Finally, after years of working on artificial reefs and environmental engineering for others, Nadia Fani and I took the opportunity to establish our own company in 3D printing of concrete structures. Coastruction is our passion, our child, and the product of who we are and how we see ourselves in the world.
When setting up a company, you must be convinced of the product you sell or the service you deliver. We have noticed that once we start talking about 3D printing (Nadia) or artificial reefs (myself) we feel the energy and we simply don’t shut up. So, I guess, we got that part well covered.
However, the artificial reef market as well as the world of 3D printing are very dynamic and competitive. We see our con-colleagues launch great inventions and doing cool projects every day. I can honestly say that it hurt my stomach and I often froze when reading their posts online.
Until I started wondering why. Isn’t everything connected in nature? Not one single organism stands on his own. When you take all the plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, and minerals into account, it is simply impossible to be all by yourself. I then tried to see my life as a healthy reef system and told myself straight away that fish and corals never feel sorry for themselves, they just do what they have got to do. Some of them are very good in defending their direct neighbors, while others move away trash. A selected group continuously builds amazing high-rise accommodation, but it is only up to the happy few to heal others.
For me, life below water shows the world as it should be. Not a static display but a dynamic adventure. Yes, there is predation, disease, and competition but it all happens under the overall umbrella of harmony. In a healthy ecosystem, there is a place – no, … there is a need for everyone, and nobody takes more than he needs.
Realizing that I have a role to fulfill, that I need my competitors and that it is only through collaboration we can create a harmonious world, I was able to act again and move forward towards the realization of our company. No longer I will allow myself to be guided by the fear of missing out or being kicked out of the system. At Coastruction we believe that diversity creates unity. As of today, we will take our place in the world and do what we are good at. When you need us, you’ll know where to find us.
Hope to see you soon!
Astrid
