CONVERSATION WITH THE COMPANY OWNER
Where did the idea for founding SEnControl Ltd come from?
After spending many years working as a superintendent, I gradually realised that the offshore market was growing rapidly and that my experience could be put to much better use. A key moment came in 2007, when we purchased our first vessel — a decades-old ship with pneumatic control from the bridge all the way to the actuators.
After installing a new thruster control system and upgrading the vessel to DP1 class, the ship secured a long-term contract for OBC seismic cable laying. That was a clear signal for me: the market was hungry for services, and there was a dramatic shortage of people capable of handling advanced systems and complex integrations.
Over time, I moved into the role of vessel manager, and throughout the years we acquired additional units: PSV, AHTS — often without DP, sometimes even missing the thrusters required for DP2. We installed new propulsion units, built our own automation systems, prepared documentation, and obtained DNV approvals. We converted vessels to DP2, created ORO, ERRV and various seismic configurations, sometimes including ROV support. Most of the work revolved around seismic vessels — converting PSV and AHTS units into OBC or GUN boats was something we were doing almost on a production line.
We wrote our own FMEA, which consistently passed class approval without remarks. And all of this was done by a small, highly specialised team. It was then that I realised one thing very clearly: the market lacked integrators — companies capable of connecting systems, technologies and processes into a fully functioning whole rather than simply servicing individual devices.
When a colleague of mine — a shipowner — decided to focus on restoring old passenger vessels from the 1950s, I knew it was the right moment to go independent and build a company offering exactly the kind of support I had always struggled to find as a superintendent.
That’s how SEnControl Ltd was born.
What were the early days of the company like?
As with most businesses built from the ground up, the start was rough — full of learning and the typical organisational mistakes that come with setting up a company structure, defining responsibilities and shaping internal workflows. That phase is well behind me now, and the lessons learned then strongly influence the way I run the company today.
Fortunately, things on the professional side developed much more smoothly. Thanks to long-standing industry relationships, the first clients began to appear. Cooperation with a colleague–shipowner, who worked extensively with older vessels, gave us an excellent environment to train young engineers and automation specialists and to carry out exactly the kind of work I once needed most as a superintendent — real technical, integrative and operational support instead of “service for the sake of service”.
Importantly, early on we also managed to establish cooperation with manufacturers of DP systems, integrated bridge solutions and related technologies. Securing their representation significantly broadened our capabilities and confirmed that the direction we had chosen — combining practical experience with advanced technology — was the right one.
What makes SEnControl Ltd stand out in the industry?
We look at the problem more broadly than most.
A client often sees only the symptoms — we see the entire system. Thanks to experience gained through conversions, integrations and modernisation projects across vessels in all kinds of technical condition, we can quickly identify what is really wrong.
What sets us apart the most:
Integrator mindset
– we connect systems and technologies so that they operate as one coherent whole.
Understanding of client constraints
– technical, financial and operational.
Ability to work with “difficult” vessels
– older units where replacing everything with new equipment is simply unrealistic.
Comprehensive delivery
– we don’t create new problems for the client; we deliver complete solutions.
The result is simple: we provide what the client genuinely needs, not what is easiest to sell.
What values guide your everyday work?
Our key principles are:
We don’t create problems for our clients.
If we take on a task, the client must end up with less work, not more.
We understand the problem fully.
Often better than the client themselves. That’s not arrogance — that’s technical and system-level thinking.
We deliver solutions, not excuses.
Challenges are part of our world — we deal with them quickly, thoroughly and without unnecessary delay.
We prioritize professionalism and reliability.
Better to do less but perfectly than more at a mediocre level.
How do you see the future of the company and the maritime industry?
The maritime industry is doing well and will remain a foundation of the global economy for many years to come. Sector-specific fluctuations are natural, but the long-term trend is stable: more standards, more automation, more requirements.
Therefore, I see the future of SEnControl in:
Maintaining and expanding the highest quality of services.
Industry standards will continue to rise — we must stay one step ahead.
Building an international network of specialists.
Fully verified, competent and working according to our procedures.
Strengthening integration expertise even further.
Because onboard systems will not get simpler — quite the opposite.
The world is moving toward greater automation, hybrid propulsion systems, digitalisation and remote inspections. For us, that represents a major opportunity — not a threat.
Konrad Zagrobelny
CEO & Founder
