Annual Conference
Stanhope Hotel Brussels
20 November 2025

With a series of unprecedented global crises in the last 6 years, Europe’s resilience was extensively tested, and key vulnerabilities were revealed: Europe’s economy is highly dependent on global supply chains, highly dependent on too limited sources for its energy supply and highly dependent for its defence on partners with more volatile interests and priorities.

Europe needs and has started to take action to guarantee the well-functioning of its supply chains, to develop reliable alternatives to fossil fuels and to secure peace through military preparedness. Military preparedness requires amongst other effective and efficient transport, communication and energy networks that are resilient to climate change and also to … enemy action (hacking, sabotage, bombing, …). After decades of peace, most of Europe’s infrastructure was designed without consideration for intentional harm from external parties. New threats and risks to infrastructure require accordingly adapted designs and protections.

In this context, the oceans and the rivers offer key opportunities but also new sources of vulnerability. Waterborne transport infrastructures, offshore energy infrastructures and undersea communication infrastructures need to be secured, upgraded and maintained for dual use (both civil and military) to withstand the consequences of climate change as well as the consequences of actions of intentional harm/ enemy action.

To further develop an EU Open Strategic Autonomy that will secure the most basic needs (in terms of food, supplies and services) as well as the most sophisticated needs of its population and industry, Europe needs to invest in the resilience of its most critical infrastructure.

In its 2025 Annual Conference, EuDA would like to focus on critical waterborne infrastructures. Experts and specialists will present their views and experience the newly identified risks and threats that Europe’s waterborne infrastructures are facing and consider the key role of the European dredgers in building, maintaining and protecting them as well as increasing their resilience to the newly identifies risks and threats.