In this episode of Aronnax, host Craig Eason is in France (albeit remotely) to talk to two people working in the field of wind-powered systems to see what can make shipping a more attractive industry for today’s young professional. Is shipping sexy enough for the millennials that are today’s university graduates and tomorrow’s game changers.
He asks a naval architect and project manager, SImon Watin about switching from the glittery world of high octane ocean racing yachts and luxury cruisers to the more industrial commercial world. Simon works at VPLP and is working on the new ro-ro vessel being built to carry Arianes’s space rockets to French Guiana. The vessel is being built with four giant wing-sails that Simon and his colleagues have developed from the racing world.
Then we hear from Vincent Bernatets, founder of AirSeas, a company that is putting a huge kite system onto an Airbus ro-ro ship that will take Airbuses airplane parts around Europe. These two French companies with their different wind assist technologies represent the cutting edge of change in the shipping industry.
Finally, Nick Chubb from Thetius offers an update of the technology and transformation developments in shipping
