Is Hansje Brinker Still Alive?
Presented during:
CEDA Dredging Days 2001 - Dredging Seen. Perspectives - From The Outside Looking In, Amsterdam
Authors:
J. Hazejager
Abstract: Ofcourse! Hansje is still alive, although not as the little boy whostopped a gap in the dike with his thump. But as the spearheadindustry which is related to constructing dikes, harbours andartificial islands. Dredging as well as shipbuilders.Afterthe construction of the storm surge barrier in the Eastern SScheldtand the following dip in international projects in the 80's, it wasquiet for a number of years. It was not so interesting for economicjournalists. Dredging was no longer sexy. And I admit, I receivedonly a few lines from my editor -in- chief to write about annual orhalf yearly figures.
However,the tenders for the construction for Hong Kong International Airport,Check Lap Ko, marked the beginning of a change. Since that time, Ispeak about 1993, journalistic eyes were focussed on dredgingindustry again, including shipbuilding. Until now!
Andthere was much more; some eager top managers, amongstt them theformerChairmanan of thdredginging organisation VBKO, Mr Lubberhuizen,warned about the future. He and some colleagues foresaw that afurther concentration of players would be strictly necessary. Thatkind of remark made us alert and we all know the results of thisforesight in the last two years. It is clear that the dredgingshipbuilders finally took advantage I say finally because somesmaller shipbuilders lost the competition.
Forus newsmen and women, the last couple of years were very interestingfor our readers, listeners and TV-watchers. I believe that thisindustry will keep our attention, now and in the future.
Keywords: dredging,media