Recent events have confirmed that the market is ready for ultrasonic antifouling to be used more widely.

Shipsonic, producer of ultrasonic antifouling systems operating from the Province of Zeeland, has appointed Anne Marie van Swinderen as its new CEO. The appointment of the experienced entrepreneur, effective October 2026, comes at a time when interest in ultrasonic antifouling technology from the maritime sector is growing. Since the company was incorporated in 2016, Shipsonic founder Chiel de Wit has seen the market grow gradually towards maturity. He believes the time is now right for the next phase of strong growth.

Market signals

According to De Wit, appointing Van Swinderen as CEO at this point is a logical step. Recent events, the founder says, confirm that the market is ready for a broader application of ultrasonic antifouling. In September, for example, a subsidy was awarded by a research programme of the Province of Zeeland for Shipsonic’s feasibility study 'Schone Schepen Zonder Gif' (Clean Ships Without Toxins).

In addition, De Wit wants to focus more on R&D and on providing technical support to installers and agents. To continue the day-to-day management and commercial strategy on a professional footing, the company therefore set out to find a new CEO, and found her in Van Swinderen.

Winner of the ‘Oranje Handelsmissiefonds’

In September, Shipsonic was selected, together with 10 other companies from 250 participants, as a winner of the ‘Oranje Handelsmissiefonds’ (Orange Trade Mission Fund), and also received the Audience Award on top of that. This is recognition from 400+ export professionals that Shipsonic is ready for growth beyond the Netherlands.

Shipsonic was also selected for the PortXL Cohort 2026, a programme in the Port of Rotterdam that helps promising companies to capitalize on their business and growth opportunities.

It is under these favourable conditions that the new CEO is to lead the company through its next phase of growth. Initially, she will focus mainly on North-West Europe and on coasters (tankers, container ships, dry cargo) and tugs.

Technical maturity of ultrasonic technology

Ultrasonic protection against fouling by, for example, mussels and barnacles, mainly on box coolers and the seawater intake of plate coolers, is a modern technique that uses no harmful toxins. The system offers a toxin-free alternative to ICAF (Impressed Current Anti-Fouling) with copper anodes, which, under certain conditions, is still permitted by the IMO, even though the negative effects of copper on marine life are well known.

The ultrasonic system prevents unwanted fouling and environmental pollution, and offers shipowners operational savings. According to Shipsonic, a vessel with ICAF discharges an average of 50 kg of environmentally harmful copper ions every year. As a result, expensive copper anodes have to be replaced every three to five years, an ever-increasing cost item due to rising copper prices. With ultrasonic antifouling, these costs can be saved.

Experienced entrepreneur

Van Swinderen has no shortage of entrepreneurial experience. She previously founded five companies, three of which were transferred through a management buy-out, and she still owns one of these companies. Moreover, she has been involved with Shipsonic since its foundation and has officially worked within the company as business development manager since 2025. Van Swinderen: "It’s incredible to see how Shipsonic ultrasonic antifouling has developed over the past decade. The fact that some clients even recognise us as the leading company for this technology, even though we are a small business, makes me very proud. Together with our customers, we want to deploy our solutions more widely, while consistently having their effectiveness verified by independent research institutes."

About Shipsonic

Shipsonic (a trademark of Delta-Sistems BV) supplies proven ultrasonic antifouling systems to the maritime sector. Since its foundation in 2016, Shipsonic has conducted iterative, in-depth research together with Wageningen University & Research and other research institutes, as well as shipping companies and shipyards.

The ultrasonic antifouling systems have been continuously improved, and Shipsonic keeps discovering new aspects that make the application ever more effective. As a result, Shipsonic has grown into the leading manufacturer of ultrasonic antifouling systems. The systems have now become so robust that Shipsonic even offers an effectiveness guarantee.

Source: Press Release received by Maritime Tickers

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