The evening event for November 2025 was concluded, where:
Dr. Ioannis Arampatzis, M.B.A., Ph.D., Founder, Innovation, Managing Director & Chairman of the BoD in NanoPhos SA
made a presentation on the topic of:
“Hull Coating Systems:
A Comprehensive Review from Anti-Fouling Solutions to Energy-Saving Technologies and Future Innovations”
Presentation Summary:
The race to decarbonise shipping starts beneath the waterline. A cluster of critical elements—including hydrodynamics, boundary layer effects, rheology, friction, and biofouling—profoundly affect hydrodynamic drag and drive fuel consumption across global fleets. This presentation delivers a critical review of hull coating technology, charting the industry's necessary transition from traditional biocide-based Anti-Fouling (AF) systems to intelligent, friction-reducing non-toxic solutions. The central argument is that advanced coatings must be characterised as essential Energy Saving Devices (ESDs). By actively maintaining hull smoothness, these technologies directly reduce frictional resistance, thereby delivering measurable fuel savings and corresponding CO2 emissions reductions. The presentation will detail the pivotal role of these advancements across industry and academia in achieving maritime decarbonisation goals and ensuring compliance with stringent regulatory frameworks, such as the IMO’s EEXI and CII. Finally, the presentation explores the trajectory of future innovations, assessing the potential of unique surface characteristics and responsive coating technologies to deliver the next generation of vessel performance and environmental sustainability.
About the speaker:
Dr. Arampatzis is an accomplished Chemist. After serving at Greece's most prestigious research centre, the NCSR Demokritos, and successfully defending his PhD thesis at the Chemical Engineering department of the National Technical University of Athens, he dedicated his professional career to the invention and commercialisation of pioneering materials and coatings designed to address complex industrial challenges. Following his success in winning the First Prize at the European Business Plan Competition in Stockholm in 2005 alongside his ALBA MBA team, he founded NanoPhos SA, where he currently holds the positions of Innovation, Managing Director & Chairman. NanoPhos develops materials science & technology-driven formulations that serve the diverse needs of multiple industrial sectors. Under his instrumental leadership, the company has secured numerous international accolades for its innovative and commercial achievements, including the Bill Gates Innovation Award in Greece, the Green Award, the RSM European Business Award National Champion, and The Lloyd's Greek Shipping Awards. He personally organised and oversees NanoPhos SA's Research & Development department, which functions as the primary innovation and experimentation hub for New Product Development. Beyond his technical research, his expertise encompasses quality and process management, legislative issues concerning materials science & technology, the economic impact of materials science & technology innovation policy, and the successful transfer of advanced materials into practical applications.
His core chemical expertise lies in metal oxide semiconductor synthesis and the development of advanced materials-based functional coatings, particularly for challenging industrial applications across the Construction, Marine, Energy, and Defence sectors. He is the conceptual designer and synthesist behind numerous proprietary coating formulations, positioning NanoPhos as a reliable, NATO-registered manufacturer. Furthermore, he has made significant contributions to the fields of Green Shipping, electrochemistry (specifically Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy for metallic corrosion assessment), fluidics, solid-fluid interactions, photochemistry, solar power transformation and storage, photocatalysis, environmental remediation, and the design of industrial reactors. Dr. Arampatzis firmly believes that coatings will have a profound role in the future production and distribution of energy, whilst simultaneously offering a significant contribution to reducing Greenhouse Gases, such as carbon dioxide, through efficiency increases, especially in the Marine sector. He is the inventor of eight international patents and co-author of thirty peer-reviewed journal publications, which have collectively received over 3,000 cited references from fellow researchers.
The presentation can be found (for SNAME members only) below: