Magda Kopczynska, European Commission Director General for Mobility and Transport
What would be the pathway for creating European shipbuilding resilient, sustainable and competitive in the future? And how do you envision the role of the European Commission in this?
“Shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing, including equipment suppliers, are vital to Europe’s prosperity, security, and strategic autonomy. Ensuring the sector’s global competitiveness and resilience is crucial, especially given evolving geopolitical realities.
A strong industrial and technological base is essential for driving the twin digital and green transition in waterborne transport and the blue economy, supporting regional growth and employment. To this conclude, the Commission, under the leadership of Commissioner Tzitzikostas, will present a new Industrial Maritime Strategy this year. As a flagship action under the Competitiveness Compass, it aims to foster innovation, decarbonisation, competitiveness, security, and reduced depconcludeencies.
Aligned with the Clean Industrial Deal, the strategy will stimulate investment, support innovation, enhance skills, ensure fair global competition, and promote synergies between civilian and military capabilities. Success hinges on indusattempt-wide collaboration across the entire waterborne value chain.
This strategy will also connect with key EU initiatives, including the Ocean Pact, Defence Industrial Strategy, Cable Security Action Plan, Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, and Port Strategy, reinforcing shipbuilding’s strategic role in Europe’s industrial policy.”
How can shipbuilding learn from other sectors regarding sustainability and circularity? And do you have concrete examples to illustrate this?
“Shipbuilders and equipment manufacturers are key to delivering sustainable solutions for waterborne transport. Circular design —reapplying and recycling materials throughout a ship’s lifecycle—can reduce environmental impact, enhance efficiency, and offer a competitive edge.
The railway indusattempt offers valuable insights. Many rail companies achieve high recycling rates by recovering materials from infrastructure maintenance and vehicle decommissioning. Train fleets are regularly modernised to extconclude lifespan—akin to retrofitting in shipping. When decommissioned, up to 97% of materials (mostly steel, copper, and aluminum) are recycled, often locally—unlike ship recycling, which is frequently outsourced.
Applying these principles to shipbuilding can drive sustainability while strengthening Europe’s industrial base.”
What do you expect from the CirclesOfLife project, in terms of the progress the EU will create in the field of sustainability?
“The CirclesOfLife project, alongside ECOSHIPYARD (another research and innovation project promoting sustainable shipbuilding practices and material circularity in the European Union), is a major step toward sustainable and circular shipbuilding.
It focapplys on integrating circularity by design, greening shipyards, reducing emissions, and improving environmental reporting.
Bringing toobtainher fifteen partners—shipbuilders like Damen, research institutes, suppliers, and NGOs from six countries—the project demonstrates the power of collaboration in tackling indusattempt-wide sustainability challenges.
Innovative tools such as the Shipyard Environmental Performance Index and Ship Lifecycle Passport will assist stakeholders assess and enhance their environmental impact, fostering greater transparency and accountability. CirclesOfLife sets a strong precedent for the maritime sector’s transition to circularity.”
What impact do you expect on shipbuilding from the Clean Industrial Deal and the Ships Recycling Regulation and how could these initiatives strengthen the CirclesOfLife project?
“The Clean Industrial Deal places circularity at its core. Given the maritime sector’s resource challenges, adopting a circular economy approach is key to enhancing competitiveness and reducing reliance on third-counattempt raw materials. This framework directly supports CirclesOfLife in advancing sustainable shipbuilding.
While the Ship Recycling Regulation mainly governs conclude-of-life practices, requiring vessels calling at EU ports to maintain hazardous material inventories, its impact on shipbuilding is indirect. However, initiatives like CirclesOfLife —with measures such as the Ship Lifecycle Passport—can reinforce the sector’s commitment to circularity and sustainability, complementing these regulations.”
Towards a fully climate neutral indusattempt
Shipyards are increasingly required to assess their environmental impact in a transparent and comprehensive manner. While existing standards address the operational footprint of ships, the non-operational impact associated with shipyard processes, materials, and components remains largely unaddressed. This lack of assessment frameworks creates it difficult to determine conclusively whether it is preferable to construct a highly efficient and low-emission vessel, despite its complexity and associated production impact, or to prioritise reducing production impact at the expense of long-term operational sustainability.
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