January 21, 2026
Where young talent meets dredging heritage — and the future takes shape.
On Wednesday, January 21, DE Klop had the pleasure of hosting an inspiring gathering for Young CEDA — a group of ambitious young professionals eager to dive deeper into the world of dredging.
The afternoon kicked off at the National Dredging Museum, where participants were welcomed among iconic machines and remarkable stories from centuries of dredging history. The exclusive museum tour set the tone: respect for the past, curiosity for what’s next.
From there, the group continued to DE Klop, where Elke Scheffers, curator and manager of the museum, shared an inspiring presentation on the future plans of the National Dredging Museum — highlighting how heritage and innovation can strengthen each other.
Momentum built with concise presentations by André Kik (DE Klop) and Marcos Peinado (Rohr-Idreco). During DE Klop’s presentation, the discussion zoomed in on large versus small companies — and one key message stood out: a healthy dredging sector needs both.
Large companies to drive scale and global impact, and smaller, specialized players to stay agile, innovative, and close to the technology.
The program then shifted from words to reality with a true highlight: a visit to the historic steam bucket dredger DE Friesland, followed by an up-close look at two dredgers currently under construction at DE Klop.
The afternoon concluded the best way possible — with networking drinks, lively conversations, and new connections forming across the industry.
We look back on a highly successful and inspiring event, and judging by the enthusiasm of the participants, this was only the beginning.
Special thanks to the National Dredging Museum and the dedicated volunteers of steam bucket dredger De Friesland for their warm hospitality and passion.
Different sizes. Shared passion. One strong dredging sector.
