0 0 9 , ▁the ▁F lem ish ▁government ▁ag ency ▁Fland ers ▁In vest ment ▁and ▁Trade ▁awarded ▁the ▁Ex port ▁Lion ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁to ▁DE ME ▁for ▁what ▁was ▁called ▁its ▁' s ust ain able ▁strategy ▁of ▁international ization ' ▁and ▁' the ▁many ▁pr estig ious ▁assign ments ▁carried ▁out ▁world wide '. ▁In ▁a ▁survey ▁by ▁temporary ▁employ ment ▁company ▁Rand stad ▁Hold ing ▁of ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁Bel gi ans ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁DE ME ▁was ▁proc laimed ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁attract ive ▁employ ers ▁in ▁Belg ium . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁DE ME ▁and ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁ocean ▁engineering ▁industry ▁at ▁large ▁should ▁be ▁seen ▁against ▁the ▁background ▁of ▁three ▁peculiar ▁conditions : ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁Belg ian ▁people ▁to ▁keep ▁open ▁their ▁sea ▁lan es ▁through ▁the ▁F lem ish ▁B anks ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁Sea ; ▁the ▁efforts ▁to ▁maintain ▁free ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁deep ▁in land ▁port ▁of ▁Ant werp ; ▁and ▁their ▁per enn ial ▁struggle ▁against ▁flo oding ▁in ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries . ▁In ▁the ▁process ▁valuable ▁expert ise ▁was ▁built ▁up ▁in ▁throwing ▁up ▁banks , ▁rec laim ing ▁p old ers ▁and ▁emb ank ing ▁rivers . ▁ ▁This ▁mill en ary ▁experience ▁is ▁well ▁documented ▁in ▁history . ▁At ▁around ▁ 1 1 8 0 , ▁a ▁very ▁early ▁canal ▁lock ▁was ▁already ▁in ▁operation ▁at ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁city ▁of ▁Dam me