The International Engineering Consulting Group Cowi has teamed up with the University of Strathclyde in order to beat the use of Environment -DNA (EDNA), a technique that naturally captures genetic material from organisms, as a more efficient method to measure the net profit of biodiversity (BNG).
According to the upcoming BNG requirement of the British BNG after nationally significant infrastructure, there is an effort of the most important developments in order to leave natural environments in a measurably better condition than before building. This cooperation aims to provide developers with an innovative, complementary instrument in order to meet this standard and at the same time shorten time and costs.
The pilot, which was financed by Cowifonden by the Fast & Furious Innovation program, focuses on British railway locations, but has potential applications in global infrastructure, from transport to energy and urban development. By analyzing soil samples for DNA of plants, animals and microbes, the project aims to provide a rich and more precise picture of the biodiversity of the location as conventional ecological surveys.
Cooperation deals with the most important challenges in infrastructure development. Traditional ecological surveys can be labor -intensive and restricted by seasonal windows. Since the BNG requirements for nationally important infrastructure projects are to be mandatory in England from May 2026, Edna offers a way to overcome these restrictions. It can record protected species that standard walkcover surveys may overlook and provide a more detailed image of the health of an ecosystem. This can help developers to fulfill the obligations more efficiently and at the same time reduce project risks, delays and costs.
Andy Sloan, Executive Vice President of Cowi UK & International, said: “At COWI, we have set a clear instruction to concentrate exclusively on projects that drive sustainability, with the biological diversity as a key. This partnership with the University of Strathclyde is a practical step in the knowledge of this ambition, Innrastien. To improve infractum rastia and protect nature and protect nature.
“We see this not only as a technical attempt, but as a signal for what comes next, intelligent, faster and more natural-positive infrastructure that matches the net net net goal of our clients.
Dr. Ronnie Mooney, Postdoktorand research member, University of Strathclyde, added: “This partnership combines biological specialist knowledge and engineering practice in a way that benefits the environment. Edna enables us to recognize everything that takes place from mammals to microbes and a deeper dissolution of habitats and long-term effects on the floors on the floors.
The project is currently being piloted across several locations, with the first results being released in December 2025.
