EcoNavis appoints Neil Logan as Executive Chair
Ship technology pioneer EcoNavis Solutions has appointed Neil Logan as Executive Chair, formalising a more hands-on leadership role as the company prepares to scale up operations and expand across global maritime markets.
Logan, a seasoned executive leader, has been involved with EcoNavis since the company’s formal University spinout in August 2025. His initial advisory role has now transitioned into an executive position, reflecting both the company’s rapid progress and the increasing operational demands associated with scaling technologies internationally.
“The appointment marks a deliberate shift towards strengthening the company’s internal capabilities as we move beyond early-stage development and into a period of sustained commercial growth,” said EcoNavis Founder and CEO Dr Batuhan Aktas. “Neil’s appointment is a key milestone in the company’s development and helps ensure we can deliver our growth ambitions.”
With extensive experience in building and expanding technology-led businesses — including leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, the Data Lab, and later Incremental Group, a company he co-founded and took to a successful exit valued at £175 million — Logan will focus on developing EcoNavis’ operational and internal infrastructures. This includes developing the back-office systems and delivery capabilities in support of the company’s expanding orderbook and global customer base.
“As Executive Chair my role will be to ensure the business has the right behind-the-scenes ‘scaffolding’ in place,” said Logan. “In any rapidly growing company, it is the operational foundations, the back-office systems, that determine long-term success. Our focus is on putting these systems and structures in place so we can deliver at scale without detriment to reliability and customer trust.”
Logan emphasised that while the company’s design capabilities remain firmly in the UK, its focus is entirely global. The company has recently strengthened operations in Greece and is currently finalising agency agreements in Singapore and the Middle East.
Dr Aktas added: “We believe our products can change the way the industry operates. By integrating advanced naval architecture with practical maritime application, we are providing clients with transformational tools that improve overall vessel performance and lower operational costs. Neil’s involvement ensures that the professionalism and strength in our background matches our world-class engineering.”
The appointment comes at a pivotal time for EcoNavis’s groundbreaking propulsion performance-improving technologies as the maritime industry looks to meet increased environmental legislation, while reducing economic pressures from recent fuel cost hikes.
The company’s flagship product, the Eco Boss Cap propeller hub, is proven to reduce fuel consumption by more than 3%.
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Kaizen returns to EcoNavis for second Eco Boss Cap retrofit after fuel savings verified
Home › News › Kaizen returns to EcoNavis for second Eco Boss Cap retrofit …
EcoNavis Solutions has completed retrofit installation of its Eco Boss Cap to a second vessel operated by Thailand-based Kaizen Ship Management. The successful installation marks the first repeat order for the energy-saving propeller technology since market introduction last year.
The latest retrofit, carried out on the 32,491 dwt bulk carrier YC Fortitude, follows the July 2025 installation on the 31,807 dwt general cargo ship SYFC Araya. After six months of operation the ship manager reported fuel savings in the 2.2% to 2.5% range.
The decision to install the novel propeller hub to a second vessel was based on measured performance improvements observed in service, alongside internal verification across different loading and operational profiles.
Operator endorsement
Kaizen Ship Management Managing Director Mr Kishen Dev Singh, who oversaw both installations, said the results provided sufficient evidence to proceed with further retrofits.
“SYFC Araya demonstrated consistent fuel savings. Based on what we have observed from the first installation, we were confident in proceeding with a second vessel and are evaluating further applications across the fleet.”
Both installations were completed during drydock at a Chinese yard, following successful factory acceptance testing. Eco Boss Cap casting and machining was carried out by EcoNavis’ partner Zhenjiang Supersoar Marine Propulsion, with the project taking three months to complete from order confirmation to installation.
Vessel-specific design
The Eco Boss Cap is designed to mitigate propeller hub vortex cavitation, a known source of propulsion and energy efficiency loss, through a patented configuration of internal chambers and flow passages that modify pressure distribution at the propeller hub.
Unlike conventional fin-based devices, each Eco Boss Cap is bespoke, designed for the individual vessel to which it will be installed using parametric modelling and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) optimisation. While the overall external geometry remains broadly consistent, flow characteristics are refined to maximise efficiency gains for each vessel’s specific profile.
For YC Fortitude’s 5,260 mm diameter four-blade fixed-pitch propeller, EcoNavis undertook a vessel-specific optimisation process to account for differences in propeller loading patterns and operating conditions compared with the first installation.
Technology validation
Dr Batuhan Aktas, Founder and CEO of EcoNavis Solutions, said the repeat order demonstrates both the reliability of the underlying hydrodynamic principles and the importance of vessel-specific optimisation.
“What is particularly significant is that the customer has observed measurable improvements within a relatively short operational period,” he said. “Detecting efficiency gains at this level typically requires extensive long-term data, so the fact that Kaizen has been able to verify performance and proceed with a second installation within months is a strong indicator of the technology’s effectiveness.”
Dr Aktas said that Kaizen Ship Management’s focus on acquiring and upgrading older vessels through targeted efficiency improvements provides a suitable platform for retrofit technologies such as the Eco Boss Cap. The company has indicated that it is considering further installations, with up to three additional vessels under evaluation as part of its ongoing fleet enhancement programme.
EcoNavis estimates that the Eco Boss Cap can deliver up to a 5% improvement in propeller efficiency depending on vessel type and operating conditions, with typical fuel savings in the 2% to 4% range and a return on investment achievable within a relatively short period.
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EcoNavis and Franman partner to bring Eco Boss Cap technology to Greek shipping market
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EcoNavis Solutions has signed an agency agreement with Greece-based company Franman to distribute its Eco Boss Cap technology in Greece, Cyprus and to Greek interests worldwide. The agreement opens one of the world’s largest commercial shipping fleets to the energy-saving device.
The deal was signed after discussions at the Hellenic Institute of Marine Technology, where EcoNavis presented research on the Eco Boss Cap’s performance gains and emissions reductions.
Retrofitted to a vessel’s propeller hub, the Eco Boss Cap improves propulsion efficiency by reducing hub vortex cavitation and optimising water flow. By delivering measurable reductions in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions of between 3% and 5%, the technology supports the global shipping industry’s transition towards more sustainable operations.
Dr Batuhan Aktas, Managing Director of EcoNavis Solutions, said: “From our first discussions, it was clear that Franman shares our commitment to environmental sustainability. With its network and deep understanding of the Greek maritime sector, the company is the ideal partner to introduce the Eco Boss Cap to the region’s shipowners. Together, we can help shipowners take meaningful steps toward meeting global environmental standards.”
Founded in 1991, Franman has established itself as one of Greece’s leading agents of shipbuilding equipment, parts and services, representing more than 200 international manufacturers. As a one-stop-shop partner, the company has equipped over 5,500 ships and today connects more than 700 shipping companies with trusted suppliers and solutions worldwide.
Franman CEO Costis Frangoulis said: “Since our formation, we have supplied our clients with equipment that is proven to deliver results. The Eco Boss Cap offers a straightforward and effective way for shipowners to improve fuel efficiency, cut emissions and save on operational costs. Our partnership with EcoNavis is an opportunity to contribute to a more efficient and sustainable shipping industry while reinforcing Franman’s role as a trusted bridge between innovation and the Greek fleet.”
The agreement also allows for potential expansion into other European markets through Franman’s wider client base.
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EcoNavis secures first commercial contract for Eco Boss Cap
Home › News › EcoNavis secures first commercial contract for Eco Boss Cap
EcoNavis Solutions has secured its first commercial contract for the novel Eco Boss Cap, a proprietary energy-saving propeller hub cap introduced to the market last year.
The fuel-saving, emissions-reducing hub will be retrofitted to a general cargo carrier operated by a Thailand-based ship manager. EcoNavis has received two purchase orders from the company, which is evaluating further installations across five more vessels.
Retrofit work to the 177 m long vessel’s 5 m diameter propeller is scheduled for mid-August at a Chinese shipyard, close to Shanghai. EcoNavis engineers will supervise the installation and early operation of the device, with sea trials expected shortly after the retrofit.
First full-scale deployment
When commissioned, the installation will mark the first full-scale deployment of the Eco Boss Cap, a conically shaped propeller hub featuring a patented arrangement of internal chambers and holes designed to reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and propeller-induced hub vortex cavitation.
Developed following extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and validation in one of Europe’s leading cavitation tunnel test facilities and towing tank tests, the Eco Boss Cap has demonstrated efficiency gains of up to 5% across all speed ranges.
Dr Batuhan Aktas, Founder and CEO of EcoNavis Solutions, and lead inventor of the technology, said the contract validates years of research, modelling and hydrodynamic testing.
“This is a significant milestone for EcoNavis as a serious technology partner to the global shipping industry. The ship operators’ interest came directly in response to our earlier work, which speaks volumes about both the industry need and the credibility of the energy efficiency results we’ve achieved,” he said.
Simple, effective design
Unlike traditional boss cap designs, which use fin appendages to redirect flow and can introduce turbulence, the Eco Boss Cap utilises an internal chamber and a series of precisely angled holes to manage water flow through pressure differential. This configuration eliminates the cavitation responsible for rudder erosion, underwater noise, and thrust losses, and avoids the torque penalties associated with fin-type designs.
With no blades, no fins, no rotating appendages, the Eco Boss Cap is easier to manufacture and install than most other energy-saving propeller hub caps currently on the market. Cast as a single piece and free of complex geometries, it can be installed during a standard drydock in under six hours.
“This cost-effective production means a lower upfront investment, with a payback time of less than a year for a 180 m handy-size bulk carrier burning about 25 tonnes of fuel per day,” said Aktas.
“This is not just a product launch. It’s the start of a new phase in ship efficiency,” said naval architect and EcoNavis Chief Operating Officer Amitavo Wye. “Eco Boss Cap is tailor-made for each vessel to deliver greater fuel savings over a wider operating envelope. Shipowners don’t want a generic solution; they want performance that works for their ships’ actual operating conditions.”
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