Founded by Sir Harry Ricardo in 1915 — a man who built his first working engine at age 12 — Ricardo has spent over a century at the forefront of engineering and technology innovation for propulsion, driveline and energy systems. What began as Engine Patents Ltd, created to give Harry the resources to pursue engineering design, research and development, has grown into a world-class engineering and manufacturing consultancy trusted by clients across automotive, maritime, aerospace, defence and energy sectors. Today, as a member of WSP — one of the world's leading professional services firms operating in over 50 countries with approximately 75,000 professionals — Ricardo combines the intimacy of a specialist engineering house with the reach of a global network. With over 1,000 high-skilled team members delivering more than 200 projects simultaneously each year, we remain defined by our heritage, driven by our capability, and proven in our delivery.

We are a global community of over 1,000 engineers, consultants and business specialists united by a shared passion for innovation and a deep commitment to solving our clients' most complex, strategic and operational challenges. Grounded in the ethos of our founder Sir Harry Ricardo — to maximise efficiency and eliminate waste — we attract some of the brightest minds in engineering to drive breakthrough technologies across automotive, maritime, aerospace, defence and energy markets. We are technology-agnostic and cross-sector by nature, bringing deep technical heritage to every project while remaining open to every energy source, platform and approach. We are not a firm that simply consults: we design, prototype, test, validate, manufacture and support products through their entire lifecycle. From a graduate engineer to a seasoned technical specialist, every person at Ricardo is here because they believe engineering can change the world — and because they want to be part of doing exactly that.

Ricardo delivers world-class engineering and manufacturing services across the full product lifecycle — from initial strategy and concept exploration through to prototype, production and through-life support. Our engineering capability spans advisory services, mechanical engineering, control and electronics, systems and attributes development, prototyping and technology demonstrators, and rigorous test and validation. On the production side, we offer engine, transmission and full vehicle assembly, component manufacture, industrialisation consultancy, supply chain management, new product introduction and kitting and spares supply. We develop technology solutions across driveline and transmissions, electrification, hydrogen fuel cells, industrial energy systems and internal combustion engines, and we bring our own product innovations — from immersion-cooled battery modules and critical mineral-free electric motors to the BIOCCUS carbon capture bio-power system — to clients who need more than consultancy. By managing the entire process in-house, we maintain rigorous quality standards, accelerate development timelines and give clients a faster, de-risked route to market.

Since 1915, Ricardo has operated with a clear and enduring mission: to maximise efficiency and eliminate waste. More than a century on, that mission remains the core of everything we do — informing our purpose to make the world safer and more sustainable, and shaping how we approach every client engagement, every technology challenge and every business decision. We believe the most meaningful contribution we can make is through the work itself: engineering generation-defining ideas and innovations that improve performance, push boundaries and accelerate progress. This is not a purpose we adopted because it was fashionable — it is the reason Ricardo exists.

At Ricardo, our shared values are not aspirational slogans — they are the active principles that guide our behaviours and reflect how we work together every day. We create together, because we genuinely believe that by sharing expertise and challenging each other's perspectives we unlock the solutions that change the way we move. We are innovative, because the curiosity and ingenuity of our founder runs through everything we build and solve. We aim high, because world-class clients with complex problems deserve nothing less than our best thinking and most rigorous execution. And we are mindful, because great engineering demands responsibility — to our clients, to each other, to the communities we operate in, and to the planet.

What makes Ricardo different is not any single capability — it is the combination of them, and the rare ability to integrate them seamlessly. Our expertise is rooted in a deep automotive, maritime, aerospace and energy engineering heritage stretching back over 100 years, giving clients access to institutional knowledge that cannot be replicated. We are technology-agnostic and cross-sector, meaning we follow the engineering evidence rather than a preferred solution, and we transfer proven technologies from one sector to unlock breakthroughs in another. We offer a truly end-to-end lifecycle capability — from strategy and concept through prototype and production to through-life support — all managed in-house to maintain quality, protect client IP and accelerate time to market. Our global footprint supports a tailored, independent approach, and our membership of WSP extends that reach further still. With more than 200 projects delivered simultaneously each year by a team of over 1,000 specialists, we bring the confidence of proven delivery to every challenge we take on.

In 1915, Ricardo set out on a mission to maximise efficiency and eliminate waste — and that mission is as much an environmental commitment as an engineering one. Today, our approach to responsible business is built on the same principle: focus on what matters. We believe the biggest contribution we can make to the planet is through the work we do with our clients — helping them achieve their sustainability ambitions as part of our own ambition to be an industry leader in sustainable solutions. Ricardo is in a unique position at the crossroads of science, technology, regulation and implementation, offering both carbon-reduction solutions and the technical expertise to realise them across government, industry and the private sector. Internally, we monitor GHG emissions, energy and water use, and waste production across all our sites, reporting against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) frameworks. Our governance structure ensures that environmental, social and governance issues are managed with clear objectives and robust accountability. We hold ISO 14001 environmental management and ISO 50001 energy management certifications, publish annual GRI reports, and maintain independent LRQA greenhouse gas verification — because sustainability, like engineering, demands rigour and evidence.

We know that Ricardo's long-term success is inseparable from the health of the communities in which we operate. Across the business, we support a range of community initiatives — from environmental activities to programmes that encourage the next generation of STEM professionals, including our work with EDT Industrial Cadets. We were the engineering partner that helped Riding Sunbeams integrate solar power directly into railway infrastructure, and we continue to back projects that demonstrate what responsible, community-scale innovation looks like — from clean energy to carbon capture. Whether it is an apprentice gaining their first industry experience or a community benefiting from cleaner energy technology, we believe engineering has an obligation to leave the world better than it found it.

At Ricardo, we understand that complex problems cannot be solved with conventional ways of thinking — and that the richness of our thinking depends on the diversity of our people. Our goal is to be a diverse, equitable and inclusive employer, drawing on different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to ensure we deliver the best possible outcomes for our clients. We are committed to building an inclusive and engaging workplace that provides colleagues with meaningful and fulfilling work, the opportunity to develop lifelong careers, and an environment where creativity can genuinely thrive. We are passionate about creating a Ricardo where differences are valued and celebrated — where everyone belongs. This is not a compliance position; it is how we believe great engineering gets done.