Case Study: Dutch Marine Ingenuity

Read this chapter to learn about a family-owned dredging and marine engineering business that has managed to survive and prosper over 150 years due to entrepreneurial ingenuity and continued commitment to its people and environmental sustainability. It takes you through the company's evolution and the challenges of being profitable and responsible while aiming to achieve four SDGs.

As a marine dredging and engineering company, what challenges does Van Oord face in attempting to be profitable and protect the environment? How does the company leadership and culture inspire entrepreneurial ingenuity?

Strategic Planning

"When I went to business school in the 1970s, we were extensively taught the planning processes of the big conglomerates: try to plan your activities for the next ten to twenty years and follow that all the way through. If you look at the fast-changing world of today, it doesn't make much sense any more. On the other hand, you need some kind of long-term strategic plan, but you must build flexibility into it. One way of doing that is by making use of scenario planning which really helps you to understand the different options in different situations. This is an ongoing process".