From sailboat to heavy lift: Gijs Habets on his first steps in the offshore world

From Eindhoven to Ghent: a maritime common thread

Gijs grew up in the Netherlands and now lives in Ghent. Sailing is in his blood: “My father has a small sailing boat, and from a young age I went sailing with him. According to my mother, my very first word was even ‘boat’,” he laughs. “Sailing is still one of my biggest hobbies.”

After completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering, specialising in maritime technology at Eindhoven University of Technology, Gijs went on to obtain a master’s in industrial design in Kortrijk. His master’s thesis – once again on a maritime topic – was done at Damen Naval in the Netherlands. “That’s how I ended up in Belgium through my studies, and essentially also stayed in the maritime world.”

Via MULTI.engineering to Scaldis
In September 2024, Gijs graduated, and in early 2025 he started at Scaldis via MULTI.engineering. This Belgian offshore specialist is known for its heavy lift projects, both for decommissioning and for the installation of offshore platforms and structures.

“MULTI.engineering gives young engineers the opportunity to be directly involved in large, technically challenging projects in an international context. You are given the space to learn a lot, but also to take on responsibility quickly,” says Gijs.

Gulliver, topsides and jackets
His first assignment at Scaldis: project Thor, the installation of an electronic offshore station – essentially a gigantic transformer house – for a wind farm. “My role was mainly on the operational side: making sure people and equipment were in the right place at the right time, and that procedures were followed correctly. That meant a lot of coordination with subcontractors, making arrangements, checking whether plans were feasible, and supervising execution.”

The heavy lift vessel Gulliver played a leading role in the project. The offshore platform was installed in two parts: the topside and the jacket. Scaldis was contracted by the builder to place both sections at sea.

“The best moment? Seeing the gigantic steel structures you’ve worked on on paper finally being installed. Everything is enormous and impressive. As a lover of large-scale mechanics, that’s fantastic.”

Long days, steep learning curve
The project turned out to be more challenging than expected. “There are always details that come up that you didn’t consider beforehand. Fortunately, I could rely on the project managers at Scaldis for support. We were two project engineers working together to provide a 24/7 service. Including briefings and handovers, those were sometimes 14 to 15-hour days. But we learned an incredible amount.”

During the project, MULTI.engineering stayed in regular contact to check how the integration at Scaldis was going. “That gives you confidence, especially in your first job.”

New challenge at Scaldis: project Arkona
After the completion of Thor, Gijs moved on to Arkona, another Scaldis project. “It’s about the decommissioning of a mast in the Baltic Sea. The mast itself has already been removed, but the foundation is still on the seabed and that also needs to be taken out. Here too, I am responsible as project engineer for the operational part.”

The start at Scaldis was done together with a young colleague. “We began with an exercise: recalculating a previous project, under the guidance of a project manager. Then we each spent a week offshore to experience the reality firsthand. That introductory period was a real added value.”

Ambitions for the future
Although Gijs has only been active in the labour market for a short time, he is already looking ahead. “I want to continue developing my skills in managing people. In the long term, I would like to grow into a project manager role. Not immediately of course, but the ambition is certainly there. I’m sure the coming years will bring many exciting experiences and learning opportunities.”