Mark Lansiaux and Martin Verboom are the leaders of Work Package 4 (WP4) in the CirclesOfLife project, which aims to transform the shipbuilding industry by integrating environmental criteria from the design phase throughout the entire lifecycle of ships.
Two complementary backgrounds driving maritime innovation
Mark Lansiaux (on the right in the photo) comes from the automotive sector, where he held positions in engineering management and product development before joining Damen in 2015. His initial role was introducing automotive methodologies into the maritime industry, particularly to structure advanced product planning, virtual verification processes, and supply chain collaboration. Since 2019, he has been responsible for sustainability projects, bringing expertise in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and environmental optimization of ships.
On the other hand, Martin Verboom (on the left in the photo) has a background in industrial design and has worked at Damen for nine years, mainly on offshore vessels, fishing vessels, and patrolships. Before joining the Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) team, he contributed to both interior and exterior design. Today, he is involved in CirclesofLife, with a focus on circularity and material optimization.
WP4: demonstration and validation of the Ship Lifecycle Passport (SLP) and
Ship Circular Materials Passport (SCMP)
Within CirclesOfLife, Mark and Martin lead WP4, responsible for creating a blueprint the Ship Lifecycle Passport (SLP) by applying passport initiatives and standards to the maritime sector including ISO-59040 and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Digital Product Passport (DPP). The objectives are as follows:
- Bridging the information gap on the lifespan of ships and its components, and materials.
- Enabling better sustainable decision making relating to ship development and maintenance
- Enhancing the circularity during the different stages of a ship’s life cycle, including design-, build, operation-, and dismantling-phase.
Considering the objectives, the aim of the passport is to incorporate the following elements:
- A ship consists of various components (e.g., engines, thrusters). The SLP is a collection of passports for these components, known as the Ship Circular Materials Passport (SCMP). Both for the SLP and SCMP, the specifications are defined within CirclesOfLife.
- Next, a description of the building process will be added, explaining how components are integrated. This supports better maintenance and dismantling decisions for circularity.
- Another key element of the passport is the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the ship which takes into accounts the LCA’s of the individual components and the lifespan of the ship.
- Finally, the passport will include an assessment of circularity potential, covering recyclability and detachability.
A strategic vision for the future of the shipbuilding industry
Assessing a ship’s environmental footprint is based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, which considers all key phases:
- Construction and material selection
- Operation and maintenance
- Repair, conversion, and dismantling
This methodology is essential for complying with new European regulatory requirements and ensuring that ships built today are prepared for future environmental challenges.
Mark emphasizes the importance of increased transparency, particularly for banks and insurance companies, which increasingly demand environmental performance guarantees for maritime projects. Martin, meanwhile, highlights the need to involve the entire supply chain and work collectively to make sustainable and circular practices the new industry standard.
Building a more sustainable maritime future
Through their work in CirclesOfLife, Mark Lansiaux and Martin Verboom are helping to optimise the shipbuilding industry, providing practical solutions to reduce ships’ environmental footprint. Their commitment to a data-driven, circular, and innovative approach positions WP4 as a key pillar of the project, proving that the ecological transition in the maritime sector is not a constraint but a strategic opportunity.
