Episode 131: Driving Change in Maritime, and Why Port Calls Still Feel Like Orchestrated Chaos
Guest: Léon Gommans, CEO and Co-Founder, Teqplay
Also: Host of the vodcast Driving Change in Maritime with Teqplay
Special Note: This is a co-produced episode and will be released on both The Last Dinosaur and Teqplay’s vodcast Driving Change in Maritime with Teqplay
Episode Overview:
This one is a true back and forth. Léon and Chris co-host a joint episode that moves from the reality of port call complexity to why “visibility” is still surprisingly hard, and how digital twins can make maritime data usable in the moments that matter. They also dig into transparency, trust, AI, talent, and why the industry’s relationship DNA is not going anywhere.
Key Discussion Highlights (short + punchy):
- 28 stakeholders in a single port call: Why port calls are coordinated systems, not simple arrivals.
- Digital twin, not another dashboard: Combining AIS, port context, and processes into something actionable.
- Paperwork is still the drag: How manual documentation persists despite the cost of waiting.
- “Ships dropping out of the air”: The visibility gap that should not exist in a connected world.
- Transparency creates tension: When operational timestamps feel proprietary and why that is changing.
- AI changes the hiding game: If data is out there, it is increasingly hard to keep it invisible.
- Speed of change is uneven: Big players move first, but smaller firms are surprising everyone.
- Talent is a long game: Programs, hackathons, and the small steps that compound into change.
- Trust is the unlock: Shifting from default distrust to shared efficiency and predictability.
Learn More:
Teqplay’s vodcast: Driving Change in Maritime with Teqplay (this episode will be posted there as well).
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
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