Episode 124: Connecting Ships with Local Experts: Manos Koukouvios, COO, Vsltec
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
Release Date: 11/25/2025
Episode 142: Matthew Costello, Voyager: Pivoting, AI and Building Maritime Tech That Actually Works
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
, Voyager Portal: Pivoting, AI and Building Maritime Tech That Actually Works What happens when the original idea isn't the one that ultimately builds the business? Matthew Costello, Founder and CEO of , joins r to talk candidly about building a maritime technology company, the pivots that shaped Voyager, and why listening to customers sometimes means admitting you got it wrong. Matthew and Chris discuss Voyager's move deeper into demurrage, rebuilding a product when the first approach didn't work, the growing role of AI, and why he believes this may be one of the best times yet to build...
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The Last Dinosaur Vault | Archive No. 3 | Kenji Togasaki, IINO Lines | Investing in Maritime Innovation
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
What does innovation look like from inside a traditional shipping company? This week, we're heading back into the Vault for my conversation with Kenji Togasaki, Senior Vice President at IINO Lines. Kenji brings a unique perspective. He spent years in chemical tanker chartering and corporate planning before moving into innovation. Today, IINO Lines is not only adopting new technology, but investing in the maritime innovation ecosystem through venture funds including TMV, The Dock and Motion Ventures. We talk about why IINO took that approach, the challenge of bringing new technology into an...
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The Last Dinosaur Vault | Archive No. 2 | Osher Perry, ShipIn Systems | AI, Safety and the Future of Shipboard Operations
The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In The Digital Age
FROM THE VAULT #2: OSHER PERRY ON MARITIME AI, SHIP SAFETY & DIGITAL SHIPPING How are AI and visual analytics changing ship safety and maritime operations? Originally released in January 2023, this conversation with , founder and CEO of , explored maritime AI before it became quite the industry buzzword it is today. We talk about using AI and visual analytics to give seafarers better tools, improve shipboard safety, connect ship and shore, and make vessel operations more efficient. We also get into crew acceptance of new technology, maritime tech investment, and why AI only matters if it...
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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...
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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...
info_outlineConnecting Ships with Local Experts
Guest: Manos Koukouvios, COO, Vsltec
Episode Overview:
Former seafarer and now COO of Vsltec, Manos Koukouvios shares how a real off-hire HVAC failure in West Africa sparked the idea for a vetted, location-based network of technical service providers. We talk about building a two-sided marketplace in shipping, managing expectations in a “WhatsApp world,” and what founders should really focus on when starting in maritime tech.
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Key Points
- From sea to startup: Manos’ journey from LNG and cruise ships to Flagship Founders and into VesselTech.
- The HVAC case that sparked Vsltec: How one bad technical job turned into months of off-hire and a clear problem to solve.
- Vetted, local networks: Why Vsltec insists on truly local service providers and how that de-clutters the “we do everything, everywhere” noise.
- Change management & expectations: Selling into overloaded technical/purchasing teams whose expectations are shaped by free, consumer-grade apps.
- Advice for founders: Obsess over the problem first, talk to people, and only build when you know it’s real, big, and worth paying for.
Learn More:
For another deep-dive on maritime innovation, check out Episode 78: Navigating Maritime Innovation with Fabian Feldhaus
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Stay curious, stay salty. 🦕🌊