17 October, 2016 – Selektope®, the innovative ingredient used in marine antifouling coatings whose prevention of barnacle growth on ship hulls yields fuel savings, has been shortlisted for two more prestigious environmental awards within its first full year of commercial availability. I-TECH AB, the Gothenburg-based company behind Selektope’s development, has already seen the product secure the European Marine Engineering Award 2016 for Environmental Performance.
Selektope has now been named as a finalist in the Environmental Technology category of the forthcoming Ship Efficiency Awards, organized by Fathom Shipping Events. The Award recognizes innovative technologies that have contributed to reducing the environmental impact of shipping. Now in their third year, the Ship Efficiency Awards have become a sought after recognition of ship efficiency excellence, with entrants assessed by an independent panel of expert judges. Award winners will be celebrated at an evening gala ceremony, hosted by Lloyd’s Register, in London on November 2nd, 2016.
I-TECH has also been shortlisted for the Environmental Award at the Tanker Shipping & Trade Conference and Awards 2016, which will be held in London on 15-16th November. Organized by Riviera Maritime Media, the Tanker Shipping & Trade Awards préconise excellence, innovation, and environmental performance across the tanker industry.
This has been a breakthrough year for Selektope, whose pharmacological action is unique in marine antifouling. The product, developed over many years of research, repels barnacle settlement on ships’ hulls by temporarily stimulating the barnacle larvae’s swimming behavior.
Selektope has been approved by Japanese, Korean, Chinese and European regulatory bodies and has also completed successful trials with several different shipowners. In August Chugoku Marine Paints, Ltd. (CMP) launched the first branded marine coatings to feature Selektope as an anti-fouling ingredient, as part of the SEAFLO range. CMP emphasised that the resulting antifouling products would overcome the static challenges posed by barnacles, lowering friction between the hull surface and water to save energy and cut emissions.
Philip Chaabane, Chief Executive I-TECH, says: “After a 16-year journey to market, it is deeply satisfying that Selektope to be getting the recognition it deserves from industry. We hope to win, of course, but to be shortlisted is in itself a tremendous achievement, with independent judges vindicating the growing confidence in Selektope and its environmental performance.”
More about Selektope®
Selektope introduces for the first time ever a pharmacological mode of action to combat barnacle settlement. By temporarily stimulating the octopamine receptor, the barnacle larvae’s swimming behavior is activated and the organisms are deterred from the hull. These ground-breaking discoveries enable unrivalled power at very low concentrations, yet within the limits of rigorous risk assessments. Selektope is an organic, non-metal compound with efficacy proven at 0.1% w/w.
About I-Tech
I-Tech is a Gothenburg based bio-tech company with global reach, holding all international patents and regulatory rights to its all new antifouling agent Selektope (generic name, medetomidine).
The company is privately held and is supported by Swedish Energy Association, the European Innovation Initiative Eco-Innovation and FP7 SeaFront. The company is a member of the Astra Zeneca BioVentureHub.
Read more at www.i-tech.se
