- Engineering News-Record (ENR) has released its 2026 “Top 250 International Contractors” list, one of the construction industry’s most respected global benchmarks.
- Based on revenue generated outside contractors’ home countries, the list places Rönesans among the world’s top 50 international contractors for the 11th consecutive year.
ISTANBUL, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Over more than three decades of international operations, Rönesans has completed over 1,000 projects in nearly 40 countries and generated USD 50 billion in international project revenue to date. Working alongside 3,500 Turkish manufacturers and subcontractors, the company also brings Turkish engineering expertise, production capacity, and services to markets around the world.
ENR’s ranking is based on revenue earned outside a company’s home market, so it says more about a company’s ability to win work and compete internationally than it does about overall size. That’s what makes Rönesans’ run here notable, the company has now held a top 50 spot for 11 straight years and continues to hold a strong position among European contractors too.
The achievement carries weight for Rönesans because its story started outside Türkiye. The company built its name by expanding internationally and competing head-to-head with some of the world’s largest firms, then brought that experience home to invest in Türkiye. Rönesans first appeared in the ENR ranking in 2006, in 86th place.
To date, Rönesans has partnered with 3,000 manufacturers and 500 subcontractors based in Türkiye on its international projects. Across its international operations, the company has employed 28,853 Turkish professionals, including 3,500 engineers and architects, and the total workforce involved in these projects has reached 271,888.
Dr. Erman Ilıcak on Eleven Years Among the World’s Top 50 International Contractors
Reflecting on Rönesans’ international journey of more than three decades, Dr. Erman Ilıcak, President Emeritus of Rönesans Holding, said,
“Eleven years is a long time to hold your ground. In that period, the world changed more than once – we lived through a pandemic, wars broke out, an energy crisis hit, and financing conditions shifted under our feet. In every region we operate, from Europe to the Middle East, from the CIS countries to Africa, a new challenge came along almost every year.
“In moments like that, deciding how to respond is key. Our teams adapted to each new situation, found solutions, changed course when they had to, and kept moving. Over the long run, what makes you strong is how you adapt together when the plan changes.
“For 11 years, we’ve stayed among the world’s top 50 international contractors. The world changed in that time, and we changed too. We moved into new countries, built new partnerships, and developed new capabilities. But we stayed consistent with our culture of collaboration and problem-solving.
“There’s so much more depth behind the ranking. An incredibly capable team I’m proud of has been pulling in the same direction across the globe – our engineers and architects, our finance professionals, our business partners. This is a large organization that has grown up together over the years. What Rönesans does well is act with the same mindset across different geographies and under different conditions.
“Our USD 50 billion in international project experience, and 11 straight years on this list, leave us with an even bigger responsibility looking ahead. I want to thank every colleague at Rönesans around the world who takes ownership and helps us meet the new challenges each year brings.”
From Europe’s Tallest Building to the Netherlands’ Longest Highway Tunnel
Since launching international operations in 1993, Rönesans has built a footprint spanning multiple regions worldwide. Its international portfolio includes some of the most complex engineering projects out there, among them the Lakhta Center, Europe’s tallest building, the Gotthard Base Tunnel beneath the Swiss Alps, the Gaasperdammertunnel in the Netherlands, the country’s longest highway tunnel, and a natural gas to gasoline production plant in Turkmenistan.
Türkiye’s Invisible Export Power
The economic impact of Rönesans’ international work reaches well beyond the company’s own project revenues. International contracting pulls in a wide value chain, engineering, architecture, finance, legal services, building materials, logistics, and technology. Through its work with more than 3,500 manufacturers and subcontractors based in Türkiye, Rönesans has procured and exported over USD 2 billion worth of goods and services over the past decade alone.
This work gives Turkish companies a way into new markets, while giving Turkish engineers, architects, and managers real experience on some of the world’s largest projects.
Continued Growth in Europe
Europe remains central to Rönesans’ international growth strategy. In 2009, the company acquired a 10% stake in the Austrian construction group PORR, one of its first major moves into Europe. That was followed by the acquisition of a subsidiary of the Alpine Bau Group in 2013, Germany’s established engineering firm Heitkamp in 2014, and Dutch construction company Ballast Nedam in 2015. After a thorough restructuring under Rönesans, Ballast Nedam returned to profitability within three years.
SOURCE Rönesans Holding
