▁on ▁the ▁canal ▁from ▁Bru ges ▁to ▁the ▁sea . ▁In ▁ 1 2 9 2 ▁d red ging ▁works ▁are ▁chron ic led ▁in ▁the ▁can als ▁that ▁linked ▁the ▁medieval ▁city ▁of ▁Bru ges ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁Sea . ▁In ▁his ▁Div ina ▁Comm edia ▁( between ▁ 1 3 0 8 ▁and ▁ 1 3 2 1 ) ▁the ▁Italian ▁writer ▁D ante ▁Al igh ieri ▁compared ▁the ▁hard ▁emb ank ment ▁on ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁sitting ▁to ▁the ▁d ikes ▁that ▁F lem ish ▁craft s men ▁had ▁built ▁between ▁Bru ges ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁border . ▁As ▁craft sm ans hip ▁gave ▁way ▁to ▁a ▁more ▁professional ▁approach ▁and ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Revolution ▁found ▁its ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁European ▁continent , ▁local ▁contract ors ▁incorpor ated ▁companies ▁that ▁would ▁later ▁merge ▁and ▁cons olid ate ▁as ▁projects ▁became ▁bigger ▁and ▁the ▁business ▁needed ▁ever ▁more ▁capital . ▁But ▁the ▁mill en ary ▁tradition , ▁skills ▁and ▁expert ise ▁of ▁dealing ▁with ▁water ▁has ▁remained . ▁ ▁The ▁roots ▁of ▁DE ME ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁coast al ▁region ▁and ▁the ▁Ant werp ▁area ▁of ▁Belg ium . ▁Three ▁companies ▁are ▁at ▁the ▁cr ad le ▁of ▁DE ME : ▁B agger wer ken ▁Dec lo ed t ▁& ▁Z oon , ▁A ck erm ans ▁& ▁van ▁H aar en ▁and ▁Société ▁Gén éra le ▁de ▁Drag age ▁( ). ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁the ▁De ▁Clo ed t ▁family ▁had ▁a ▁small ▁contract