Page 48: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2016)

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PLEASE PROVIDE A BRIEF PERSONAL/PRO- FOR OUR READERS NOT FAMILIAR WITH I- as an antifouling agent against barnacles. It is compat-

FESSIONAL BACKGROUND, WITH INSIGHT TECH, PLEASE PROVIDE THE “50,000 FT.” ible with the major antifouling coating systems and

ON HOW YOU’VE COME TO OCCUPY THE OVERVIEW OF YOUR COMPANY AND ITS OF- has earned regulatory approvals on all key markets for

CEO SEAT AT I-TECH. FERING TO THE MARITIME MARKET. ship repairs and new building. Incorporated in paints,

I have a Swedish and French MSc in Engineering and I-Tech is a bio-tech company relying on unique dis- Selektope delivers unrivalled performance towards ani- have spent some six years in the aerospace industry coveries within the combined domains of pharmacolo- mal fouling including enhanced static performance. It working for Volvo Aero (today GKN) with jet engine gy, marine-biology and chemistry. The result is a patent is ? exible enough to allow for many different combi- components within product development as well as pro- solution to a problem mankind has tried to solve in all nations with alternative substances and it is powerful duction and supply chain in general. Robust long term kind of ways since seaborne trade started, namely a ro- enough to fully replace cuprous oxide. Both types of business plans and rigid big corporate structures were bust and sustainable prevention of barnacle settlement formulations are on the market already. Taking full use in 2009 shifted to a start-up company in the fuel cell on marine structures and vessel hulls. Although sharp of Selektope, it signi? cantly reduces the biocidal load- industry (Powercell AB) with very few bits and pieces improvements have been made within the industry, the ings in paints reducing the emissions to sea. To ? nd in place for the thrill of exploring new territory. Among way I-Tech addresses the problem generates ways to re- suitable compounds to combat marine biofouling is a a lot of other duties, I practiced the customer develop- think the traditional concepts of antifoulings using high huge challenge, even more so to ? nd a compound with ment process which really caught my interest. This was enough loadings to create a lethal level (towards marine a suitable ef? cacy spectra as well as a regulatory and the basis also for joining I-Tech who was searching for organisms) of concentration at the surface. technical compatibility. This is why only three com- this kind of skills to take the next steps in commercial- I-Techs product Selektope does it differently. It uses pounds are available to the global industry and why izing the project. In addition, I had had no exposure not more material than what is absolutely necessary to Selektope is a breakthrough technology as it is the ? rst to the shipping or coating industry before and was ex- create a repellant mode of action and it is highly spe- ever relying on a repellant mode of action. ited to, besides the aviation and trucking industry, get ci? c minimizing potential effects on other organisms. a chance to learn this truly global industry. When the INTERESTING INDEED. HOW, SPECIFICALLY, owners decided to refocus from regulatory research fo- SELEKTOPE: DOES IT WORK?

cus to market and industrial focus I got the chance to SELF-DESCRIBED AS A ‘BREAKTHROUGH’ Selektope is designed to stimulate the octopamine assume the position as CEO in late 2013. Since then we IN MARINE ANTI-FOULING TECHNOLOGY. receptor of barnacles triggering a swimming behavior have been fortunate to develop the heritage into strong PLEASE BRIEFLY DESCRIBE WHAT EXACTLY forcing them to leave the surface. By having Selek- commercial growth and we now spend most of our time SELEKTOPE IS. tope available at the surface of a coating any barnacle around sales and supply chain matters. Selektope is an organic compound designed for use larvae will be unable to settle at that surface due to the kicking behavior. The effect is reversible and the larvae regains its normal properties. This pharma- cological mode of action is effective at nano-molar concentrations (meaning around 300 times lower than traditional technology).

TENMAT ADVANCED MARINE BEARINGS

AS IT IS AN INGREDIENT IN MARINE COAT-

Rudder Bearings

INGS, WE’RE ASSUMING THAT YOU ARE

WORKING DIRECT WITH COATINGS MANU-

FACTURERS TO HAVE THIS ELEMENT ADDED.

SPECIFICALLY UPDATE OUR READERS ON

WHERE THEY CAN FIND SELEKTOPE TODAY?

Selektope is offered to all coating manufacturers and several are well progressed in their development and ? nal veri? cation work. In the forefront is Chugoku

Marine Paints (CMP) who has three products on mar- ket (two regionally in Japan (Sea Premier Plus-series), one aiming for the Korean newbuilding market (Sea-

Stern Tube Bearings

FloNeo S Premium). There is also a beta-version of a

Propeller Shaft Bearings very promising antifouling product (Premium AF-S) from CMP for the global ocean going (dry docking and newbuilding) market being tested on full scale. We are facing very interesting years ahead of us although we hoped things would move a lot quicker in this industry.

HAVE YOU RUN INTO RESISTANCE? IF SO,

CAN YOU CLASSIFY THE REASONS A COM-

PANY MAY NOT WANT TO ADD SELEKTOPE

D D DIN STOCK FOR 24 HR DELIVERY 15 YEAR WARRANTY* APPROVED WORLDWIDE

TO THEIR PRODUCT …AND DISCUSS HOW

YOUR TEAM HAS WORKED TO OVERCOME

Environment Friendly Composite Bearings

THESE OBJECTIONS?

Work with All Lubrication Systems

A high priority for us is to work as close as possible

Easy to Machine, Fit, and Install with the various development teams to quickly un-

Direct from the Manufacturer derstand the eventual issues and support the efforts in overcoming these matters. They are different for each

TENMAT Inc. I T: 1-800-821-3436 I E: [email protected] customer but one example is the handling procedures in

ZZZTENMAT-MARINE-BEARINGS.com 48 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • AUGUST 2016

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