The urgent need for regenerative solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean degradation has sparked a wave of innovation in marine science and clean technology. Two groundbreaking innovations—Netless and Wingfurl—are redefining sustainable interaction with our oceans by addressing two critical challenges: responsible resource use and decarbonized maritime mobility.
At the heart of these innovations is Eric Le Quéré, an inventor, investor, engineer and entrepreneur whose systems-thinking approach has accelerated the development and deployment of these transformative technologies. His work exemplifies how technical ingenuity, when coupled with entrepreneurial drive, can reshape the future of marine sustainability.
A Maritime Industry at a Crossroads: Global Giants Accelerating Green Transition
Major shipping players like CMA CGM, Maersk, and MSC are making historic shifts toward a low-carbon future.
CMA CGM has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and is investing billions in decarbonized fleets, including dual-fuel aerodynamic container vessels powered by LNG, methanol, and biofuels. Through its ZEBOX startup accelerator and PULSE venture fund, CMA CGM is also championing disruptive innovations in maritime sustainability. Maersk is rolling out a fleet of methanol-powered ships, aiming for carbon neutrality across its operations. MSC is deploying energy efficiency retrofit technologies and participating in alternative fuel trials. All three are responding to growing regulatory pressure under IMO 2050, EU Fit for 55, and Carbon Intensity Indicators (CII)—but also to a market increasingly demanding green logistics solutions.
As these giants race to decarbonize, the need for transformational technologies like Wingfurl and Netless becomes ever more urgent—and strategically valuable.
Wingfurl: Wind Propulsion Reimagined for Low-Carbon Maritime Transport
Wingfurl reintroduces wind as a primary or auxiliary energy source for ships—this time powered by biomimetic design and intelligent control systems. As maritime transport accounts for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Wingfurl offers a clean energy solution through furlable and collapsible wings featuring hight performance variable aerodynamic profiles.
Engineering Innovation: Precision Aerodynamics and AI Control
Wingfurl’s wings are designed unlike aircraft wings, leading and trailing edges are fixed and the profile of the central part forming intrados and extrados is adjustable offering superior lift-to-drag ratios compared to traditional cloth sails. These sails can rotate, furl, and adjust dynamically based on wind direction and vessel speed, all coordinated via embedded sensors and AI-driven navigation systems. By integrating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and real-time wind analytics, Wingfurl maximizes propulsion while maintaining vessel stability. Field trials indicate fuel savings of up to 30%, enabling significant reductions in CO₂, NOx, and SOx emissions.
System Integration: Hybrid Propulsion Synergy
Wingfurl is designed to work alongside hybrid-electric propulsion systems, allowing vessels to operate efficiently under variable wind conditions. With route optimization algorithms and machine learning forecasting tools, the system can ensure that voyages are both energy-efficient and climate-resilient.
For the shipping industry, continually on the lookout for energy efficiency programs and green retrofitting technologies, Wingfurl represents an additional high-impact layer of carbon reduction—one that could scale across global fleets and complement carbon-neutral vessel roadmaps.
Netless: Sustainable Harvesting Through Bubble Curtain Technology
Netless represents a fundamental shift in fishing practices. Traditional net-based fisheries are among the leading causes of bycatch, ghost gear pollution, and seabed destruction. Netless eliminates the need for physical nets by harnessing the principles of hydroacoustics and fish behavioral science through attraction by light and bubble curtain technology.
How It Works: Scientific Innovation at Play
Bubble curtains, generated beneath the water’s surface, form a hydrodynamic barrier. These curtains leverage fish species’ natural schooling behavior, gently guiding target species into harvesting zones without entanglement, stress, or bycatch. Netless also utilizes a beam of light in conjunction with the bubble curtain to help concentrate the fish, enhancing the precision of harvesting.
This system is rooted in ethological studies, marine acoustics, and fluid mechanics, providing an ecologically sound alternative to conventional gear.
Dual Function: Ocean Decontamination
In a unique scientific integration, Netless also supports plastic interception. The upward flow created by the bubble curtain lifts plastic particles toward the surface, where they can be captured and removed using surface skimmers or collection units. This dual capability positions Netless as a powerful tool for marine ecosystem restoration and plastic pollution mitigation, enhancing its impact across multiple sustainability goals.
This innovative approach aligns strongly with corporate commitments within the marine shipping industry, which is already investing in biodiversity preservation, plastic waste reduction, and blue economy innovation through its CSR programs and foundation initiatives.
As global supply chains undergo rapid transformation under climate imperatives, shipping industries have both the responsibility and opportunity to champion solutions that go beyond compliance toward regeneration. Technologies like Wingfurl and Netless offer concrete demonstrations of how science-driven solutions can deliver ecological, economic, and reputational value.
Designing for Regeneration, Not Just Sustainability
Both Netless and Wingfurl stem from Eric Le Quere’s vision to transform scientific innovations into scalable, market-ready and impactful solutions. Le Quéré’s approach is grounded in regenerative systems thinking, where technology does more than reduce harm—it actively contributes to ecological restoration and resource circularity.
His leadership bridges the gap between laboratory innovation and real-world impact, advancing a new paradigm where science, business, and ecology converge to shape a sustainable marine economy.
Through the work of Le Quéré and the science-backed engineering behind these solutions, the transition toward a regenerative ocean economy is no longer aspirational—it is becoming operational. As global priorities align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)—technologies like Netless and Wingfurl will be essential instruments of change. They represent a systems-level redesign of ocean interaction. From decarbonizing global shipping lanes to reducing destructive fishing practices and removing microplastics, these innovations embody the future of marine stewardship.
