On Wednesday, 29 April, SFPE Benelux gathered at the iconic Havenhuis in Antwerp for the SFPE Benelux General Assembly 2026. With the sun reflecting on the building’s remarkable “diamond/ship” silhouette, the setting could not have been more inspiring. Holding our meeting in the magnificent boardroom perfectly illustrated the intersection between bold architecture and fire safety engineering.
A special welcome to two new, young and promising BoD members who were formally elected during the General Assembly: Lisa Mattys & Pim van Rede. We are delighted to have you on board!
Many thanks to Kris De Troch for a strong and thought‑provoking presentation, which sparked engaging discussions on challenging and highly relevant topics such as:
- the accreditation of the fire engineer, and
- derogation processes and their differences across countries.
These are important themes for our profession and clearly require further action within the SFPE Benelux community.
A warm thank you to POAB for generously allowing us to use their facilities, and special appreciation to Mie Vaassen, who guided us through the Havenhuis with great expertise, humor, and enthusiasm—an excellent and memorable tour.
Finally, a very special thank you to François Asselman, who stepped down as a board member after many years of dedicated service. François has been a great asset to SFPE Benelux and to the broader fire safety engineering sector, and was already closely involved at the very inception of SFPE Benelux. His commitment, experience, and collegial spirit have left a lasting mark. Many thanks, François.
An afternoon that nicely combined content, discussion, and connection—exactly what SFPE Benelux stands for. Looking forward to continuing the conversation and turning insights into action.
#SFPEBenelux #FireSafetyEngineering #Havenhuis #Antwerp #POAB #ProfessionalCommunity #FireEngineering
