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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EcoNavis receives U.S. Federal Grant by NFWF to study on integrated propulsion optimisation
Eco Boss Cap technology and cavitation comparison
EcoNavis Solutions has been selected by a U.S. Federal Government agency to lead a federally backed project aimed at demonstrating how integrated hydrodynamic optimisation can reduce fuel consumption and underwater radiated noise in offshore vessels and workboats operating in the Gulf of Mexico.
The award, valued at US$500,000, will support a full-scale retrofit and validation programme on a designated workboat, with the objective of establishing a repeatable framework for improving propulsion efficiency while addressing increasing scrutiny around underwater radiated noise.
Integrated approach to vessel performance
Rather than assessing individual technologies in isolation, the project will evaluate the combined impact of multiple energy-saving devices applied as an integrated system. The approach reflects a broader shift within the industry towards whole-vessel performance, particularly as operators face more stringent emissions and environmental rules along with rising fuel costs.
Dr Batuhan Aktas, Founder and CEO of EcoNavis Solutions, said the programme is designed to move beyond theoretical gains and deliver measurable operational results.
“This project allows us to validate, at full scale, how an integrated set of hydrodynamic technologies can improve propulsion efficiency and reduce underwater noise in real operating conditions,” he said. “The focus is not on a single device, but on how the entire propulsion train can be optimised and verified through data.”
Technical scope
The technical scope centres on the integration of a new flow-aligned twisted rudder, dubbed EcoVane; EcoNavis’ proprietary propeller hub Eco Boss Cap; and pressure-relieving modifications to the propeller blades. Each element targets a different source of hydrodynamic loss, from wake misalignment and drag at the rudder to vortex formation and cavitation at the propeller hub and blades.
“By addressing these effects collectively, the project is expected to deliver efficiency improvements of around five per cent, alongside a reduction in underwater radiated noise of more than three decibels,” said Dr Aktas.
The figures will be validated through controlled before-and-after sea trials, including direct measurement of shaft power and acoustic output.
Methodology and standards
The work will begin with computational modelling to establish a performance baseline for the selected vessel, followed by iterative design optimisation using vessel-specific flow analysis. Manufacturing, installation and full-scale trials will then be carried out, with all performance data collected and verified using recognised international standards, including ISO 15016 for fuel efficiency and ISO 17208-1 for underwater noise measurement.
EcoNavis will lead the hydrodynamic design and simulation work, supported by a consortium of propulsion specialists that include King Propulsion, CJR Propulsion and Oscar Propulsion.
Duncan Troy, the CEO of project partner Oscar Propulsion, the company behind the novel PressurePores technology where holes on the propeller blades mitigate cavitation noise, said: “The Gulf of Mexico has been identified as a key operating environment for the programme, given the high concentration of offshore support, harbour and crew transfer vessels, as well as increasing regulatory focus on both emissions and acoustic impact on marine ecosystems.
“The industry is under pressure from both fuel costs and regulation. What owners need are solutions that are not only technically effective, but commercially realistic. This project is about proving both.”
The project will also draw on established class approval and manufacturing processes to ensure that the solutions are scalable and suitable for wider fleet adoption. Beyond the demonstration vessel, the programme aims to generate a validated dataset that can support wider deployment across similar vessel classes.
EcoNavis said further updates, including details of the selected vessel and trial results, will be released as the project progresses.
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EcoNavis optimises wind-assisted propulsion with new Flettner rotor technology
Home › News › EcoNavis optimises wind-assisted propulsion with new Flettne…
EcoNavis Solutions is developing a next-generation wind-assisted propulsion system designed to enhance the performance and commercial viability of Flettner-type rotor sails for deep-sea shipping.
The company’s Eco Rotor Sail introduces a patented tail-appendage device designed to increase thrust, reduce power demand, and widen the range of wind angles in which rotor sails can operate efficiently.
Flettner rotors — rotating cylindrical sails first introduced in the 1920s — are enjoying a comeback as shipowners seek credible ways to cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. But a major deterrent to much wider take-up is performance reliability when the wind direction changes. Anton Flettner’s underlying principle has changed little in more than a century.
Expanding the wind window
The EcoNavis design essentially broadens the rotor’s effective “wind window” by reshaping the wind flow in the rotor’s wake to deliver higher thrust with lower torque demand. According to the Glasgow-based innovator, initial simulations indicate an increase in thrust of up to ten per cent alongside a five per cent reduction in torque.
The Eco Rotor Sail retains the conventional rotating cylinder but introduces a fixed aerodynamic appendage downstream to stabilise the airflow behind the rotor, reducing losses and allowing the system to continue generating thrust as wind conditions change.
“Flettner rotors already offer one of the highest lift-to-drag ratios among wind-assisted devices, with a relatively modest footprint, but the main drawback has been the narrow band of wind angles — typically beam and stern-quarter winds,” said EcoNavis CEO and founder Dr Batuhan Aktas. “The Eco Rotor Sail expands the range of wind angles over which the rotor can operate efficiently.”
Aktas said compared to existing rotors, the new design strengthens the case for the technology on larger commercial tonnage. “It offers more energy savings and lower operating costs,” he said.
“By recovering energy that would otherwise be lost and optimising the flow behind the rotor, we can provide a Flettner rotor design with a greater operational range. This means shipowners can have greater flexibility in route planning and more consistent performance over a typical trading year, without fundamental changes to vessel operations.
“If you can maintain performance across a wider range of conditions, you change how the technology is used. It becomes something operators can plan around, rather than something that depends on favourable weather,” Aktas said.
Validation and next steps
Eco Rotor Sail development is backed by a £100,000 research grant from Scottish Enterprise to take the £265,000 project through to validation and demonstration stages. The next phase will move into physical testing.
EcoNavis plans to build a scale model for wind tunnel trials at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, to validate performance and correlate results with simulation data. Subject to successful validation, a full-scale prototype could be built for shipboard trials as part of an integrated power system.
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EcoNavis launches Eco Boss Cap Savings Estimator for shipowners
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EcoNavis has launched a new online savings calculator to help shipowners and operators make an initial assessment of the fuel-saving potential of an Eco Boss Cap retrofit.
Available on the EcoNavis website, the Eco Boss Cap Savings Estimator allows users to enter basic vessel information — ship type, dimensions, engine power and fuel price — to generate an indicative estimate of annual fuel and cost savings from the novel propeller hub. The tool is intended as a first-stage screening assessment before a full vessel-specific optimisation study.
Dr Batuhan Aktas, Founder and CEO of EcoNavis Solutions, said the calculator has been developed to help owners understand how relatively small propulsion efficiency improvements can translate into meaningful commercial benefits.
“Shipowners are facing a combination of fuel price volatility and rising regulatory pressure,” he said. “When bunker prices rise and carbon costs are added, even modest efficiency gains can have a meaningful commercial impact. The purpose of this calculator is to give owners and operators a practical first indication of where an Eco Boss Cap retrofit may justify a closer vessel-specific study.”
Indicative savings across vessel types
The Eco Boss Cap Savings Estimator draws on indicative modelling across a range of common vessel archetypes, including bulk carriers, tankers and container ships. Across these vessel types, indicative efficiency improvements are in the range of 2.7% to nearly 4%, depending on vessel size, propulsion characteristics and stern configuration.
For example:
- A 35,000 dwt handysize bulk carrier operating a 6,000 kW main engine for around 250 days per year could reduce annual fuel consumption by about 138 tonnes, equivalent to approximately US$142,968 per year at a VLSFO price of US$1,036/mt.
- A Panamax bulk carrier could reduce fuel consumption by about 266 tonnes per year, equivalent to US$275,576 per year on the same basis.
- For an 8,000 TEU container ship, annual fuel savings could exceed 1,100 tonnes, or US$1,139,600 per year.
(The VLSFO price used for these illustrations is the Ship & Bunker Global 20 Ports Average for 18 March 2026.)
Vessel-specific optimisation
Dr Aktas said the projections reflect EcoNavis’ design philosophy of vessel-specific hydrodynamic optimisation rather than generic appendage designs.
“Many retrofit devices are based on standard geometries that are applied across multiple ships,” he said. “Our approach is different. We analyse the flow conditions around each vessel’s stern using computational fluid dynamics and develop the boss cap specifically for that hull, propeller and rudder arrangement.”
Eco Boss Cap is a CFD-optimised propeller boss cap developed to reduce hub vortex formation and associated losses, improving propulsive efficiency and helping operators reduce fuel consumption and emissions. It is bespoke to the vessel and can typically be installed within a routine drydock work scope. Typical lead time from project start to delivery is around three to six months.
EcoNavis has already completed its first commercial installation on the 177 m general cargo vessel SFYC Araya, operated by Thailand-based Kaizen Ship Management. Early voyage monitoring from an initial installation indicates promising performance over 3% as reported by the fleet performance team.
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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 ShipDyn cooperate on novel fuel-reducing Y-Hull® form
Home › News › EcoNavis and ShipDyn cooperate on novel fuel-reducing Y-Hull…
EcoNavis Solutions has joined forces with ShipDyn Ltd. to optimise and commercialise an innovative hull form Y-Hull® that combines the stability and deck space of a catamaran with the efficiency and single-shaft simplicity of a monohull.
The Y-Hull®’s distinctive geometry features twin forward demi-hulls before merging into a single monohull aft. From the bow, the vessel looks like a regular catamaran, with twin demi-hulls reducing resistance and wake impact. But midway along the parallel mid-body, the demi-hulls merge into a single monohull, allowing the vessel to operate with one engine and one propeller while retaining the broader beam, stability and deck area typically associated with a twin-hull.
The partners say the patented Y-Hull® form delivers not only improved stability, lower wake impact and enhanced passenger comfort, but also a substantial reduction in fuel consumption.
From safety concern to commercial innovation
After witnessing a Bangladeshi passenger vessel capsize in the wake of a large commercial ship, ShipDyn founder, and EcoNavis COO Amitavo Wye designed and built a 13 m steel Y-Hull® prototype craft with the aim of improving stability and reducing river bank and coastal erosion.
“The idea came from a real-life safety concern,” said Wye. “But what we have found is that the Y-Hull® delivers much more: fuel savings, more environmental benefits and more comfortable seakeeping. This makes it relevant for operators facing today’s performance and sustainability challenges.”
The passenger ferry Wye built is now operational, ferrying passengers across a Bangladeshi waterway. The ferry owner has also reported a 25% reduction in fuel consumption compared with a monohull vessel of the same dimensions.
Next steps
Dr Batuhan Aktas, Founder and CEO of EcoNavis Solutions, said: “When I first saw the Y-Hull®, I recognised its potential for applications like crew transfer vessels, which are critical to offshore wind but consume significant amounts of fuel. By optimising the design, we can create vessels that are more efficient, more comfortable, and more in line with a ship operator’s sustainability and net-zero goals.”
EcoNavis and ShipDyn are now taking the design further by refining the hull form through computational fluid dynamics, simulation and towing tank tests. The intention is to validate performance, optimise hull geometry and produce technical and commercialisation plans.
In addition to the renewable energy segment, the partners see opportunities for the novel hull in the leisure marine, passenger and commercial shipping sectors, especially in environmentally sensitive or confined waterways where reduced wake can mitigate against shoreline erosion. Larger merchant ships such as tankers and bulk carriers could see substantial fuel and emissions reductions at scale, with project analysis suggesting around 4,500 tonnes of CO₂ saved annually for a 240 m tanker.
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EcoNavis accelerates growth with Innovate UK ICURe Grant
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EcoNavis Solutions, the maritime technology company behind the novel Eco Boss Cap propeller hub, has secured a major investment package and joined a leading accelerator programme as it scales operations to meet growing industry demand for its hydrodynamic efficiency solutions.
The Glasgow-based start-up has been awarded £300,000 in funding through the UK’s Innovate UK ICURe Exploit programme to support the commercialisation of university research. EcoNavis Solutions is a commercial spinout from the University of Strathclyde.
The funding follows EcoNavis Solutions’ successful completion of all stages of the ICURe process, including extensive product testing and validation.
“This is a unique form of funding,” said EcoNavis founder and CEO Dr Batuhan Aktas, “because it reimburses 100% of the costs as we scale, including salaries, exhibitions, customer engagement and business development. It’s a significant endorsement of the commercial potential of our technology.”
Glasgow growth
EcoNavis has also been accepted into the Smart Things Accelerator Centre, a specialist technology scale-up hub in Glasgow. The 18-month programme provides mentoring and support across four structured growth stages. The company now occupies dedicated office space at the centre and has grown its core team, including a Chief Technical Officer, Chief Operating Officer, lead CFD engineer, and an administrative manager.
“The growth in 2025 has been substantial,” said Aktas. “At the start of the year, we were just a couple of people. Now, with funding and structured support in place, we’re putting the right expertise and infrastructure in place to take environmentally and energy-efficient solutions through to large-scale commercial adoption.”
EcoNavis is also awaiting responses to several additional grant applications. These include a £100,000 request to Scottish Enterprise under the Smart Grant scheme and a US$500,000 proposal to the US-based National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support collaborative trials on offshore crew transfer vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Eco Boss Cap, a hydrodynamic energy-saving device fitted to a ship’s propeller hub cap, is the first of the company’s research-led projects to be brought to market. Under development since 2022, the Eco Boss Cap is designed to improve propulsion efficiency by more than 2%, reduce emissions, and deliver measurable fuel savings across a range of vessel types and speeds.
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EcoNavis develops hydrodynamic energy-saving devices tailored to each vessel’s hull, propeller and rudder interaction. To assess whether Eco Boss Cap or an integrated optimisation package may be suitable for your fleet, contact the EcoNavis team.
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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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