Show notes
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.
