For more than a century, marine propulsion has changed surprisingly little. Engines have become cleaner, quieter and more efficient, but the basic principle remains the same: diesel is burned, pistons drive a crankshaft, and power passes through shafts and gearboxes before finally reaching the propeller.

After spending four decades developing an idea that he says simply wasn’t possible until advances in computing, materials and manufacturing caught up, Belgian inventor Gerd Van Driessche believes he has rewritten almost the entire process.