The Last Dinosaur - Maritime Shipping In the Digital Age

Matthew Costello, 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 Voyager Portal, joins The Last Dinosaur 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 a maritime technology company. In this episode: 02:21 Matthew's path from Stolt Tankers to founding Voyager 06:09 Finding the original opportunity in maritime technology 12:46 Why Voyager pivoted deeper into demurrage 17:31 The customer feedback that led to a product rebuild 20:48 Balancing customer requests with innovation 26:47 AI, data architecture and rising customer expectations 32:25 The changing maritime investment landscape 35:35 Why the next wave of maritime startups may look very different 36:22 What Matthew is reading This episode of The Last Dinosaur is sponsored by Digital Ship. Digital Ship Summit Athens takes place on 15 October, bringing together maritime technology leaders, shipowners, operators and innovators for practical conversations around AI, cybersecurity, connectivity and digital transformation. Stay salty. Stay curious. Chris  Learn More: Tune in Now: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more! Watch the episode on YouTube. Music by: Peg and The Rejected "King of SKA" Art Work By: GA Design Produced by: Chris Aversano Support Our Podcast: 💬 Like what you hear? Please rate the show 5 stars, follow, and share with your network. ☕ Support the show: Buy Me a Coffee — your support helps keep us going strong.  

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 established shipping company, and where Kenji sees some of the biggest opportunities ahead. In this episode: 02:19 Kenji's journey from chemical tanker chartering to innovation 06:33 Why IINO began focusing on maritime technology 08:27 Investing in the maritime startup ecosystem 10:22 Decarbonization, autonomous shipping and digitalization 18:32 Getting a traditional organization to embrace new technology 24:01 Why collaboration matters in maritime innovation 27:24 Why shipping needs more hardware startups 30:21 Learning from innovation across the shipping industry 32:35 What Kenji is reading and watching Originally released July 2025. From the Vault revisits conversations from The Last Dinosaur archive that still have something important to say about where maritime is heading. Stay salty. Stay curious. Learn More: Tune in Now: Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more! Watch the episode on YouTube. Music by: Peg and The Rejected "King of SKA" Art Work By: GA Design Produced by: Chris Aversano Support Our Podcast: 💬 Like what you hear? Please rate the show 5 stars, follow, and share with your network. ☕ Support the show: Buy Me a Coffee — your support helps keep us going strong.    

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 Osher Perry, founder and CEO of ShipIn Systems, 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 solves a real operational problem. Fast forward to 2026, and ShipIn has just raised $52 million to expand its AI platform. That makes this a pretty good time to pull this conversation from the vault. Tune In Now: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube Follow, rate, review and share The Last Dinosaur. Stay salty. Stay curious.

Bill Dobie – SEDNA 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 decisions. Listening back today, it's remarkable how relevant these ideas remain. In this episode Why communication is at the heart of digital transformation Building better workflows across maritime organizations Collaboration, information flow, and operational efficiency Why good technology starts with solving real business problems Tune In Now Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. Music Peg and The Rejected – King of SKA Artwork GA Design Produced by Chris Aversano Support The Last Dinosaur If you've enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with a colleague. Your support helps more people discover these conversations. Interested in sponsoring The Last Dinosaur? Reach out to our friends at Digital Ship to learn more about advertising opportunities. Stay salty. Stay curious. Chris

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 Emma Collier, Founder of Further Ventures, to explore the future of AI in shipping, digital transformation, leadership, and innovation. Together they discuss why successful AI adoption depends less on technology and more on change management, accountability, and developing the people who will lead the industry's next chapter. Why this conversation matters Fresh from the inaugural Further Ventures symposium held ahead of Posidonia 2026, Emma shares the ideas that challenged conventional thinking—from treating AI as a strategic hire rather than another software tool to preparing maritime professionals for a future where continuous learning, human judgment, and domain expertise become competitive advantages. Whether you're a shipowner, operator, technology provider, investor, or simply interested in where maritime is heading, this conversation offers practical insight into one of the industry's most important transitions. AI finally makes the one-on-one tutor accessible and affordable, so we could increasingly start to change manage ourselves as an industry. This should apply both onshore and for seafarers, though their current circumstances rarely allow the time or headspace for it. How this could shift is something our rooms will include. In this episode Emma's unconventional journey into maritime Why Further Ventures was created Lessons from the first AI symposium ahead of Posidonia Why AI should be treated like a strategic hire—not just another tool The accountability challenge surrounding AI Why many AI initiatives struggle to gain traction Change management in the age of artificial intelligence The future skills maritime leaders will need Continuous learning as a competitive advantage Where Further Ventures—and maritime innovation—goes next Episode Timeline 02:25 – Emma's journey into maritime and Greece 05:15 – Why she founded Further Ventures 08:05 – Inside the first Further Ventures symposium 11:30 – Why AI should be treated like a strategic hire 14:50 – Change management and the human element 19:05 – Continuous learning and AI-enabled education 21:45 – The future skills maritime leaders will need 26:30 – Where Further Ventures goes next 30:25 – Emma's recommended reading Sponsor Today's episode is sponsored by Digital Ship. Maritime's digital transformation is accelerating, but turning strategy into execution remains one of the industry's biggest challenges. On 15 October in Athens, Digital Ship's Maritime IT Summit will bring together senior leaders in IT, digitalization, and vessel operations to discuss scaling AI, strengthening cyber resilience, and modernizing data and IT infrastructure. If you're looking for practical insights, real-world case studies, and candid discussions with the people driving change across shipping, this is an event you won't want to miss. Secure your delegate pass today at thedigitalship.com/summit. 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 Chris Aversano Support The Podcast If you've found value in this episode, please rate the podcast, leave a review, follow the show, and share it with a colleague. Interested in sponsoring The Last Dinosaur? Reach out to our friends at Digital Ship to learn more about advertising opportunities. If you'd like to support the podcast directly, you can also Buy Me a Coffee. Stay salty. Stay curious.