Boundary Layer Technologies Case Study

Boundary Layer Technologies is a category-defining company. They design small
hydrofoil cargo ships posed to disrupt the transportation industry. Currently, the only options for intercontinental shipping are air and traditional cargo ships. Air is quick but very expensive; whereas, ships are cheaper but significantly slower, up to ten times slower. There is an industry need for transportation in the middle ground. Hydrofoil ships can travel twice as fast as traditional cargo ships at a far lower cost than air travel. “A hydrofoil cargo ship uses an airplane wing under the water that lifts the hull up allowing it to go fast,” explains Edward Kearney, CEO of Boundary Layer. The wings include ailerons that allow the ship to adjust
the lift, much like an airplane. But, applying this technology to ocean transport is a new field, which requires the team to design everything from the ground up.