About SPAERA

SPAERA comes from the Latin term for a sphere, globe or working model of the universe. In Italian, it also means hope. We feel a tremendous sense of hope and excitement for the future of the world that we are responsible for building.

​​SPAERA’s aim is to show that a sustainable business model for shipping, which underpins the global economy, is possible today.​​

Sustainable to us means total accountancy for material usage, during building, operation and disposal of the things we create. Only by operating in this method can we deliver the future we’re so hopeful for.

Management Team

The SPAERA team has a diverse background, including fluid dynamics, systems integration, logistics and strategy - all unified by a desire to improve the world we live in.

Rob Palin
MANAGING DIRECTOR

Rob's background is in automotive aerodynamics, covering a diverse range from F1 to EVs.  Leading aerodynamic development at Tesla from the Model S to the semi-truck over a tenure of more than 8 years, he became highly sensitised to full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of ground-based transport. 

With the auto industry successfully catalyzed, Rob wanted to bring the same revolution to the shipping industry, and find a path to a sustainable future. This led him to the formation of SPAERA. 
Detailed Bio

Sam Bulmer
HEAD OF FINANCE & COMMERCIALISATION

Sam has extensive experience in the energy trading, shipping, banking and tech industries. He has helped to negotiate and deliver large-scale energy transactions between state-owned entities via water-borne cargo and is keenly aware of the commercial and logistical dynamics at play.

Sam’s focus at Spaera will be to demonstrate that a sustainable business model can, and has to be, commercially competitive.

Stefano Pandini
HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

With almost 20 year spent working in Formula 1 and other top motorsport series, Stefano is used to direct aerodynamic development programs involving multidisciplinary task forces, in a world where fast pace, agility and accuracy are the keys to success.

At Spaera, his experience will enable us to develop new technologies and exploit innovative solutions to take advantage of all the energy available in the environment (starting with but not limited to the wind) making our products the global benchmark for fuel efficiency.

Charlie Spencer
HEAD OF PRODUCT & STRATEGY

Being one of the first in the door at Canoo, Faraday Future and Tesla, Charlie has more than once taken a blank piece of paper and delivered an award-winning product, with few resources and even less legacy information.

Leading departments charged with advanced development and integration, Charlie is knowledgeable in balancing multiple complicated systems to provide the optimal holistic result. One of his aims will be to bring the many recent advancements found in electric vehicle design, as well as the technology startup approach, to the maritime industry.