Clean Energy (CCE) division, which has recently moved into hydrogen production and offers end-to-end infrastructure solutions including design, production, project delivery, and fuel dispensing.
“As the world accelerates towards net zero by 2050, CCE is at the forefront of delivering hydrogen innovation in the clean energy industry,” prides Fox.
“We specialise in developing advanced production and delivery technologies for carbon-negative and low-carbon hydrogen.”
The division’s ongoing collaboration with leading hydrogen supply chains and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) ensures it delivers sustainable and commercially viable solutions for hydrogen projects.
In line with its environmental commitments, CCE has recently invested in a fleet of hydrogen tube trailers, enabling it to efficiently distribute hydrogen and hydrogen-related services across the UK, including storage, supply, offloading, and transportation.
Going forwards, the division will be launching its own proprietary zero-emission steam methane reformer (SMR), housed in a hydrogen production facility specially designed to produce green hydrogen from natural gas and capture CO2 through in-built liquefaction.
This cutting-edge technology promises to be commercially viable and highly efficient, setting a new standard for sustainability in the industry.
SOCIAL VALUE AND SUPPLY CHAIN
Alongside Cognition’s commitment to delivering its work in the most sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient way possible, the company also has a keen focus on driving socioeconomic and environmental improvements in the communities in which it works.
“Our social value commitments are managed, delivered, and monitored through our suite of externally audited policies and procedures.
“These ensure we deliver on our promises and objectives, not only through our direct employees and activities but also throughout our supply chain,” Fox highlights.
Last year, the company worked with CHY Consultancy (CHY) to update and enhance its social value proposition. Following multiple working group sessions, CHY helped deliver a strategy that provided Cognition with a clear, useable process to deliver meaningful social value, both internally and externally.
Since its inception, an array of subcontractors have played a vital role in Cognition’s success as it has nurtured a strong, collaborative relationship with its supply chain partners.
Indeed, the company relies on its suppliers to navigate complex project challenges. The Pirbright Institute project, for instance, featured a mixture of laboratory and office buildings that suffered radiological and biological contamination, along with significant ecological challenges.
The site was also under Natural England and the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) bat licence, which includes all buildings and structures confirmed or potential breeding places for the protected species.
“Cognition worked closely with our specialist ecological supplier to mitigate and sign off each building ahead of demolition. Two full-size bat barns and 27 bat boxes were constructed and strategically placed across the site to mitigate the loss of roosting space,” Fox recalls.
BUILDING ON ITS SUCCESS
Cognition’s staff are the backbone of the organisation, particularly since it became an employee-owned trust (EOT) in 2021, allowing the company to increase its in-house technical capabilities and broaden its services offering.
As a result of its increased capabilities and financial growth, Cognition was able to secure work with large Tier 1 contractors with a focus on specialist civil engineering solutions.
“We have a committed workforce who take pride and ownership of their work. We have invested back into the business to provide new quality systems and equipment that have improved efficiency,” Fox states.
Consequently, the EOT model also offers increased benefits to its employees, including staff bonuses, additional Christmas leave, and partner shareholder opportunities.
On top of this, the company offers a flexible benefits scheme for its employees that features salary sacrifices, electric vehicles (EVs), and a cycle to work scheme, as well as the payment of student fees and flexible working hours, making the well-being of its staff a priority.
This is also evidenced by the numerous company social events throughout the year, including a social bike ride from Cognition’s Harwell offices in Oxfordshire, a mini golf social at the London office, and an annual Christmas party.
In 2023, the company ran a graduate programme that provided valuable training and career growth opportunities for participants.
“Building on the programme’s success and positive impact, we decided to develop a senior management training programme, aiming to enhance leadership and strengthen our teams’ ability to drive Cognition forwards,” he prides.
In the coming year, the company strives to secure more projects and expand its geographical presence, aiming to take on larger, national-scale projects.
More broadly, its long-term plans include diversifying into the civil engineering sector, as well as preparing for the resurgence of development work expected to gain momentum in 2026.
“Cognition is taking advantage of opportunities in new infrastructure and the regeneration of older systems, notably in the water and energy sectors. We foresee growth in the infrastructure required to address environmental challenges, such as water treatment and data centres,” Fox closes.
