Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy

What Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy does

Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy is a Netherlands-based specialist consultancy founded in 1992 in Sliedrecht, Zuid-Holland, focused on the detection and risk management of unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the First and Second World Wars. The firm serves Dutch municipalities, water boards (Waterschappen), Rijkswaterstaat, engineering bureaus, and the Royal Netherlands Navy, providing an integrated service pipeline that runs from historical archival research (vooronderzoek) and risk analyses through geophysical detection (EMI, magnetometry, GPR, resistance, and metal detection), to full end-to-end project management, supervision, and integral safety advisory. Its primary customers operate under the Dutch Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit Article 4.10, which mandates preliminary UXO investigation for ground-disturbing work, and Saricon is certified under the CS-VROO scheme for this work.

The company is differentiated by a rare combination of proprietary assets and multidisciplinary expertise. It maintains an archive of more than 150,000 aerial photographs and the "War over the Blue Front" database of over 6,000 georeferenced WWII events in the Dutch North Sea, compiled from British and German archives. It has co-developed proprietary detection tools including UXOscope (with Brownline, now operationally housed at parent Van den Herik) and the KAGO decision-support tool, and applies a documented "1+1=3" method of combining multiple geophysical techniques for higher-accuracy results. Its in-house team spans historians, GIS specialists, munitions technicians, geophysicists, archaeologists, and integral safety experts, with at least 15 named specialists.

Saricon generates revenue primarily through professional services: project-based UXO advisory, geophysical surveys, risk analyses, and end-to-end execution contracts for public-sector and engineering clients. A secondary revenue stream comes from public training courses and in-company workshops (priced at €295–€650 per person, aligned with the VOMES certification framework), and a third from fee-bearing facilitation of Bommenregeling (Dutch municipal bombs regulation) subsidy applications under the 2026 Municipal Fund budget of approximately €19.5M. Pricing is largely quote-based for projects and fixed per-person for training; the company operates only via direct B2B/B2G field sales within the Netherlands and Dutch/Belgian North Sea waters, with no reseller or self-serve channels. Van den Herik-Sliedrecht is identified as the parent company (moederbedrijf), providing access to additional civil engineering and nautical expertise.

Name

Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy

Legal name

Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy

Website

https://saricon.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy is a Netherlands-based UXO consultancy founded in 1992, providing historical research, geophysical detection, and risk advisory for unexploded ordnance to Dutch municipalities, water boards, Rijkswaterstaat, and engineering bureaus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

UXO Risk Consultancy & Detection Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) & ASTM Phase I ESA (EUAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Response & Search-and-Rescue (SAR) (BPAGAAAA), Process Safety & Major Hazard Risk Management (PSM) (BPAHAJAE), Emergency Response & Incident Command (Oil Spill/HAZMAT, SAR Support) (TLAHAIAC)

Keywords

• UXO risk consultancy
• Geophysical detection services
• Explosive ordnance advisory
• Historical preliminary research
• Subsurface survey services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sliedrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Services – UXO Advisory & Project Management: Core revenue stream from providing historical preliminary research (vooronderzoek), risk analyses, geophysical surveys, and end-to-end project management for the detection and clearance of unexploded ordnance. Services range from targeted advisory to complete project execution. Targets governments, water boards, Rijkswaterstaat, and engineering firms.
2. Training Courses & Workshops: Public enrollment and in-company training programs on UXO detection, aerial photo interpretation, munitions recognition, and explosives safety. Offered at multiple competency levels from basic knowledge to senior expert. Revenue generated through per-person course fees and in-company project pricing.
3. Subsidy/Grant Facilitation – Bommenregeling: Saricon assists municipalities in preparing and submitting subsidy applications (suppletieverzoek) under the Dutch 'Bommenregeling' (bombs regulation) within the Municipal Fund (Gemeentefonds), which in 2026 totals approximately €19.5 million plus €3.3 million for aircraft wreck recovery. This is a fee-bearing facilitation service embedded in the advisory offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy provides unexploded ordnance (UXO) risk consultancy and detection services for the Netherlands and the Dutch North Sea. Its offering combines historical archival research (vooronderzoek), geophysical subsurface surveys (magnetometry, EMI, GPR), risk analyses, and integral safety advisory for construction, dredging, and infrastructure projects in land, water bodies, and offshore. The firm also delivers professional training and certification-aligned workshops under the CS-VROO and VOMES frameworks, and facilitates Bommenregeling subsidy applications for municipalities.

Product overview

Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy is a specialized consultancy founded in 1992, offering a unified suite of explosive remnants of war (UXO) investigation services. The core portfolio consists of six integrated services: Historical Research (Historisch Vooronderzoek), Archaeological Research (Archeologisch Onderzoek), Risk Analysis (Risicoanalyses), Advice & Guidance (Advies & Begeleiding), Geophysical Research (Geofysisch Onderzoek), and Training & Workshops. These services work together as a comprehensive pipeline—from archival research and risk assessment through geophysical detection and project management. Additional offerings include the UXOscope (a specialized detection tool co-developed with Brownline for hard-to-reach locations), the War over the Blue Front historical database, and the UXO Map showing project locations across the Netherlands. Training programs cover competency levels from basic knowledge through senior expert OOO certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Historical Preliminary Research (Historisch Vooronderzoek)
• Archaeological Research (Archeologisch Onderzoek)
• Risk Analysis (Risicoanalyses)
• Advice & Guidance (Advies & Begeleiding)
• Geophysical Research (Geofysisch Onderzoek)
• Training & Workshops (Trainingen & Workshops)
• Bommenregeling Subsidy Facilitation

Quantifiable outcome

• Risk analysis can reduce or eliminate the need for large-scale UXO detection campaigns, saving significant project costs.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BAACcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Since 2026, Saricon has a partnership with BAAC, one of the most prominent archaeological firms in the Netherlands. BAAC (Bouwhistorie, Archeologie, Architectuurhistorie en Cultuurhistorie) is an independent cultural-historical research firm. The partnership allows Saricon to offer integrated archaeological and UXO services, with BAAC handling bureauonderzoek (desk-based archaeological assessment) and Saricon providing geophysical and UXO expertise. The collaboration also leverages BAAC's additional specialisms including historical ecology, castle and church expertise, and construction/cultural history.
• BrownlinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaricon collaborated with Brownline to develop the UXOscope — a proprietary method combining horizontal directional drilling with simultaneous UXO detection for investigating hard-to-reach locations (beneath buildings, roads, waterways, railways). All operational activities were transferred to Van den Herik in 2019.
• Stichting Examinering VOMEScoreOthersVOMES administers the official competency examinations for OOO (Ontplofbare Oorlogsresten Opgeruimd) detection personnel. Saricon's Basic Knowledge course prepares participants to take the VOMES exam; Saricon registers participants for the exam and handles administration. VOMES manages the actor registry for OOO detection professionals.
• Van den Herik-SliedrechtcoreOthersVan den Herik-Sliedrecht is identified as Saricon's moederbedrijf (mother/parent company). For civil engineering advice and nautical matters, Saricon can draw on the parent company's expertise. Van den Herik also took over all UXOscope operations in 2019 and successfully located the Rotterdam blindganger at >8m depth in 2026.
• ISAP (International Society of Archaeological Prospection)minorOthersSaricon is a member of ISAP, the international professional society for archaeological prospection.
• SIG BOGG (Special Interest Group GeoBusiness)minorOthersSaricon is a member of the SIG BOGG (Special Interest Group GeoBusiness), a Dutch geodata and geomatics industry network under GeoBusiness.nl.
• SIKB Working GroupsminorOthersSaricon holds seats in multiple SIKB working groups, contributing to the development and harmonization of guidelines for geophysical and archaeological investigation in the Netherlands.
• Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) / MarinecomponentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2005, the Dutch and Belgian Royal Marine have collaborated under 'Beneficial Cooperation' to reduce the number of explosive remnants in the North Sea, which pose safety risks to vessels. The program has cleared more than 1,600 contacts. Saricon's War over the Blue Front research supports this mission by providing detailed historical intelligence on WWII events in the Dutch North Sea.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• BAAC: Saricon's 2026 strategic partner for combined archaeological and UXO services. BAAC is one of the largest archaeological bureaus in the Netherlands; their partnership is a horizontal/complementary relationship rather than direct competition for UXO work.

Direct peers

• REASeuro: Dutch/Belgian unexploded ordnance detection and clearance firm. Direct competitor to Saricon, providing historical research, geophysical surveys, and risk analysis for UXO across land, water, and offshore — including North Sea seabed work.
• WMR (Wareco Milieu & Ruimte): Dutch environmental and UXO consultancy that performs historical research, risk analyses, and field detection. Direct competitor within the same CS-VROO-certified Dutch UXO market.
• Geonius: Netherlands-based engineering firm with a geophysical and UXO survey division. Competes with Saricon for geophysical investigation projects related to UXO, archaeology, and ground-disturbance advisory work.
• CRUX: Dutch advisory and engineering firm supporting UXO, environmental, and geotechnical investigations. Competes with Saricon on municipal, water-board, and offshore-oriented UXO projects.
• T&A Survey: Netherlands-based UXO detection and geophysical survey specialist. Competes directly with Saricon on historical preliminary research, risk analysis, and field surveys for Dutch municipalities and engineering firms.
• 1st Line Defence: UK-based UXO risk management and geophysical survey consultancy. Comparable service offering — historical research, risk assessments, and clearance support — but focused on the UK rather than the Netherlands.
• BACTEC: UK-based UXO survey and clearance specialist. Comparable offering of geophysical detection, risk analysis, and clearance services for construction and infrastructure projects.

Regional players

• BodemBouw: Belgian-based UXO detection and geophysical survey firm. Operates in the same regulatory and historical context (WWII-contaminated territory) but focuses on Belgium rather than the Netherlands.

Broad incumbents

• Van den Herik-Sliedrecht: Identified as Saricon's parent company (moederbedrijf). Van den Herik is a Dutch marine and civil engineering contractor that took over UXOscope operations in 2019 and executed the Rotterdam blindganger recovery. Provides group-level capabilities Saricon draws on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=QIii1Rj6QPI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saricon

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saricon Safety & Risk Consultancy