ICT Group’s European Delivery Model combines strong local customer engagement with the expertise and scalability of specialised teams across Europe. It is designed to ensure close alignment with customer needs while providing access to the right capabilities, capacity and delivery flexibility. By combining local presence with international collaboration, ICT Group can support customers with both continuity and high-quality execution.

Scale up by using European Netwerk

The foundation of the European Delivery Model was laid when ICT Strypes Bulgaria became part of ICT Group in 2015. As Nasko Filchev, COO at ICT Strypes Bulgaria, explains: “The idea was to combine local presence at the customer’s site with specialized expertise from across Europe. This meant having local representatives on-site to act as our eyes and ears, manage the delivery process, and convey customer requirements to our team in Bulgaria, which has specific competencies and domain knowledge.”

The same approach materialized with the acquisition of ICT Strypes Portugal in 2021. While both locations share common propositions, such as embedded software, each also has its own specific areas of expertise. For example, Bulgaria primarily focuses on IT infrastructure and web development, while Portugal specializes in drivers and machine-critical software. “However, this division is not set in stone,” says Geert Eijkhout, CEO at ICT Strypes Portugal. “For each customer, we determine which ICT Group subsidiary or team will lead and which will take on a supporting role, depending on their competencies. The model is intentionally flexible to ensure that the right expertise is always available and that we can quickly scale up using our European network when needed.”

Opening doors with local presence

The European delivery model is increasingly relevant in a changing European market. “In Sweden, where ICT Nordics joined forces with consultancy firm M4 in 2025, sometimes the specifications for what the customer wants are not clear, so this requires extensive communication about what to build.” says Geert. “But thanks to our domain knowledge, technological expertise, as well as eagerness and ambition to solve problems, we are well equipped to tackle these kinds of underspecified projects.”

In Germany, the challenge is that many companies operate within ecosystems, for example in the semiconductor market. “Initially, customers do not always know whether they can rely on us when we are not based near them,” says Nasko. “However, by combining a local sales office in Germany with our domain knowledge from other countries, we have been able to demonstrate our expertise and technical capabilities and, in doing so, earn the trust of our German customers.”

Collaboration is essential

Customers rarely choose the European Delivery Model immediately, but working with a local contact can help them make a gradual transition to nearshoring. “Our nearshoring teams travel regularly for meetings, project updates and relationship building”, Geert says. Nasko adds, “Several ICT Group companies serve shared accounts, so collaboration between teams is essential.” Joint activities and knowledge sharing help the teams operate as one and foster strong mutual respect across countries. For instance, with the current surge in AI-driven development, ICT Strypes Bulgaria and Portugal are going through the same transition. They have therefore decided to hold joint meetings to support one another and share insights along the way.”

Ownership

Ownership is one of ICT Strypes’ core values. Jolanda dos Santos, COO at ICT Strypes Portugal explains: “Our employees have considerable freedom to make the decisions they believe are right, and with that comes significant responsibility. We hire people who share our values, and they stay because of our company culture and sense of belonging. That loyalty and long-term retention provide continuity for our customers.”

More than ten years after it began, the European Delivery Model has a bright future, Geert concludes: “It is a good fit for current geopolitical developments, which make offshoring outside Europe less appealing. As a result, we are seeing growing demand for European-based delivery.”