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The Conference on Foundation Decarbonization and Re-use has until now been held in Amsterdam, but the next edition in 2027 will be held in Hamburg.  Hamburg represents an ideal environment for foundation reuse due to several key regional factors:

Challenging Geotechnical and Soft-Soil Conditions

Much of Hamburg is built on soft Elbe River marshland, silt, and clay, requiring deep, highly complex pile foundations to support buildings. Constructing new foundations in these soil conditions is incredibly carbon-intensive (and expensive), making the assessment and reuse of existing pilings a high priority for local engineers.

Massive Urban Waterfront Redevelopments are planned to transform the HafenCity, Europe’s largest inner-city urban development

This area with historic warehouses (Speicherstadt ) are UNESCO-protected. Various older harbor zones require extensive structural retrofitting. Rather than ripping out deep-water pilings—which damages neighboring historical structures—the city relies on advanced testing and reuse methods.

Germany’s Capital for sustainability alliances

Hamburg is a major global hub for climate action, famously hosting the annual Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) in partnership with the UN Development Program. Staging a foundation reuse and decarbonization event here allows civil engineers and construction firms to align with broader cross-sector networks pushing for “green shipping corridors,” sustainable trade, and circular economies.

Direct Proximity to Port and Industrial Infrastructure

The Port of Hamburg faces the challenge of upgrading aging bridges, retaining walls, quay walls, and logistics hubs to accommodate modern cargo loads. These real-world infrastructural challenges provide a direct, local showcase for the conference’s core themes: structural inspection, load testing, and performance-based verification.