The February talk will be given by Di Gilpin who will be talking about how her innovations in wind propulsion technologies are revolutionising global shipping with significant environmental benefits.
From early mobile phones and Formula One to grand prix yacht racing, Smart Green Shipping (SGS) Founder & CEO Di Gilpin has spent her career demonstrating that “impossible” innovation becomes achievable when you commit to tackling the challenge. In this talk, she explores how the mindset that fueled her success in fast-paced industries can be applied to transforming global shipping — a sector often regarded as “hard-to-abate.”
Di introduces FastRig, SGS’ lightweight, stowable wingsail, and its “Wind‑as‑a‑Service” circular business model, designed to cut fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40% per year while delivering attractive investor returns. By combining cutting‑edge engineering, digital performance prediction tools and flexible leasing, the system turns regulatory and technical complexity into commercial advantage.
Backed by major partners — including the world’s second-largest shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, leading UK renewable energy supplier Drax, and a network of expertise across the UK and Scotland — SGS offers end-to-end solutions and innovative business models that enable whole-system collaboration across shipowners, cargo owners, financiers, insurers, lawyers, and scientists. This is how SGS transforms challenges into a thrilling race for competitive advantage.
Di Gilpin is the Founder and CEO of Smart Green Shipping (SGS), a Scotland-based systems design house advancing wind propulsion technologies for shipping’s energy transition. Named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2025 by the Women in Green Business Awards, Di applies her extensive experience in high-performing industries — including cellular technology, Formula One, and yacht racing — to design end-to-end sustainable solutions rooted in circular-economy principles that advance both commercial goals and climate action.
Smart Green Shipping is an award-winning collaborative, systems-design house based in Scotland. We develop technical, commercially viable, digitally enabled wind propulsion technology solutions to accelerate shipping’s energy transition. Wind propulsion can reduce a ship’s fuel and emissions by up to 40% per year — making it one of the best solutions to meet emissions reduction targets, reduce operating costs, and make real progress on climate action.
Find more information available at www.smartgreenshipping.com, and socials at LinkedIn, Instagram and BlueSky.
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