SECO Group
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1934
- HeadquartersEtterbeek, Belgium
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
SECO Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SECO Group
- Legal name
- SECO Belgium
- Website
- https://groupseco.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1934
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SECO Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Technical Inspection and Certification
- NAICS
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Security Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory (BPAKADAG)
Keywords
Where SECO Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Etterbeek
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
SECO Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Regulatory Inspections: SECO conducts mandatory periodic inspections and conformity checks for electrical installations (high and low voltage), gas installations, lifting equipment, elevators, fire detection systems, and temporary structures. These inspections are required by Belgian law and performed as an accredited inspection body.
- Technical Inspection and Certification Services: SECO provides inspection, guidance, attestation, testing coordination, conformity assessment, and certification services for construction materials, systems, and processes. Services support market access for innovative products and compliance with Belgian and European standards.
- Survey and Geomatics Services: SECO Survey provides land surveying, topographic monitoring, automated monitoring, drone inspections, GIS & BIM mapping, and land surveyor expert services for construction projects.
- Decennial Insurance Support: SECO provides technical inspections required for decennial insurance coverage, verifying that structural risks are properly controlled and normalized for Belgian insurers and international reinsurers.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
SECO Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SECO Group is a Belgian independent technical inspection and certification body founded in 1934. It provides accredited inspection, control, conformity assessment, certification, advisory and surveying services for construction materials, building systems, infrastructure, fire safety, and technical installations, spanning the full building lifecycle from preliminary design through maintenance and deconstruction.
Product overview
SECO Group is a Belgian independent technical inspection and control organization founded in 1934, offering comprehensive inspection, certification, and advisory services for the construction and infrastructure sectors. The portfolio comprises core inspection services organized by domain: Construction Materials/Systems Inspection, Infrastructure Inspection, Buildings Inspection, Fire Safety Services, Regulatory Inspections (covering electrical, gas, lifting equipment, temporary structures, and fire detection systems), Technical Installations Services, SECO Survey (geomatics), Structural Stability, Air/Water Tightness, Finishing Work, Decennial Insurance Inspection, and Sustainability Services. Certification offerings include BREEAM, EDGE, GRO, Level(s), WELL, and DGNB assessments. The company has expanded through acquisition, notably adding Van Hemelen for regulatory inspections. SECO operates as both BELAC-accredited inspection body and certification operator (BCCA, UBAtc/ATG, BENOR), supporting clients from preliminary design through maintenance and deconstruction phases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Construction Materials, Systems and Processes Inspection Inspection, guidance, attestation, testing, conformity assessment, training, and certification services for construction materials, processes, and building systems, accredited by BELAC under ISO 17020.
- Infrastructure Inspection Technical inspection for maritime, waterways, roads, transport, logistics, and environmental/energy infrastructure projects, including feasibility studies, execution monitoring, structural monitoring, and deconstruction/reuse assessments.
- Buildings Inspection Comprehensive building inspection covering preliminary design, conception, commissioning, maintenance, and deconstruction/reuse phases, including stability, air/water tightness, fire safety, finishing work, technical installations, and surveying.
- Fire Safety Services Fire safety inspection and compliance verification across preliminary design, design, execution, provisional acceptance, and maintenance phases, including fire risk analysis, detection systems, and evacuation planning.
- Regulatory Inspections Mandatory periodic inspections of high/low voltage electrical installations, gas systems, passenger elevators, lifting equipment, protective equipment, temporary structures, and fire detection systems under BELAC ISO 17020 accreditation.
- Technical Installations Services Independent expert technical review for HVAC, sanitary, lifting, electrical installations, and active fire protection systems across preliminary design, execution, and acceptance phases.
- SECO Survey Surveying and geomatics services including terrain/interior/facade measurements, topographic monitoring, automated monitoring, drone inspections, GIS and BIM mapping, and expert land surveying.
- Structural Stability Services Independent structural engineering expertise including preliminary risk analysis, design phase counter-calculations, and execution phase verification of foundations, concrete/steel structures, and temporary works.
- Air and Water Tightness Inspection Inspection and audit ensuring proper specification, implementation, and maintenance of air and water tightness systems, including junction detailing, pressure test verification, and long-term performance assessment.
- Finishing Work Inspection Systematic technical evaluation of finished elements including floor coverings, ceilings, interior partitions, and carpentry, verifying correct sizing, execution details, and appropriate use of materials.
- Decennial Insurance Inspection Technical inspection services for decennial insurance purposes, verifying structural risks are properly controlled, recognized by all Belgian insurers and major international reinsurers.
- Sustainability Services Sustainability consulting including reuse with confidence, energy transition support, biodiversity encouragement, and sustainable certification aligned with European taxonomy, DNSH principle, Level(s), SBTi, and LCBI frameworks.
- BREEAM Certification BREEAM sustainability certification assessment and training, provided as an accredited BREEAM assessor offering training on behalf of BRE.
- EDGE Certification EDGE green building certification assessment developed by IFC (World Bank Group) for new sustainable projects and existing portfolios covering energy, water, and embodied carbon efficiency.
- GRO Certification GRO sustainability tool certification assessment for public construction and renovation projects, evaluating energy, materials, water, mobility, and adaptability.
- Level(s) Certification Level(s) sustainability certification assessment services, the EU framework for sustainable buildings measuring environmental performance across the lifecycle with emphasis on life-cycle thinking and circular economy.
- Van Hemelen Regulatory Inspections Regulatory inspection services for electricity, gas, lifting equipment, fire and explosion safety, and emergency lighting, delivered under the Van Hemelen brand as part of SECO Group.
- Safety in Circularity Attestation Safety attestation enabling confident reuse of construction materials, providing process attestation for internal quality systems related to reused materials within the circular economy framework.
Quantifiable outcome
- Carbon neutral since 2019
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SECO Group
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SECO Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
SECO Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- PIANC Working Group 225minorSECO joined international experts from academia, industry, and public authorities in PIANC Working Group 225 to help develop new guidelines for seismic design of port structures, contributing structural and geotechnical expertise.
- SOFICOcoreSOFICO (Société de Financement Complémentaire des Infrstructures) acted as the project owner for the Ampsin-Neuville lock complex upgrade. SECO served as the technical inspection body responsible for structural stability verification and long-term performance assessment of the civil engineering works.
- COTEM (Mauritania)minorCOTEM is a SECO Certified Partner in Mauritania. Through the partnership, COTEM benefits from reliable technical support that has enabled them to earn the trust of operators and become the leading national player in the construction sector in Mauritania.
- BCCA (Belgian Construction Certification Association)coreSECO provides inspection services and test support as a prerequisite for certification by BCCA and other accredited certification bodies in Belgium for construction materials and systems.
- UBAtc (Union Belge pour l'Agrément technique)coreSECO Belgium operates as an approval operator within UBAtc for technical approvals with certification (ATG) and European Technical Assessments (ETA) in Belgium.
- BENOR Certification SystemcoreSECO Belgium operates as an inspection body within the BENOR certification system for construction materials and systems in Belgium.
- Van HemelencoreVan Hemelen, a family-owned company with three generations of regulatory inspection experience in Belgium, joined SECO Group to offer increasingly innovative solutions across the country in safety domains including electricity, gas, lifting equipment, fire and explosion safety, and emergency lighting.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SECO Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bureau Veritas: Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) major with a large Construction & Infrastructure division. Highly comparable to SECO as an accredited third-party inspection body serving construction owners, contractors and insurers, but operating at far greater scale and global reach.
- DEKRA: Global TIC company with a dedicated Construction and Real Estate service line covering building inspection, fire safety and sustainability certification. Comparable to SECO as a third-party inspection body, but with significantly broader industrial, automotive and cybersecurity portfolios.
- TÜV Rheinland: Global TIC group offering construction, infrastructure, fire safety, and building certification services including sustainability assessments. Comparable to SECO's certification and inspection activities, with a much wider industrial service portfolio and global footprint.
- SGS: World's largest TIC company with construction, infrastructure, and sustainability certification services. Comparable to SECO as an accredited inspection and certification provider, but competing from a global platform with vastly broader service breadth.
Direct peers
- SOCOTEC: European leader in construction technical inspection, structural verification, fire safety and sustainability certification. Closest direct peer to SECO, with overlapping services in construction risk control, regulatory inspection, and building lifecycle assessment across European markets.
- Apave: French accredited inspection body offering construction, building, infrastructure and regulatory inspection services. Direct peer to SECO, sharing the model of an independent technical control body serving construction and industrial clients with similar mandated inspection and certification offerings.
- Kiwa: Dutch-headquartered TIC group with strong construction materials, fire safety and sustainability certification portfolios. Direct peer to SECO in the Benelux market, particularly through its Belgium and Netherlands entities competing for inspection and certification mandates.
- Vinçotte: Belgian accredited inspection body delivering regulatory inspections for electrical, gas, lifting and pressure equipment, plus construction-related services. Direct competitor to SECO in the Belgian TIC market, particularly on mandated periodic inspections that SECO Belgium ASBL/VZW also performs under BELAC.
- BCCA (Belgian Construction Certification Association): Belgian accreditation body and certification operator for construction products and systems, with which SECO already cooperates. Functions as both a partner and adjacent peer in the Belgian construction certification ecosystem, offering overlapping product and system certification services.
Emerging players
- COTEM (Mauritania): SECO's certified local partner in Mauritania providing technical inspection services to local construction operators. An emerging regional player that operates under SECO's methodology and brand, representing SECO's asset-light international model rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SECO Group social profiles
Digital presenceSECO Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
SECO Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SECO Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
SECO Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
SECO Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SECO Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SECO Group
What does SECO Group do?
SECO Group is a Belgian independent technical inspection and certification body founded in 1934. It provides accredited inspection, control, conformity assessment, certification, advisory and surveying services for construction materials, building systems, infrastructure, fire safety, and technical installations, spanning the full building lifecycle from preliminary design through maintenance and deconstruction.
Is SECO Group a public or private company?
SECO Group is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was SECO Group founded?
SECO Group was founded in 1934. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is SECO Group based?
SECO Group is headquartered in Etterbeek, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does SECO Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Regulatory Inspections are the primary driver. The others are technical Inspection and Certification Services, survey and Geomatics Services and decennial Insurance Support.
Who are SECO Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bureau Veritas, DEKRA, TÜV Rheinland and SGS. Direct peers are SOCOTEC, Apave, Kiwa, Vinçotte and BCCA (Belgian Construction Certification Association). COTEM (Mauritania) is listed as an emerging player.
Does SECO Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for SECO Group.
What industry is SECO Group in?
SECO Group's product category is Construction Technical Inspection and Certification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKADAG, Security Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory. Its NAICS code is 5416.