The International Association of Dredging Companies Announces Young Pitch Talk Award 2026

19 May 2026

The IADC Young Pitch Talk award was handed over by IADC’s Secretary General Arnold de Bruijn (left) to Sem Geerts for his presentation “How do tidal sandbanks in sediment-scarce environments recover from large-scale sand extraction?” (Image credit: IDAC)

The International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) bestowed its Young Pitch Talk Award 2026 on Sem Geerts from the University of Twente. This special award is given to “stimulate the promotion of new ideas and encourage younger men and women in the dredging industry.” The award was granted after the evaluation of the received abstracts and the pitch talk presentations at the CEDA Dredging Days, held from May 11–13, 2026, in Antwerp, Belgium.

The Winner

Sem Geerts was selected as the IADC Young Pitch Talk Award winner for his presentation on “How do tidal sandbanks in sediment-scarce environments recover from large-scale sand extraction?”

“The jury was of the opinion that the winning pitch covered a highly relevant topic and a very interesting new tidal sandbank model that enables us to study both the long-term morphodynamic development and the response to sand extraction,” said Arnold de Bruijn, Secretary General of IADC. “Sem delivered his pitch in a manner that was both engaging and informative, made us curious to know more about his research.”

The Award

Every year at selected conferences, IADC recognizes the best paper written by authors younger than 35 years of age. At the CEDA Dredging Days 2026, the organization chose the format of pitch talks, where each applicant has 7 minutes in which to present their chosen topic. The winner received 500 EUR and a trophy of recognition as well as the opportunity to publish an article about the presentation in IADC’s quarterly journal Terra et Aqua.

The Congress

CEDA Dredging Days is the flagship conference of CEDA and is the main event on the dredging industry calendar in the CEDA (EMEA) region. It is widely considered to be the primary forum for leading researchers and industry experts to share ideas, discuss challenges, and consider potential solutions. The conference is well-attended by professionals representing the entire cross-section of the dredging field, from across the CEDA region and beyond. As such, it is also appreciated for the exceptional networking opportunities it offers.