CFE in 2020: innovation, resilience and solidarity

PRESS RELEASE

Friday 2 April 2021

CFE in 2020: innovation, resilience and solidarity

2020 will go down in history as the year of the coronavirus pandemic. The resulting crisis obviously features in CFE's annual report, but for the group, the year is primarily marked by innovation, resilience and solidarity. With sustainability as the driving force, the CFE Group is committed - now more than ever - to building a better future for all.

The 2020 Annual Report of the CFE Groupprovides detailed information about topics such as the roll-out of the group's sustainability strategy across its three divisions (DEME, CFE Contracting and BPI Real Estate), financial performance and the tasks of the various committees.

CFE also made a conscious decision to publish this annual report, as well as the official documents, in digital format only. This may seem like a small gesture, but it illustrates CFE's general strategy on the environment, climate and well-being.

Sustainable and innovative

The CFE Group wants to pioneer the development of new, sustainable ways of life that follow social trends. The 2020 Annual Report reflects this resolute ambition. "Putting sustainability and innovation at the heart of our strategy has made us more agile and more responsive in the face of the current crisis," says Piet Dejonghe, Managing Director of the CFE Group.

The annual report highlights numerous examples of sustainable, innovative projects, including the launch of timber construction, the ongoing technological development of energy storage or the installation of the 2,200th offshore wind turbine.

Resilience and solidarity

Despite the exceptional circumstances, the CFE Group posted positive results in 2020. "Thanks to the stability in previous financial years, we were able to weather this unprecedented period calmly and to close it with a full order book. The results remained positive, demonstrating yet again the strength of our organisation and the enormous talent of our teams."

The annual report highlights how the coronavirus crisis accelerated CFE's digital transformation. Nevertheless, human relationships are still key. "The health and well-being of our people remain essential. The pandemic has only strengthened our commitment in that area. More than ever, safety is our prime concern." Solidarity is the keyword of the past year for Piet Dejonghe. "By that I mean the solidarity of our employees, who carried on working in difficult circumstances or who were put on short-time working."

And what about 2021?

The 2020 Annual Report is not just a review of past year. It also gives readers an idea of the goals for 2021: "The CFE Group's ambition goes far beyond profit, focusing on conservation and sustainability so that, to- gether, we can all invent, imagine and build the future."

• View theinteractive 2020 Annual Report of the CFE Group, which also includes video messages from the
  CEOs.

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About CFE

CFE, founded in 1880 is a Belgian industrial group active in three different divisions. The first, Dredging, Environment, Offshore and Infra, is carried out by its wholly owned subsidiary DEME, one of the world leaders in the field. DEME has a modern fleet of multipurpose vessels equipped with the latest technologies. The second, Contracting, encompasses the group's construction, multitechnics and rail activities in Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland. The third, Real Estate Development, covers the real estate projects developed by BPI in Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland.

The CFE group currently employs more than 8,000 people and is active on every continent. CFE is listed on Euronext Brussels and is 62.10% owned by Ackermans & van Haaren.

This press release is available on our website at www.cfe.be.

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For further information, please contact:

Ann Vansumere - Communication Manager tel.: [phone]

mail : [e-mail]

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