Introduction

When people learn that DIBS42 operates from Serbia while working on projects across Western Europe, they’re often curious about how this international setup came to be.

But for Dennis, founder and CEO of DIBS42, this decision was not accidental. It grew from years of collaboration with engineers from the region, a strong belief in the talent pool of Southeast Europe, and a personal story that eventually led him to move his life from the Netherlands to Novi Sad.

Seven years later, DIBS42 grew into an international company with a team of around 30 people. In this interview, Dennis shares how the company started in Serbia, what cultural differences he sees between the Dutch and Serbian engineering environments, and how this international setup benefits clients across Europe.

Interview

Q: You’re originally from the Netherlands. What made you decide to build your life and your company in Serbia?

Dennis: Before starting DIBS42, I had already been working for many years with engineers from the former Yugoslavia. In my first company I worked with colleagues from Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia, and I quickly realized that they were not only excellent engineers but also great people to collaborate with.

Over time, I also became familiar with the culture. I spent holidays in Croatia and built friendships across the region. That’s when I started noticing something important: the technical education in this part of Europe is great. Serbia has strong university hubs, especially in Belgrade and Novi Sad, which creates a solid cluster of technical education and engineering talent.

Later, when I moved into management roles in the Netherlands, I began collaborating with engineering companies in Serbia. I had visited the country several times, even met engineers during events like Exit Festival in Novi Sad, and I saw the potential there.

When I started my company in 2019, I also happened to fall in love with a woman who is from Novi Sad, and who is now my wife. That made the decision easier. At the same time, I was facing a major challenge in the Netherlands: it was extremely difficult to find qualified engineers.

So I had to ask myself a simple question: How can I grow a company if I cannot find the people to build it? Serbia offered the solution.  

In the end, I made a big decision. I sold everything in the Netherlands and moved to Serbia. It’s a risk, of course, but success always requires some sacrifices.

Seven years later, I’m still here. We now have a team of about 30 people, the company is growing, and my family is here as well. Life in Serbia has been very good to me.

Q: How does the working culture compare between the Netherlands and Serbia?

Dennis: When I hire a young engineer in Serbia, they usually come with the attitude: “I want to learn. I want to grow. I want to become a great engineer.” They are willing to work hard and take the opportunity seriously.

In Serbia, engineering is seen as a respected profession. Families are proud when someone becomes an engineer. That cultural respect for technical professions creates strong motivation among young people. And the fact that about 50% of our engineers at DIBS42 are women speaks volumes about that. Engineering here attracts talented people regardless of gender.

Of course, there are also strengths on the Dutch side. Even though they likely want to talk earlier about perks and benefits, Dutch engineers are often very direct and flexible. They quickly point out when something isn’t working and are used to experimenting with new approaches. That innovative mindset is very valuable.

In our company, we try to combine the best of both worlds. Dutch experience helps with flexibility, innovation, and understanding the local construction industry, while the Serbian team provides strong engineering execution and dedication.

Q: How does having roots in both the Netherlands and Serbia benefit your clients?

Dennis: Firstly, one advantage is scalability.

In the Netherlands, there is a huge shortage of engineers. When a project suddenly needs two or three extra people, most companies simply cannot provide that capacity. With our setup, we can scale our team much faster. Clients really appreciate that flexibility.

At the same time, my Dutch background helps create trust with clients. I understand the Dutch construction industry, its standards, and how projects are typically managed. When clients speak with me, they immediately feel that we understand their world.

Many senior engineers in the Netherlands appreciate having someone who can communicate with them directly in Dutch, that makes the collaboration easier.

But ultimately, clients care about two things: quality and reliability. Once we deliver good work consistently, the location of the team becomes much less important. Remote collaboration is also much more normal today than it was when we started. Seven years ago, working with a distributed team was still unusual. Now it’s standard practice.

Q: Where do you see DIBS42 in the coming years?

Dennis: Looking several years ahead is difficult in today’s landscape. Technology is evolving extremely fast, especially in digital construction and AI space. Today we work mostly on complex technical design and execution projects for large buildings. That will remain a core part of our work.

Our long-term ambition is to become what I call the “virtual builder of Europe.” That means producing the largest amount of digital construction output: BIM models, execution models, and digital twins across Europe.

At the same time, I see a growing demand for digital twins and as-built models for real estate portfolios. Many property owners want accurate digital information about their buildings, and BIM makes that possible.

In the coming years, I expect we will expand our work beyond the Netherlands into countries like Germany, the UK, and other parts of Western Europe.

Technology will also play a major role. Artificial intelligence is already improving productivity. I believe that within a few years, experienced engineers will be able to produce several times more work with the help of AI. The engineer will still be the expert behind the wheel: reviewing results, making decisions, and ensuring quality but the tools will make them much more productive.

What matters most is staying ahead of innovation so that clients continue to see us as the partner who can deliver faster, smarter, and with better quality.

Q: Looking back, what makes you most proud about building DIBS42 in Serbia?

Dennis: What makes me proud is the culture we created.

One time an engineer who had left the company came back and told me something interesting: after working elsewhere, he realized how special our company culture was.

One of my goals when building DIBS42 in Serbia was to bring some of the positive aspects of Dutch work culture: fair treatment, flexibility, good working conditions, and combine them with the strong engineering talent here.

We give people flexibility to work from home, fair holidays, and a supportive environment where engineers can grow. When I look around and see colleagues who have been with the company for five or six years and are still enthusiastic about their work, that makes me proud.

It means we succeeded in creating a place where engineers feel at home.

Conclusion

What started as a bold decision, moving from the Netherlands to Serbia to build a new company, has grown into a thriving international engineering team.

By combining Serbian engineering talent with Dutch industry knowledge, DIBS42 has built a model that allows it to scale, innovate, and deliver complex BIM projects across Europe.

For Dennis, the real success is not just the projects completed, but the culture built along the way: a company where engineers can grow, collaborate internationally, and help shape the future of digital construction.

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