The 29th DCA Annual Congress, which took place in Bamberg at the beginning of October, was fully booked, as was the case last year in Barcelona. With over 250 participants from a total of 12 countries, the DCA continues to consolidate its central position in the HDD industry in Europe through the activities of its board, representatives, and the WE-HDD group. The WE-HDD group also successfully held its first own event this year, the DCA Spring Talks, with over 40 participants. Other highlights in the annual calendar were the members' forum in Aachen with a record number of participants, the steadily growing interest in the landing page, and the publication of the 5th edition of the Technical Guidelines in English.

The lecture program of the annual congress was opened by a highly interesting presentation by Leo Martin, former BND secret agent from Germany, who fascinated the participants with his topic “Secret weapons of communication: Gentle strategies with a powerful effect – Convincing when it matters – even under pressure.” This was followed by presentations on “Practical experience from four years of decarbonized HDD job sites,” “Traffic safety during work,” and the status of the landing page. 

The focal point of this year's event was an HDD workshop on Thursday afternoon on the new features in the Technical Guidelines. The main topics of subsoil, bending radii, categorization, and pulling forces were discussed in small groups, each accompanied by four moderators. The results of the workshop can be viewed in the members' area on the DCA website.

In addition to the presentations and workshops, the congress also offered a varied spouse program, which was very well received by the participants. At the gala event on Thursday evening in a typical Franconian square farmstead at Helmut's Hofschänke on the Leimershof estate, Franconian delicacies and hearty beer were enjoyed until late into the night. As last year, the icing on the cake was undoubtedly the DCA logo projected onto the stage wall and the show performed by the duo Tebe & Leiste, who captivated the audience with their acrobatic skills and comedy.

On Friday, further HDD project presentations from around the world followed, including from Germany, France, Poland, and Brazil.

See you again at the 30th edition of the DCA Annual Congress on September 30-October 2, 2026, in Rome, Italy. 

Please save the date!

As mentioned, the annual congress program included an update on the DCA landing page by the Dutch company Vandenberg. The topic of “skills shortage” continues to be one of the most pressing issues facing the HDD industry. In 2024, the DCA initially created an HDD image film to motivate young people to pursue a career in this industry. This can be viewed on the front page of the homepage. Many DCA member companies are already registered on the associated landing page (www.drillforeurope.com), where job offers are posted, among other things. The association would be delighted if you would join the community. A link to your job vacancy can be posted there. In addition, there is an extensive media kit available. If you are interested, please contact Sanne Boortman (drillforeurope@dca-europe.org).

Together with the Rohrleitungsbauverband e.V., the DCA is organizing an HDD training course for clients and planners for the second time in Kassel on December 9, 2025. The event is divided into a training section covering the theoretical basics of HDD and a practical section in which current projects or HDD topics are presented. The target audience includes managers, technicians, and engineers from network operators, licensing authorities, engineering firms, and other institutions involved in or interested in the planning and execution of HDD measures. The technical management of the event will be handled by DCA Vice President Marc Schnau. Please register via the brbv website. The course is in German.

The DCA, in cooperation with the Rohrleitungsbauverband e.V., is also organizing another training event according to GW 329 on December 10, 2025. The seminar is primarily aimed at technical supervisors who have a test certificate in training levels A and B. It also serves as a suitable training event for technical staff, site managers, and supervisors who work in the field of horizontal directional drilling. The technical management will be provided by DCA Vice President Marco Reinhard. According to the brbv website, the event is already fully booked. The next event will take place on December 9, 2026.

If you have any questions about the annual congress, please contact our office in Aachen.(Contakt: Dipl.-Geol. Antje Quante, a.quante@dca-europe.org).