DHI : The Pursuit of Excellence

DHI is an independent research and development organisation working globally on water, environmental and health issues. The emphasis is on development and dissemination of know-how and technologies in ecology and environmental chemistry, urban and industrial environment, water resources, coastal and marine engineering, hydraulic structures and hydrodynamics, as well as health.

DHI dates back to 1964, when a couple of visionary engineers formed a hydraulic institute as an independent offspring of the Technical University of Denmark. The new Institute was formed to supply a growing demand for expertise in the field of hydraulic studies. Initially DHI worked solely in Denmark, but by the end of the decade, assignments abroad were also being undertaken. By this time numerical modelling had been launched at the Institute, an initiative that led to the consolidation of DHI as a provider of technology and expertise with offices worldwide. From its inception, the Institute was a self-owned and not-for-profit organisation dedicated to assisting authorities, consulting companies and others with expert knowledge. This still remains the core value of DHI.
In 1971 came a name change to Danish Hydraulic Institute: still used by many despite another change in 2000 to DHI Water & Environment, the result of a merger with sister institute VKI - Water Quality Institute. In 2005 the institute underwent a new merger with the Danish Toxicology Centre and the name has now been shortened to DHI.

Profile
From being a national organisation, DHI has turned into a global organ–isation with offices in twenty countries and representatives in many more. The present number of employees is approximately seven hundred, three hundred working at headquarters in Denmark. DHI is today organised as a group of international affiliates backed up by head office. This has three main business units: a ‘Solution’ unit which provides consultancy and tailor-made solutions, the ‘Software’ unit which develops numerical tools used in-house and by thousands of users worldwide, and a ‘Policy’ unit which assists authorities and governments in developing sustainable policies. DHI has undertaken projects in more than 140 countries and today has an annual turnover exceeding Euro50 million. A not-for-profit organisation, DHI invests approximately 25% of its manpower in R&D to develop and disseminate knowledge.

Services
The services offered by DHI today cover a very wide spectrum, ranging from dredging, coastal and marine studies to water-quality issues, right through to handling of chemical substances. Physical model studies of ports and structures are to this day carried out in modern testing facilities equipped with in-house designed 3D-wave generators for shallow and deepwater testing as, for example, often in the case of offshore studies. These facilities are backed by a number of environmental laboratories in which contamination of solid substances and water-quality studies are carried out.

Products
In 1970, a Computational Centre was established at DHI. The purpose of the Centre was to develop advanced numerical tools for in-house use that could ensure consulting activities were based on state-of-the-art technology. By bringing in some of the best minds in the field this activity grew rapidly, and the concept of using DHI-developed software for solving water-based issues became more and more widespread. Today there are literally thousands and thousands of users worldwide. As a result, there is more and more focus on user-friendliness and training of users. However, the scientific level remains the same and is always of central concern in developing products.
From the outset DHI developed equipment for physical model studies of ports. This equipment has evolved over time and is now widely recognised. Model-wave generators come today with wave-generation and active wave-reflection absorption systems, the reason why these systems are exported worldwide. In the area of water quality DHI has developed unique sampling systems, leading to collaboration with other organisations, including NASA. The latter is involved in trying to determine by satellite the outspread of toxic algae in the sea.

Markets
DHI has grown rapidly over the past decade in a number of markets, ranging from Europe and the Americas to the Asia-Pacific. This is not merely the result of the numerous projects in which DHI has been involved, but also of regional involvement by local staff. As a result DHI products have in many parts of the world become de facto standard tools recognised by governments and other authorities.

Mission
The mission and philosophy at DHI is simple: always pursue excellence within the core competencies. This is also the reason why DHI has used mergers and acquisitions to strengthen its areas of competence. The initial foundation was hydraulic studies, but there is more to hydraul–ic studies than water. Water is a fundamental aspect of the environment and this also leads to health aspects: a natural and logical reason why DHI has become what it is today. The philosophy is to offer local solutions backed by a global group. The regional or local aspect is very important to DHI and is also one of the reasons behind its successful establishment of so many offices.

Looking Ahead
DHI has expanded considerably over the years through organic growth, mergers and acquisitions. In March came the acquisition of the German firm WASY GmbH, adding another fifty highly competent employees to the group. This acquisition will be used to establish a ‘centre of excellence’, primarily in the field of groundwater.
Hardly anyone could have envisaged that a study of a Danish port in the mid-sixties would turn out to be the foundation of the global organisation or group which DHI has become today. The founders would likewise hardly have dared envisage that DHI one day would cover such a wide spectrum of services and products. With the rapid and sustainable growth experi–enced in recent years the number of employees is expected by 2010 to exceed a thousand.
One thing, however, will not change: DHI will continue to provide impartial and knowledge-based expertise and solutions within the core areas and to continually pursue development. This was the core vision of the founders and this is the legacy that will be passed on to future generations.