News & insights

Published, presented, practised.

Stay up to date about our most recent activities and industry insights — from peer-reviewed frameworks to conference floors across the world.

Publications

In print.

Oct 2023

Implementing ECI in infrastructure procurement

Civil Engineering Surveyor — David Kinlan & Kenneth Willems

How collaborative procurement approaches can reduce cost overruns and delays in complex construction projects, drawing on international research and the PIANC WG194 framework.

Read the article ↗︎
Article
Spring 2023

Applying ECI in marine infrastructure

Terra et Aqua #169 (IADC) — Kenneth Willems

How Early Contractor Involvement can be applied in marine infrastructure procurement to mitigate cost overruns and delays, building on the PIANC WG194 report.

Read the article (PDF) ↗︎
Article
2021

A framework for Early Contractor Involvement in infrastructure projects

PIANC WG194 — international working group, chaired by Kenneth Willems

The international reference framework for organising ECI in infrastructure projects — written by a working group of owners, contractors and advisors from around the world.

Read the report ↗︎
Report

Talks & missions

In the room.

  • The European AI Summit in Lille, June 2026

    Vuentica at the European AI Summit in Lille

    Vuentica attended the major European AI Summit held in Lille on 12 June, where business, policy and technology leaders from across Europe gathered to discuss the next phase of artificial intelligence. The conversation is shifting beyond announcements and investment towards practical applications, European sovereignty and responsible AI — exactly the questions we help project-driven organisations answer: moving AI beyond the pilot into day-to-day operations, with governance you can defend and capability that stays in-house. Proof over promises.

    Discover how we approach it
  • EM³CP Executive Master programme poster

    Kenneth Willems lectures on Risk Management at ULB

    Kenneth Willems delivered a lecture on Risk Management as part of the EM³CP 2024–26 — the Executive Master in Management of Major Construction Projects. This blended life-long learning programme is organised by the Université libre de Bruxelles, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and ADEB-VBA, training future senior managers of the construction sector through a multidisciplinary and trilingual curriculum.

    Our Risk Management services
  • FIT Mission to Morocco, 2025

    Céline Hanauer joins FIT Mission to Morocco

    Céline Hanauer joined the FIT mission to Morocco, focused on infrastructure and construction. The mission featured open and constructive exchanges with Moroccan companies and port authorities, including the National Port Agency, Tanger Med Port Authority and OCP Group — and a great opportunity to connect with fellow Belgian companies.

    Follow our missions on LinkedIn
  • Vuentica joins the Belgian Economic Mission to Australia

    The Belgian Economic Mission to Australia, organised by Flanders Investment & Trade and headed by H.R.H. Princess Astrid, took place from 23 to 27 October 2023. Kenneth Willems joined the mission, attending business meetings with clients in the ports and offshore wind sectors — from a site visit at Port Kembla in Sydney to Melbourne and Bell Bay, Tasmania.

    Follow our missions on LinkedIn
  • Westminster Bridge and Big Ben, London

    Kenneth Willems on ECI practices — presentation in London

    At the PIANC UK event on the five most recent Working Group reports, held at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London, Kenneth Willems presented the publication he chaired: “A Framework for Early Contractor Involvement in Infrastructure Projects” — and how to effectively organise an ECI phase.

    Read the WG194 report
  • The international ECI conference in Brussels

    International conference on Early Contractor Involvement, Brussels

    Vuentica curated and sponsored a successful international conference on Early Contractor Involvement at the PIANC headquarters in Brussels. Over 100 participants were welcomed: construction lawyers, risk managers, project directors, procurement officers and engineers from both public and private organisations.

    What is ECI?
  • Seminar at Project Controls Inspiration Day, Tivoli Castle

    Seminar session at Project Controls Inspiration Day

    At Proove’s yearly Project Controls Inspiration Day in Tivoli Castle, Mechelen, Kenneth Willems hosted a seminar session on ECI model types — when each model is appropriate, and how each differs in terms of risk allocation and value creation.

    Our ECI practice
  • Virtuality — Enter the Metaverse, Paris

    Vuentica attended Virtuality, Enter the Metaverse, as part of the development of our virtual platform for construction teams — particularly for the Early Contractor Involvement phase.

    Discover V‑Rooms
  • The PIANC ECI report

    Call for reviewers — PIANC ECI report

    With the editing of the PIANC ECI report finished, we called on our community: highly qualified and experienced practitioners were invited to take part in the international peer-review process that preceded publication.

    The published report
  • HES&D Congress on Hydraulic Engineering & Dredging

    PortNews’ annual congress on Hydraulic Engineering Structures and Dredging, devoted to the latest trends and technologies for dredging and hydraulic engineering works.

  • Procure2Innovate workshop — Tallinn

    The EU Horizon 2020-funded Procure2Innovate project improves institutional support for public procurers implementing innovation procurement. The Tallinn workshop was ultimately cancelled, but our engagement with the network continued.

    About the project
  • Institute of Risk Management, BeLux event

    Project Risk Management — IRM BeLux

    “Risk Management in a Complex Environment”: how risk management is actually deployed in complex yet different environments, and what challenges lie ahead.

    Our Risk Management services
  • Smart Rivers Conference — Lyon (PIANC)

    Organised by PIANC’s French section, the Smart Rivers Conference covers best practices and new insights in the sustainable development of inland waterways.

  • Global Dredging Forum — London

    A forum on how ports develop their infrastructure through capital dredging projects, and the pressures ports face when completing maintenance projects.

  • International Risk Conference — Copenhagen

    At the Danish Society of Engineers (IDA), with a programme spanning project risk management, enterprise risk management and cyber risk management.

Get in touch

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