Episode 140: Maritime Digitalization: What We Still Haven't Learned
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Release Date: 07/07/2026
The Last Dinosaur Vault | Archive No. 1 | Bill Dobie – SEDNA
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
– The Last Dinosaur Vault | Archive #1 Originally Released: May 2023 Welcome to the first edition of The Last Dinosaur Vault, a special summer series revisiting conversations that have stood the test of time. Originally recorded in May 2023, this conversation with Bill Dobie, Founder and CEO of SEDNA, explored one of shipping's biggest challenges: getting the right information to the right people at the right time. Long before AI dominated industry conversations, Bill shared his perspective on communication, collaboration, and building digital workflows that enable better operational...
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Episode 141 | Beyond the AI Hype: Emma Collier on AI, Leadership & Maritime's Next Transformation
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Episode 141 | Beyond the AI Hype: Emma Collier on AI, Leadership & Maritime's Next Transformation Topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Maritime Innovation, Digital Transformation, Shipping Technology, Leadership, Change Management, Posidonia 2026, Further Ventures, Maritime Strategy Artificial intelligence is dominating the conversation across maritime, but how do we move beyond pilots, hype, and headlines to create lasting change? In this episode, Chris sits down with Founder of to explore the future of AI in shipping, digital transformation, leadership, and innovation. Together they...
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Episode 140: Maritime Digitalization: What We Still Haven't Learned
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Episode 140: Maritime Digitalization: What We Still Haven't Learned For more than four decades, has helped shape maritime technology, from his early days in the Italian Navy and NATO to leadership roles at SpecTec, ShipNet, and In this episode, he shares hard-earned lessons on digitalization, data quality, AI, and why shipping's greatest challenge has never been technology—it's been changing the way people work. In This Episode ✅ Giampiero's journey from the Italian Navy to maritime software pioneer ✅ Why shipping continues to struggle with change management ✅ Lessons from the...
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Episode 139: From Data Collection to Decision Making with Christian Treu
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Episode 139: From Data Collection to Decision Making with Digital transformation in shipping has moved beyond simply collecting data. The challenge now is turning that information into trusted, actionable intelligence that improves performance, efficiency, and decision-making. In this episode of The Last Dinosaur, Chris Aversano sits down with Christian Treu of Danelec, a company, to discuss the evolution of maritime technology, the growing sophistication of AI conversations, and why execution remains more important than strategy. Christian shares insights from his journey through...
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Episode 138: Weather, Risk & Maritime Decision Making with Amy Buhl of Weathernews
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Episode 138: Weather, Risk & Maritime Decision Making with Amy Buhl of Weathernews Guest: l, Service Operations Leader at Episode Overview Weather impacts every voyage, every day, yet it often operates quietly in the background of maritime decision-making. In this episode of The Last Dinosaur, Chris sits down with Amy Buhl, Service Operations Leader at Weathernews, to discuss how weather intelligence, vessel operations, connectivity, vessel performance, and voyage optimization are becoming increasingly interconnected. Drawing on more than two decades of experience, Amy explains how voyage...
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Episode 137: Fuel, Data, and Real Margins – Building a Modern Bunkering Business with Daniel Rose of Shipergy
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Episode 137: Fuel, Data, and Real Margins – Building a Modern Bunkering Business with Daniel Rose of Shipergy Guest: , Co-Founder, Episode Overview: What does it take to build a modern trading business in one of shipping’s oldest markets? In Episode 137, Daniel Rose shares how he co-founded Shipergy and scaled it from zero to over $200M in revenue, all while building data-driven tools that challenge how fuel is bought and valued. From early-stage chaos to AI-enabled operations, this is a grounded look at where technology really works and where it doesn’t. Key Moments 00:10...
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Episode 136: Translating Maritime Innovation – From Shipyards to Startups with Caitlin Hardy
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Episode 136: Translating Maritime Innovation – From Shipyards to Startups with Caitlin Hardy Guest: , Founder & Managing Director, Episode Overview: Caitlin Hardy joins The Last Dinosaur to break down what it really takes to bring technology into maritime, from shipbuilding and subsea systems to startups trying to find product-market fit. Drawing on her experience across naval architecture, Kongsberg, and now Ness Sea, Caitlin offers a clear-eyed view of why adoption is hard, who drives innovation, and why the industry still struggles to tell its story. This conversation touches on...
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Episode 135: Beyond Compliance – The Reality of Seafarer Wellbeing with Meei Wong
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Episode Overview: A conversation that challenges how the industry defines “wellbeing.” Founder and CEO of , breaks down why compliance-driven metrics miss the real picture onboard—and why trust, culture, and incentives are the real barriers to improving life at sea. Timestamps: 00:05 – Introduction and Meei’s journey into seafarer welfare 02:23 – A broken system: industry value vs reliance on charities 05:20 – What wellbeing actually looks like onboard vs compliance metrics 10:36 – Why self-reported data misses the reality 13:08 – Health gaps, underreporting, and life...
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Episode 134: Why Maritime Still Isn’t Connected – And What It Will Take to Fix It
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Guest: , Principal Engineer at Chair, Episode Overview: Maritime has no shortage of digital tools. What it lacks is connection. In this episode, speaks with Tim Morris about why shipping still operates in silos while other transport sectors have evolved into fully connected systems. They explore what intelligent transport systems (ITS) really mean in a maritime context, where the industry is falling short, and how better coordination across ports, vessels, and landside logistics could unlock efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. Key Moments 00:05 – Introduction Chris sets the...
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Episode 133: The Human Side of Shipping: Seafarer Welfare in a Connected World
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Episode 133: The Human Side of Shipping: Seafarer Welfare in a Connected World Episode Overview Recorded live at , this roundtable pulls back the curtain on seafarers’ welfare in modern shipping. Chris sits down with , , and to explore how digital transformation is reshaping life for crews when ships come into port. From Starlink and onboard connectivity to WhatsApp communication, e-commerce logistics, and social media visibility, this conversation highlights how seafarer welfare has evolved into a critical part of the maritime ecosystem. It also brings into focus a more immediate reality....
info_outlineEpisode 140: Maritime Digitalization: What We Still Haven't Learned
For more than four decades, Giampiero Soncini has helped shape maritime technology, from his early days in the Italian Navy and NATO to leadership roles at SpecTec, ShipNet, and Oceanly.
In this episode, he shares hard-earned lessons on digitalization, data quality, AI, and why shipping's greatest challenge has never been technology—it's been changing the way people work.
In This Episode
✅ Giampiero's journey from the Italian Navy to maritime software pioneer
✅ Why shipping continues to struggle with change management
✅ Lessons from the early days of maritime software
✅ The importance of data quality and sensor reliability
✅ What shipping has gotten right about digitalization
✅ AI, hype cycles, and practical applications
✅ Why technology should support expertise—not replace it
✅ The future of maritime operations and decision-making
Notable Quotes
"Technology has changed. The mentality has been the roadblock."
"Shipping moves at the speed of ships."
"IT doesn't replace experience. It supports experience."
"Our job is not a real job. It's a disease. Once you get it, you can never get rid of it."
Timestamps
00:50 – Welcome and introduction
01:50 – From the Italian Navy to NATO
06:00 – Entering commercial shipping
07:50 – Why shipping still resists change
11:50 – Technology should support people
15:50 – Data quality and sensor reliability
21:50 – What shipping has gotten right
24:50 – Blockchain, AI, and separating hype from reality
27:50 – Practical uses of AI today
34:20 – Advice for the next generation
35:50 – Why shipping becomes a lifelong passion
36:50 – Books, history, and building a personal library
39:50 – Closing thoughts
Tune In Now
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Music by:
Peg and The Rejected – King of SKA
Artwork by:
GA Design
Produced by:
This episode is sponsored by KVH. As vessels become increasingly connected, the ability to prioritize, secure, and optimize onboard data has become just as important as the connection itself. Here's how KVH is helping operators turn connectivity into a competitive advantage.
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