Erwin Leys

With a background in Engineering, Geodesy, and Marine Science, Erwin LEYS began his career in 1980 at Baggerwerken Decloedt & Zoon, one of the world’s leading dredging companies at the time. Early international assignments as a Project Manager helped shape his technical expertise and global operational experience. He successfully led projects in Mexico and Central America, gaining valuable insight into diverse engineering challenges and local working environments. These experiences strengthened his understanding of international project management and cross-cultural collaboration. Following the 1991 merger with Dredging International (now DEME), he was appointed Offshore Survey Manager, overseeing complex offshore projects and driving operational efficiency across multiple teams and regions.

Since 2007, Erwin has served as Director at GEOxyz, playing a key role in transforming the company from a SME into one of the world’s leading survey firms and strengthening GEOxyz’s position in the offshore, maritime and renewable energy sectors, delivering high-quality geospatial data worldwide. In addition, Erwin has been Vice-President of the Belgian Offshore Cluster since 2017 and President since 2023, representing the Belgian offshore wind industry globally and supporting the growth of sustainable energy.

Recently he serves as Director of GEOdefensea, GEOxyz’s defense-focused business unit and is the originator of the strategic vision of SEASECURE, an advanced system for the protection of critical offshore infrastructures, combining cutting-edge survey and surveillance capabilities with security-oriented technologies.

With over four decades of international experience, Erwin is recognized for his strategic vision, deep technical expertise and ability to build strong global partnerships, delivering high-impact solutions in offshore engineering and marine security.