Posted on September 25, 2026
BENS interviews autonomous shipbuilder Saronic CEO
President Eisenhower warned in his farewell address that securing the nation requires more than miliary readiness. True security, he argued, depends on the full strength of America’s economic and industrial capacity working together.
On October 19, BENS will present Dino Mavrookas, Co-Founder and CEO of Saronic Technologies, with the BENS Eisenhower Award — a 40-year standing honor presented to leaders whose commitment best reflects President Eisenhower’s belief that true security is the total product of a nation working as one. Past recipients include more than 60 business leaders, six Secretaries of Defense, five Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a former President of the United States.
Through Dino Mavrookas’ innovative work building autonomous maritime vessels, standing up a next-generation shipyard, and creating a thriving partnership with the U.S. Navy, he is working to rebuild America’s maritime industrial base. But what does that work actually require, and in his view, what does success look like for the nation?
Ahead of the award gala and his fireside chat with The Honorable Daniel P. Driscoll, 26th Secretary of the Army, let’s get to know the man behind the mission and learn how Mavrookas is rebuilding America’s maritime industrial base, one autonomous vessel at a time.
On His Origin Story
BENS: You completed eight combat tours as a Navy SEAL. You saw firsthand how technology impacts the battlefield and the warfighter. Where are the gaps between tactics and technology? What did you see that drove you to solve these problems in the private sector?
Mavrookas: On the battlefield, conditions change constantly. Operators adapt in real time, but the systems supporting them are often developed through processes that take years. By the time a capability reaches the warfighter, the problem may have changed. We have to make sure that our warfighters have access to the most up-to-date tools in their arsenal, and that those tools are capable of rapidly evolving and updating over time.
During my time in the SEAL teams, I saw how much the right technology could improve situational awareness, expand the options available to an operator, and help keep people safe. That experience shaped how we built Saronic. Our engineers work directly with operators, testing our systems in real maritime environments and using what we learn to improve them immediately. Our focus is on giving the warfighter reliable capabilities that solve real operational problems, then continue adapting those capabilities as the environment changes.
BENS: Was there a specific moment during your service, whether a decision or a capability you didn’t have, that solidified what you wanted to build?
Mavrookas: The main question we need to ask ourselves is how can we complete our mission while keeping our team safe? Today, we have the autonomy, robotics, and computing power to send machines into many of the dull, dirty, and dangerous environments that previously required a person. And that is one of the principles behind Saronic: building autonomous maritime vessels that can go where people shouldn’t have to.
In the defense context, this means our platforms do not replace the judgment of the warfighter, but instead extend the warfighter’s reach, create more options, and reduce the number of people who are put in harm’s way. And if we can support our servicemembers coming home to their families, then we’re doing it right.
On What He’s Building
BENS: Saronic’s mission is to redefine maritime superiority through the most advanced autonomous vessels in the maritime domain. For those who may not be familiar, what are you building at Saronic and why is the maritime domain where you decided to focus this type of innovation?
Mavrookas: Saronic is a maritime autonomy company and shipbuilder — we’re building autonomous vessels while helping rebuild America’s maritime industrial base. Our fleet currently ranges from the 24-foot Corsair to the 180-foot Marauder. Each platform is designed for autonomy from the outset, built for seamless integration and interoperability, and is capable of supporting a wide variety of both defense and commercial missions while keeping people out of harm’s way.
Naval power has always been tied directly to industrial capacity. Today, China has approximately 230 times the shipbuilding capacity of the United States. That imbalance has significant consequences for both the U.S. and its allies’ economic security and our ability to build and sustain our fleet. We have to change that equation.
Autonomy allows us to build vessels that are less complex, more configurable, and capable of being produced in greater numbers and at greater speed. But new technology must be matched by new industrial capacity. That is why we are investing more than $3 billion to build Port Alpha, our next-generation shipyard in Brownsville, Texas. Port Alpha will significantly expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity and enable the production of medium and large autonomous vessels at a scale that does not exist in the United States today.
BENS: Earlier this year, the U.S. Navy deployed a Saronic vessel in what is believed to be the first at-sea rescue by an autonomous boat, recovering the crew of a downed U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. What does this tell us about the direction and future of autonomous technology?
Mavrookas: We were incredibly grateful that two American service members were able to return safely home to their families. That is what matters most. The use of Corsair in the rescue operation underscored the value of utilizing configurable systems, like autonomous surface vessels, that can adapt across mission sets in various operational environments.
The future of maritime autonomy will be defined by systems that are reliable, adaptable, and available when they are needed. Autonomous vessels can provide persistent presence, perform high-risk missions, respond to unexpected events, and expand the options available to commanders while keeping more people out of harm’s way. This rescue brought that potential into focus.
BENS: In a conversation with McKinsey & Company, you shared that restoring America’s maritime leadership isn’t about replicating China’s industrial model — it’s about building differently.
What does building differently actually mean in practice? How does this influence how you design, test, and iterate? How does working alongside the government in real time accelerate what’s possible?
Mavrookas: Building differently starts with design. We design vessels for autonomy and for any end-use and end-user, and we digitalize the entire platform and ensure the product is designed for manufacturability. That all reduces complexity and allows us to use modular construction, software-driven workflows, and a more resilient supply chain. We also control the full process across software, hardware, manufacturing, and operations, so feedback can move quickly from the water to the engineering team and back into production.
Marauder is a good example. We designed, built, and launched our first autonomous ship in under a year. That speed came from approaching the entire ship as an integrated system.
We apply the same approach to our autonomy. We can send a software update from code to simulation in 30 minutes and validate it on the water within 24 hours. Working directly with operators also gives our engineers immediate feedback about what works, what does not, and what needs to change. That cycle produces more reliable systems and ensures we are solving the government’s actual operational problems.
On The Bigger Picture: America’s Maritime Industrial Strength
BENS: You previously noted that China has more than 230 times America’s shipbuilding capacity; in 2024, China built over 1,000 commercial vessels, while the U.S. produced just eight. Washington is signaling urgency to rebuild America’s maritime industrial strength in shipbuilding with the Maritime Action Plan and the SHIPS for America Act.
From where you sit — building autonomous vessels, standing up a next-generation shipyard, working alongside the Navy — is the policy environment finally setting the stage for industry to meet this moment?
Mavrookas: There is a level of urgency around American shipbuilding today that we have not seen in decades. The Maritime Action Plan and the SHIPS for America Act reflect a growing recognition that maritime strength is fundamental to both national security and economic security.
That is important, but policy alone does not create capacity. Capacity comes from shipyards, workers, suppliers, infrastructure, and production lines delivering vessels year after year.
The real measure of progress will be whether these policies produce sustained demand, faster procurement, regulatory reform, workforce investment, and new shipbuilding capacity. The direction is encouraging. The next step is execution.
Industry has to be willing to invest and build ahead of the curve, and government has to create the conditions that allow companies making those investments to move quickly and plan for the long term.
BENS: What does it actually take, from government, capital markets, and the shipbuilding industry itself, to rebuild the maritime industrial base this nation needs? What isn’t being done that should be?
Mavrookas: Government must provide clear priorities, consistent demand, and acquisition pathways that move successful capabilities into production fast. Capital markets must be willing to fund industrial projects with longer timelines and significant upfront costs. Industry must invest in facilities, technology, supply chains, and workforce development, then demonstrate that it can deliver.
We also need to expand the definition of the maritime industrial base. Rebuilding it cannot be limited to improving the capacity we already have — America needs new shipyards, new production models, and new sources of skilled labor.
That is why we are building Port Alpha in Brownsville, Texas. We plan to invest more than $3 billion in a next-generation shipyard capable of producing medium and large autonomous vessels for both defense and commercial customers. It will use software-defined manufacturing, robotics, and advanced production systems while creating up to 10,000 direct jobs. Investments at that scale are necessary if the U.S. wants to restore the industrial capacity required for long-term maritime leadership.
BENS: A lot of the reform conversation in defense right now centers on the ability to build, adapt, scale, and procure at the speed the threat demands, not the speed of acquisition. What are the demand signals private sector needs from government to keep delivering at that pace?
Mavrookas: The government should define the operational outcome, create opportunities for companies to prove they can deliver it, and move quickly to production when they do. That preserves competition while giving industry room to innovate. We have seen the value of this approach through our production work on Corsair, which went from prototype to production in less than a year.
Those programs create opportunities to test capability with the fleet, incorporate operator feedback, and demonstrate readiness for scaled production. The strongest demand signal is a transition from successful testing to meaningful production quantities, fast.
On The Public-Private Equation
BENS: Your company Saronic is comprised of veterans, technologists, and engineers. As Co-Founder and CEO, you established “one mission” as one of the company’s core values. What does that mean in practice to you, and what has that cross-sector team made possible that a more traditional approach couldn’t deliver?
Mavrookas: One of our core values at Saronic is “One Mission, One Team.” For us, this means every person understands why we are here, how their work contributes, and that our success depends on all of us moving together. We bring veterans, software engineers, naval architects, and skilled tradespeople together around one shared objective.
That alignment allows operational insight to move directly into design, testing, and production. It helps us surface problems faster, make decisions closer to the work, and deliver capability on timelines that were previously considered unrealistic in the industry. And it allows us to be there for each other, sleeves rolled up, moving toward our mission together.
BENS: Saronic has built a significant and growing relationship with the U.S. Navy. You’ve been on both sides of that coin. How do you translate the different languages, motivations, and challenges on each side of that relationship, but leave room for innovation, and on the business side, commercial success?
Mavrookas: The most productive relationships begin with a shared understanding of the problem and the needed outcome. The military brings operational expertise and direct feedback from the fleet, while industry brings technology, private capital, manufacturing capacity, and speed. Our job is to translate those operational needs into systems that are reliable, producible, and simple to use.
Commercial success helps make that model sustainable. Building end-use agnostic platforms that are capable of supporting both defense and commercial applications strengthens supply chains, increases production volume, lowers costs, and supports continued investment in the industry. That creates a stronger industrial foundation for delivering better capabilities to both the defense and commercial markets, at scale.
BENS: President Eisenhower understood that lasting security depends on the total product of a nation working as one: its economic strength, its industrial capacity, and its willingness to bridge the divide between public purpose and private ingenuity. At this fall’s award gala, you will be honored alongside Daniel P. Driscoll, the 26th Secretary of the Army, who worked to reform how the Army acquires and resources the capabilities the nation needs.
From your seat, as a veteran, a builder, and a founder, what does this type of public-private collaboration make possible? And what is the broader benefit of this exchange, for both sectors and for the nation?
Mavrookas: This collaboration allows the country to combine operational experience and national priorities with private capital, technical innovation, and industrial execution. When those pieces work together, we can develop capabilities faster, strengthen domestic production, and build capacity that serves both national security and economic growth.
The government gains access to new technology, new approaches, and companies willing to invest ahead of established programs; industry gains a clearer understanding of the nation’s most important problems and the opportunity to build against real operational needs. The exchange makes both sides better, while working toward one united goal.
The broader benefit is national resilience. Shipyards create skilled jobs, support regional economies, strengthen supply chains, and preserve the ability to build what the country needs when it needs it.
President Eisenhower understood that military strength cannot be separated from economic and industrial strength. Rebuilding America’s maritime industrial base requires that same understanding today, along with a shared willingness across government and industry to act together with urgency.
Dino Mavrookas will join The Honorable Daniel P. Driscoll, the 26th Secretary of the Army, for a fireside chat at the 2026 Eisenhower Award Gala in New York City on October 19. Together, they will explore what it takes to rebuild America’s defense industrial base, how private capital and acquisition reform sit at the heart of that effort, and why public-private partnership is critical to securing the foundation of American strength.
