EFFC Annual General Meeting – Edinburgh, October 2026
The EFFC Annual General Meeting took place in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 1–2 October 2026, bringing together representatives from national federations, Working Groups, Task Groups and Associate Members to discuss key developments across the European foundation engineering sector.
Presidency and EFFC Development
The AGM marked the conclusion of Fabrizio Leoni’s term as EFFC President. Reflecting on the past two years, Fabrizio highlighted the successful transition of the EFFC Secretariat, increased visibility of the Federation and progress across a wide range of technical and strategic initiatives. At the close of the AGM, Fabrizio formally handed over the presidency to Kevin Hague. Karsten Beckhaus takes on the role of Senior Vice President, while Fabrizio continues as Immediate Past President.
National Federation Updates
The round table provided an overview of market developments across EFFC member countries. Conditions remain mixed: infrastructure and energy investment continue to provide opportunities in several countries, while private construction is under pressure in others. Common challenges include skills shortages, regulatory pressures, training and competence, safety, sustainability and the transition towards lower-carbon construction. The exchange once again demonstrated the value of sharing national experiences and initiatives across the Federation.
Working Groups and Technical Guidance
Significant progress was reported across EFFC’s Working Groups and Task Groups. The updated Support Fluids and Tremie Concrete Guides continue to advance, while the new NDT Guide is approaching completion. The AI Task Group is focusing on practical applications of artificial intelligence within foundation engineering and is collecting use cases from across the sector.Health & Safety remains a key priority, with continued work on knowledge sharing, machinery testing and checking, working at height and improved federation participation. The future format of the EFFC Health & Safety Awards will also be reviewed following declining participation.
Sustainability and Carbon Calculator
The Sustainability Working Group continues to develop carbon benchmarking and practical guidance for the sector. The new web-based EFFC/DFI Carbon Calculator is nearing completion and will provide updated databases, EPD information and benchmarking functionality. A joint EFFC/DFI webinar on the Carbon Calculator is planned for December 2026. Luke Deamer will take over EFFC leadership of the Carbon Calculator Task Group from Luca Bruni.
EFFC Rules and Governance
A major part of the AGM was dedicated to reviewing the EFFC Rules. Members agreed that the current structure needs to be updated to better reflect how the Federation operates today.
There was broad support for simplifying governance around one Council-based structure and for the principle of one federation, one representative, one vote. The discussion also covered the future Officer structure, voting arrangements, the position of founding members, membership fees and greater participation by Associate Members. No final changes were adopted in Edinburgh. The Officers will now prepare a revised proposal and consult all national federations before a final proposal is considered.
DFI–EFFC Collaboration
Cooperation between EFFC and DFI continues to strengthen. Priority areas include foundation reuse, AI and digitalisation, leadership and business topics, opportunities for young professionals and future joint events. Following the successful Bruges conference, Delft is being considered as a potential location for a future joint DFI–EFFC conference.
Future Talent and Associate Members
Early-career presentations highlighted the importance of practical experience, mentoring, responsibility and varied career opportunities in attracting and retaining the next generation of foundation professionals.
Associate Members Bauer, Tensar and Liebherr also presented recent innovations in specialist foundation equipment, working-platform design, electrification and digital planning tools. The AGM recognised the value of involving Associate Members more closely in future EFFC activities.
Looking Ahead
The AGM reinforced EFFC’s focus on stronger collaboration between national federations, practical technical guidance, health and safety, sustainability, digitalisation and a governance structure that supports the Federation’s future development.
The next EFFC Executive Meeting will take place on 4–5 March 2027 in Germany, with the host city to be confirmed.