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
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