With a naval architecture and project management background, Jorinus Kalis is key in coordinating the CirclesOfLife project. His commitment to a more sustainable maritime industry is rooted in a pragmatic approach that combines technical innovation with structured practices. 

A career built on curiosity and commitment

Fascinated by the complexity of the maritime sector, Jorinus was drawn to naval architecture after exploring various disciplines. His interest in the field grew through exchanges with professionals and students who shared a common passion for the industry. After completing his studies in 2007, he joined Damen, where he gained experience through various R&D and technical consultancy roles. 

He worked on hydrodynamic performance projects early in his career, applying his academic knowledge to hull optimization. He quickly realized the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing and gradually integrated environmental considerations into his projects. 

In 2009, he contributed to developing the first hybrid harbor tug, a major innovation in reducing local emissions in urban areas. This project marked the beginning of a broader reflection on sustainability in the maritime industry, which today extends beyond local emissions to include the global impact of shipping and the need for a structured framework to support the ecological transition. 

His role in CirclesOfLife and WP6

Jorinus is responsible for Work Package 6 (WP6), which plays a cross-cutting and strategic role within CirclesOfLife. WP6 focuses on the project’s financial, administrative, and technical management while also ensuring coordination among partners and communication with the European Commission. 

His key responsibilities include: 

• Administrative and financial oversight, ensuring compliance with Horizon Europe program requirements. 

• Consortium management, ensuring that different Work Packages work together and that their progress remains aligned. 

• Reporting and communicating with the European Commission, providing precise analyses and regular updates on project progress. 

• Organizing stakeholder interactions, ensuring an inclusive and collaborative approach to the maritime transition. 

Structuring a sustainable and collaborative approach

Within WP6, Jorinus strongly emphasizes building an engaged stakeholder community. One of the project’s key challenges is effectively involving stakeholders, particularly shipyards, operators, and regulators, to ensure that the tools developed in Circles of Life, such as the Shipyard Environmental Performance Index (SEPI) and Ship Lifecycle Passport (SLP), are adapted to market needs and effectively implemented. 

He stresses the importance of creating shared value among project partners. For him, a consortium only functions well when all involved stakeholders see a clear benefit beyond contractual obligations. This approach enhances cooperation and maximizes the project’s impact on the maritime industry. 

Jorinus is also convinced that environmental data transparency and standardization are crucial to meeting new European regulatory requirements. CirclesOfLife provides practical tools to help the maritime industry structure and simplify environmental reporting, preventing these new obligations from becoming an insurmountable burden for businesses in the sector. 

A commitment to a sustainable and pragmatic transformation 

Beyond project management, Jorinus sees CirclesOfLife as a unique opportunity to structure the maritime sector’s environmental transition. His approach balances environmental ambition with economic realism, ensuring that shipyards and shipowners can adopt sustainable practices without compromising their competitiveness. 

With a vision based on collaboration, transparency, and innovation, he is helping make WP6 a true driver of coordination and structuring, ensuring that the project’s advancements benefit the entire maritime industry and pave the way for a sustainable and efficient transition.