Oren Saar, CEO of maritime agritech firm Agwa, talks to Splash Extra about AI's growing role at sea, how crew wellbeing is becoming a key ROI metric, and why the galley might just be the next frontier in shipping tech.
Maritime and agritech are not two words that tend to go together. Until now.
Step forward, Oren Saar and his firm Agwa, bringing fresh produce to seafarers around the world without the need for green fingers.
Saar sees the next 12 months bringing not just operational gains-but tangible benefits to seafarers themselves.
"We're seeing a convergence of sustainability and autonomy across industries, and in maritime, this is translating into more AI-powered operational tools and onboard automation," says Saar. "I expect the most meaningful breakthroughs to come from practical, compact systems that combine robotics, AI, and real-time cloud data - not just to optimise routes or engines, but to elevate the quality of life onboard."
Agwa, which has developed an onboard growing system for fresh produce, is betting on what Saar calls "human-centric automation"-solutions that reduce workloads while improving day-to-day life for crew. The company's flagship device uses a cloud-based AI system, dubbed the Virtual Agronomist, which automatically controls growing conditions by analysing visual inputs, environmental data, and plant behaviour in real time.
"AI is at the core of what we do," Saar explains. "The result is fresh vegetables grown onboard with no agricultural knowledge required."
While shipping has become more familiar with AI applications in areas like engineering, routing, and fuel management, Saar notes slower adoption in the so-called "soft ROI" areas such as crew wellbeing, food quality, and sustainability.
"We're helping to change that," he says. "Once companies see the tangible results in crew satisfaction and ESG metrics, AI becomes less of a buzzword and more of a must-have."
Cost pressure, as always, remains front of mind for operators-but according to Saar, a clearer understanding of return on investment is shifting how tech is viewed across the board.
"Yes - but only when the ROI is crystal clear," he says of shipping's readiness to invest in tech. "Agwa has demonstrated that by growing food onboard, operators can reduce produce-related opex by up to 36%, eliminate two or three port deliveries per year, and cut packaging and spoilage waste by over 20%."
For many operators, tech investments that simultaneously reduce cost, improve crew conditions, and meet ESG goals are no longer fringe concepts-they're fast becoming standard operating procedure. "That's the sweet spot where 'spend to save' is no longer a gamble but a strategy," Saar adds.
As Agwa scales up, its own team is evolving in parallel with the tech it deploys.
"We're hiring differently. We need fewer manual testers and more cross-functional experts - people who can work across agronomy, data science, and maritime engineering," he says. Support teams are moving away from reactive maintenance toward proactive system monitoring, using real-time data from vessels to prevent issues before they arise.
That same simplicity is built into the crew experience. "We've designed Agwa to require virtually no technical background," he says. "The device is as simple as a coffee machine: insert pod, harvest fresh vegetables. We're making advanced tech invisible to the end user - that's our philosophy."
Looking ahead, Saar says Agwa is expanding in two key directions. The first is fleet-wide scaling. Following successful pilots with major operators, Agwa units are expected to become standard onboard equipment across select fleets by mid-2026.
The second is product expansion. "We're expanding beyond leafy greens into new categories like fruity plants and high-nutrition herbs," Saar reveals. "All optimised for maritime environments, with zero waste and maximum yield."
Ultimately, Saar sees Agwa's mission as part of a broader industry shift toward self-sufficiency and crew welfare at sea.
"Our goal," he concludes, "is to turn every vessel into a self-sustaining fresh food source. And we're just getting started."