Despite mankind’s fascination with flying and the emergence of aeroplanes, we are still dependent in a big way on floating structures – from small fishing boats to capesize cargo ships – particularly, when it comes to international trade. The reason is simple. The most cost-effective, and perhaps the most efficient, way to move goods and raw materials en masse across the globe is over water, which covers 75% of the Earth’s surface. Result: A multi-billion dollar industry dominated by South Korea, China and Japan, which together account for more than half of the world’s total exports of floating structures