Team
The people
behind the project.
A multidisciplinary collective — communications, ecology, artificial intelligence — united by a shared conviction: technology can serve the living world.
environmental problem → mission → scientific protocol → design → engineering → construction → field operation → data → communication
Core team
Content creator, storyteller and media strategist committed to ocean protection. Communications officer for the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK since 2017, he leads international awareness campaigns and now applies that expertise to L'Hydronaute.
He leads BIUTOPIC's vision, partnerships and project direction, runs the nautical and field operations, and carries the public communication and the Studio — putting navigation, technology and storytelling at the service of research and the protection of aquatic environments.
- Sea Shepherd / Paul Watson Foundation 2017 — present
- Pacific crossings under sail
- Arctic Circle passage
- World record for plastic removed from the Pacific
Former researcher at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, he led projects in contrastive learning, natural language processing and image recognition using PyTorch, AWS and GCP.
Holding a master's in theoretical physics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, David has over 7 years of R&D experience in machine learning solutions applied to computational biology and predictive modelling. At BIUTOPIC he develops the autonomous systems, onboard computing, data architecture and navigation intelligence — including the AI module for wildlife detection and obstacle avoidance.
LinkedIn →She grew up between the jungle, mountains and deserts of Mexico. Her Master's dissertation focused on migratory birds of the desert — species able to survive in the most arid environments.
An environmental engineer, she leads BIUTOPIC's scientific and environmental programmes — monitoring protocols, biodiversity, water quality — making sure every mission produces useful knowledge. She also covers health & safety and operational coordination.
- Sustainability policy & environmental engineering
- Thesis in migratory species ecology
- Health & safety, finance and operations Hydronaute
Arpie joined the project through her architecture thesis. Her work operates across two parallel branches: a practical branch, focused on thoughtful design solutions, and an experimental branch, where she develops systems, prototypes and visual languages to explore contemporary questions in architecture and design.
Through L'Hydronaute, her research also questions the tools used today by architects and designers: how they shape ideas, what they make possible, and where their limits begin.
LinkedIn →Partner workshop · La Mutine
La Mutine carried out the structural work on L'Hydronaute and is building the EXO‑01 assembly in its workshop (2026).
La Mutine is an artisanal workshop where bespoke construction and fit-out projects are imagined, shaped and built. At the crossroads of technical craft and creativity, La Mutine stands out for its ability to imagine and create one-of-a-kind projects.
lamutine.com →Structural fabrication, metalwork, EXO‑01 construction and physical integration — and solving the inevitable “how do we actually build this?” problems.
Custom fabrication, assembly, onboard integration and iterative workshop development — from prototype to the part that holds at sea.
Associate investor
A facilitator of dreams, Patricia takes her first leap into investment with L'Hydronaute. It is not the numbers that drive her most, but the values: transmission, ecology, solidarity. She chose to support this project because it moves her — and because it resembles her.
Join the adventure
L'Hydronaute is looking for scientific partners, artist residencies, institutions and investors who share the same vision. If this project speaks to you, let's write the next chapter together.