Airseas is an industrial company founded in 2016 by aeronautical engineers. We design, produce and install wind propulsion technologies to contribute to the decarbonisation of the maritime sector.
Together, we develop Seawing, one of the market’s most competitive renewable energy propulsion systems, and plan to deploy it at scale from 2025. Our goal ? To implement our solution on approximately 600 ships by 2030. At Airseas, we also strive to build a robust ecosystem prior to large-scale production by developing a resilient business model that generates value and jobs.
To power with innovation
At the crossroads between aeronautics (our initial background) and maritime (our current sector), we create bridges between these technological worlds to develop a unique and efficient technology.
To power with commitment
We are committed to creating a clean solution that helps to protect the oceans. Our ambition is to share a global vision of the company’s role, through a responsible approach encompassing all facets of our organisation.
To power with people
Airseas is foremost a human adventure. We bring together people passionate about oceans, technology and innovation. The diversity of talents and personalities within Airseas makes us more open to society and committed to its future.
We are driven by excellence.
We are Airseas
Important events that built our company:
We proved our concept on Airbus' and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs' vessel "Ciudad de Cadiz", and manage to convince Airbus to invest in the company.
We signed our first order with Airbus: a Seawing with a 500m² wing to equip the Ville de Bordeaux, a Louis Dreyfus Armateurs ship carrying A320 parts to the United States.
We signed a contract with Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ('K' Line), a Japanese shipowner with the fifth largest fleet in the world, to equip one of their ships with our future standard product. An option was also placed for another 49 systems. 4 new firm orders were signed since this first date.
We moved to our new premises in the city of Nantes, where the new French maritime industry is developing. We finalise the construction of the first Seawing and install it in Bordeaux in December.
Seawing is conducting its first full-scale trials on transatlantic commercial routes, and we are preparing for the installation of the system on the first 'K' Line ship.
Our team
The Airseas community comprises more than one hundred and ten men and women from various sectors: aeronautics, maritime, automation, mechanics, electronics and support functions, who share strong convictions about environmental and societal issues.
The various operational and support teams are grouped around a programme team and a management team.
Vincent Bernatets
CEO and Co-founder
A graduate of Supaero and a Master of Science in Aeronautics from Stanford, Vincent co-founded Airseas in 2016 in Toulouse, with more than 20 years of international experience (United States, Norway, Sweden, Mexico) in telecoms and information systems, including 15 years at Airbus where he managed, among other metiers, the business development department.
Benoît Gagnaire
System Performance Manager and Co-founder
A former Airbus engineer specializing in Aerodynamics, Flight Mechanics/Modelling, and Performance. Involved in wind tunnel test campaigns and several major Airbus flight tests, including the A400M, A350 and A320 Neo programs. Benoît is a recognized expert in flight dynamics, with in-depth experience in design and wind tunnel testing.
Pierre-Yves Fouché
General Manager
An ICAM engineer with an MBA, Pierre-Yves began his career as an industrialization project manager for German automotive companies. He then took over the management of an industrial sheet metal factory in Brittany, which he left to manage the creation and development of a titanium hot stamping business for the aerospace industry before joining Airseas in 2022. Pierre-Yves focuses on international project management, operations, supply chain management and business development.
Stéphanie Lesage
Corporate Secretary
Formerly head of the legal department of the regional aircraft manufacturer ATR and a senior lawyer at Airbus for more than ten years, Stephanie advised the sales teams in setting up financing and negotiation of aircraft sales contracts. In addition to her role at Airseas, Stéphanie is President of Children for the Ocean, an NGO with a global community of over 450 members worldwide.
François-Louis de Graeve
CFO
François-Louis has 15 years of experience managing large portfolios and leading international teams in the energy and transport industry (GE, Alstom, Airbus, etc.). He is also experienced in new business development, with expertise in management control, business planning, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, financing and transformation.
Nicolas Lesnik
Industrial Operations Director
Nicolas started his career at Danone in engineering and management. He also developed the textile processes for a leading manufacturer, followed by an experience in international after-sales for PSA. Nicolas then returned to his engineering roots by managing a machinery manufacturer subsidiary for large international groups. He worked with a drone start-up for three years before joining Airseas in 2021. Nicolas has 30 years of expertise in industrialization, production and special machines.
Romain Gibon
Programs Manager
Romain has spent 17 years developing and managing projects and contractual relationships with clients and subcontractors. He is an expert in marine works, and new business in the oil and gas and offshore wind industries. He has managed complex projects for Alstom GE wind, LBC Sogestrol and Stoltoffshore for a budget over $400M. Romain was a skipper in the America's Cup.
Swann Verfaillie
Product Development Manager
Swann has 13 years of experience at Safran as a mechanical engineer, designing and testing aircraft engines in close collaboration with General Electric, aircraft manufacturers (Airbus, Boeing, Cessna) and airlines. Primarily involved in research and development, Swann has extensive knowledge and expertise in developing specialized and high-end products, from the conceptual stage through design, manufacturing and testing to customer support.
Emmanuel Cortet
Product Development Manager
Emmanuel is an expert in aeronautical and automatic techniques and specializes in flight control and control law R&D. He has been in charge of the A330 and A340 flight control operations and the R&D team dedicated to simulation, models and control tools (30 people, budget 3M€).
Alexandre Touya
Continuous Improvement and Quality Manager
Alexandre is a PMP and SAFe® 4 certified engineer and program manager with over ten years of experience in the aerospace industry and five years in the telecommunications industry. He has managed transnational projects and programs in various technical fields ranging from R&D projects such as introducing fiber optic networks in aircraft to industrial projects such as ADCN, IMA, EMC/LDA, Fuel & Landing Gear systems.
Matthew Smith
Sales Manager
Matthew has worked in the offshore, marine, energy and petrochemical sectors. He has commercially managed several divisions and start-up companies. His extensive geographical experience includes Europe/Scandinavia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, North and South America and Southeast and Northeast Asia.
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