A common passion, a team of experts pursuing green mobility
The ZESST team is comprised of experienced and passionate professionals who have all worked in both space and naval engineering.
Luc Blecha
After having conquered space and participated in the development of the world's fastest sailboat, Luc is dedicated to an environmentally friendly technological transition through the ZESST project. Interested to learn more about ZESST ? Luc is there to respond to any questions you may have.
Tony Castro
With over 40 years of experience, 10’000 boats on the water, and 500 original designs, Tony is the personification of wisdom and experience in naval construction.
Michel Teweles
Michel has participated in the America’s Cup and numerous world championships. A passionate sailor whose countless experiences spark the team’s creativity. He is the person you need if you find yourself in troubled waters.
Yumiko Misaki
After studying in Paris and working in France as a journalist, Yumiko started her own international IT development company in the early 2000s and worked for 15 years in Tokyo. Yumiko is now head of ZESST's business development in the Japanese market. Any questions in Kanji ? Yumiko is fluent in Japanese, French, and English.
Stefano Nebuloni
Stefano obtained a Ph.D. from EPFL and joined ZESST as a systems engineer. His holistic and systematic approach allows him to tackle and solve complex problems. Have complicated technical challenges got your brain in a jam ? It is Stefano’s pleasure to decipher any elaborate issue.
Oriol Lopez
Oriol whispers in the ears of hydrogen fuel cells and talks with electric motors. He knows how to make all the electrons agree.
Pioneers in sustainable mobility
+ 25 skilled and passionate engineers”
The inspiration for ZESST was sparked when our founder was sailing on Lake Geneva on a calm day. Several motorboats and a fast passenger shuttle passed by his boat, creating strong waves and disturbing the rest of the crew.
He wondered if there was not a less polluting and more environmentally friendly way to travel quickly on water ?
Having already successfully contributed to the Hydroptère, which remains to this day one of the fastest sailing boats in the world achieving speeds upwards of 50 knots. Luc is applying his previously acquired knowledge of foils and space engineering to help build the boat of the future. After more than 11'000 hours of research and hard work, ZESST was born.
The shuttle's hydrogen fuel cells produce no greenhouse gases during its operation. The design options selected for ZESST minimize emissions to the greatest extent possible. The hydrofoils propel the boat so that it sails above the water, reducing friction. This reduces hydrogen consumption and increases comfort and travel speed. ZESST consumes 85% less energy than a conventional transport vessel. Taking into account the energy required to manufacture hydrogen, it has a significantly better overall energy efficiency. In addition, the low wake reduces disturbance to marine ecosystems and other sailors.
ZESST is revolutionizing marine transportation by offering a truly comfortable and quiet alternative to road transport.
About Almatech
Almatech SA is a Swiss advanced technology company located on the EPFL Innovation Park campus since it was founded in 2009. Almatech specializes in the development and production of complex systems intended for space and naval use. Almatech works closely with the European Space Agency (ESA) and their clients which include Airbus, Thales, OHB, and Leonardo, to mention just a few.
Almatech SA manages innovative projects, from specifications to the delivery of systems sent into space. Almatech was selected to build the landing gear for Europe's next reusable launcher, thanks to an innovative design developed from scratch by its team. Almatech also built the complete structure of the first Swiss satellite telescope, CHEOPS, which is currently orbiting earth (more details here)
