Shipsonic, a producer of ultrasonic antifouling systems operating from the Province of Zeeland, has appointed Anne Marie van Swinderen as its new CEO. The appointment, effective October 2026, comes at a time when interest in ultrasonic antifouling technology from the maritime sector is growing.
Van Swinderen has 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.
"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," said van Swinderen. "Together with our customers, we want to deploy our solutions more widely, while consistently having their effectiveness verified by independent research institutes."
Technical maturity of ultrasonic technology
Ultrasonic protection against fouling 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.
Shipsonic's growth
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.
Also in September, a subsidy was awarded by a research program of the Province of Zeeland for Shipsonic's feasibility study 'Schone Schepen Zonder Gif' (Clean Ships Without Toxins).
Shipsonic was also selected for the PortXL Cohort 2026, a program in the Port of Rotterdam that helps promising companies to capitalize on their business and growth opportunities.
