A-Squared Engineering is a specialist structural design, analysis and naval architecture firm working across offshore, oil & gas, marine renewables and commercial marine sectors.
Founded in 2018 by Andrew Robson, the business has steadily grown through his vision of a creative, technically outstanding team built on trust and meaningful relationships.
In 2025, with a strong foundation already in place, Andrew engaged with Craig Huntingdon at Scaleup North East to accelerate the company’s growth. His ambition was clear: build resilience by staying true to the businesses core principles whilst diversifying into other areas where deep specialism exists within the team. The current team had an expansive skill set and Andrew was looking for support to help define which areas presented the best opportunity for growth, ideally aligned to the current client base but with broader appeal.
Within the team, their Operations Manager, Marie Difolco is an author and advocate specialising in Accessible Colour, informed by over a decade of voluntary work and as a mother of a son with Protanopia. This condition is one of the world's most common visual disabilities, affecting an estimated 300 million people. Marie was aware of many real-world errors, often in safety-critical environments, resulting from this condition not being recognised and that could be prevented with simple design fixes.
Recognising the commercial and societal value of this expertise, the team worked with Craig to develop cases, quantify its impact, and shape it into a scalable productised service offering.
Andrew Robson, Founder commented:
“The support received through Craig and the Scaleup Northeast programme has absolutely strengthened the business, providing us with thoughtful and practical advice that has made a real difference. Craig took the time to understand our unique challenges and opportunities, offering tailored guidance rooted in real-world experience. His strategic insights helped us to reassess our company’s direction and set ambitious yet achievable new goals.
Beyond advice, Craig facilitated introductions to a network of valuable contacts, giving us access to expertise and resources we may not have otherwise found. These connections have proved pivotal, offering ongoing support in areas ranging from operations to marketing and finance. The introductions were not just superficial; Craig ensured we were matched with people genuinely equipped to help us grow.
Throughout our engagement, Craig has been a constant source of encouragement and expertise, helping us to refine our business strategy and expand our horizons. With his guidance, we have developed a clearer vision for growth and identified actionable steps to achieve our objectives. His involvement has been instrumental in building our confidence and equipping us with the tools to navigate both current challenges and future opportunities.
Overall, the Scaleup Northeast programme, through Craig’s dedicated support, has provided us with a renewed perspective and the practical means to move the business forward. We are now better positioned to pursue our aspirations and make meaningful progress towards our goals.”
Craig Huntingdon, Scaleup Partner commented:
“A Squared have identified deep knowledge within the team enabling them to develop a service offering that compliments the current offer. This will provide an additional, valuable revenue stream that can scale internationally at speed. This was one of multiple opportunities identified but will hopefully lead to significant reductions in loss and damage as a result of failing to understand the appropriate use of colour across a range a sectors and applications.
It's very early days, but I expect this will underpin the ambitious growth plans for the business. I look forward to continuing to support the business's ongoing development and the exciting products and services in its pipeline.”
The work completed through Scaleup North East has helped A Squared prioritise the most promising opportunities, articulate the real-world impact of accessible colour, and build momentum behind services that can scale beyond their existing markets. As the business moves into its next phase, it will continue developing these offerings and partnerships to deliver measurable value for clients and safer outcomes across the sectors it serves.