Ships slide in an air envelope
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

Friction, corrosion, and biofilms are three major problems in shipping. The research project `Air-retaining Surfaces` (ARES) - a collaboration project of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the universities of Bonn and Rostock - studies new types of ship coatings that permanently retain an air layer under water and, thus, help considerably reduce the three problems. ARES has now been granted the Validation Award by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).