Innovation drives every industry, including maritime manufacturing. CirclesOfLife, funded by Horizon Europe, is a European collaborative project running from 2024 to 2027. It aims to tackle critical challenges in contemporary shipbuilding, such as climate change and new regulations. The project focuses on emission reduction, circularity, and environmental impact monitoring. One key objective is to involve all parties in the maritime supply chain, including shipyards, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Rosanne van Houwelingen represents Branche organization Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT) in the program. She is responsible for communication and the development of training and workshops within the program. Rosanne also engages with maritime supply chain parties that could benefit from integrating CirclesOLife into their vision and operations.
Last weekend, a General Assembly organized by Green Marine Europe took place in Bordeaux. During the assembly, all project partners updated each other about ongoing project tasks and provided workshops. Rosanne was present. “It’s really exciting to come together with various parties in the maritime sector who share the same goal: making the sector more sustainable and circular,” she said. Together with her colleague, Karlijn van de Kamp, she led a workshop titled “What’s in it for the stakeholders?” where we discussed the exploitation and communication of CirclesOfLife.
Other workshops focused on developing methodologies within the project. Rosanne elaborates: “We are developing the Ship Lifecycle Passport (SLP), which should improve parties’ understanding of the materials and components used throughout a ship’s lifecycle. Additionally, the Shipyard Environmental Performance Index (SEPI) is being created within the program. This index will help monitor and evaluate the ecological footprint of shipyards and involved parties. It’s important that all maritime chain parties are involved throughout the entire lifecycle of a ship. Ultimately, the goal is for all parties in the chain to use the passport and the index to improve circularity and the ecological footprint.”
“Materials and components must be mapped out throughout the entire process from design to dismantling,” Rosanne adds. “This makes recycling much easier and brings circular construction closer.”
Do you want to know more about CirclesOfLife? You can contact Rosanne van Houwelingen by email at . More information can also be found on the website: https://www.circles-of-live.eu
