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In this episode of Innovate and React, I met with Dr. Christina Linke, a co-founder of Clean Ocean Coatings, to discuss how innovative chemistry can solve the pressing issue of biofouling in the shipping industry. We explore the massive environmental and economic costs of marine organisms attaching to ship hulls, which increases drag and leads to an estimated $150 billion in annual damages. Christina shares her journey from being a food scientist to discovering a nanostructured material, ultimately leading her to launch the startup during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The conversation dives deep into the devastating effects of traditional self-polishing coatings, which intentionally wash off over time to leach toxic biocides and microplastics into the oceans. To solve this, Clean Ocean Coatings developed a completely biocide-free, solvent-free hard coating that creates a super smooth surface, allowing for easy cleaning and generating significant fuel savings. The episode concludes with a look at the conservative nature of the maritime industry, the flawed regulatory challenges surrounding the cleaning of ship hulls, and actionable advice for scientists looking to bring their research to market through university startup hubs.
- 00:00 – Introduction and the Cost of Biofouling
- 04:53 – Clean Ocean Coatings: A Biocide-Free Solution
- 09:15 – Discovering the Technology and Founding in Lockdown
- 25:13 – Market Challenges and the 5-Year Docking Cycle
- 34:08 – The Regulatory Hurdles of Hull Cleaning
- 46:29 – Startup Advice for Scientists and the Wonders of Biochemistry
More informations about Clean Ocean Coatings on their website: https://www.cleanoceancoatings.com/
or on their LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleanoceancoatings/
Here they shared their recent success with test patches on an ocean vessels to proof the durability of their coating: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7437819375941906432
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