About us

Our history of success with marine engineering works.

150 years worldwide experience

DEME was established as a holding company in April 1991, but its roots go back to well into the 19th century. The origins of DEME are embedded in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium. The capital of Europe, Brussels, is also the capital of Flanders. Its unique location at the crossroads of Europe historically created great prosperity. But the prerequisite for that prosperity has been hydraulic engineering competence in dike construction, the fight against flooding, deepening maritime access, and port construction.

DEME was established as a holding company of two Belgian dredging contractors: Dredging International and Baggerwerken Decloedt. Two industrial and financial Groups currently control the share capital: Ackermans & van Haaren, a publicly listed Antwerp-based industrial investment Group; and CFE, a publicly listed civil contractor controlled by the French Vinci-Group.

Baggerwerken Decloedt has been active in maintenance and capital dredging along the Belgian coast since 1875. Dredging International in itself is a merger of two dredging companies in September 1974: Ackermans & van Haaren, and Société Générale de Dragage (SGD). Ackermans & van Haaren was established in 1852, Société Générale de Dragage was incorporated in 1930. Both companies, Baggerwerken Decloedt and Dredging International have been involved in the construction of the main Belgian ports and the deepening and maintenance of their navigation channels in the North Sea and the river Scheldt. Since their early beginnings they have operated on a worldwide basis, on all continents simultaneously.