Cruise Pioneers | Cutting Food Waste with Smart Tech

In this episode of Cruise Pioneers, host Birgit Liodden is joined by Charlotte Aschim, CEO and Founder of TotalCtrl—an award-winning Norwegian tech company revolutionising food waste reduction with AI-powered inventory control.

Together, they explore how digitising kitchen operations is a low-hanging fruit for cruise lines to reduce costs, improve food safety, and dramatically cut waste. Drawing on success across land-based hospitality—from hotels and hospitals to kindergartens—Charlotte shares how cruise lines can now adopt real-time food tracking to achieve operational efficiency and sustainability wins.

The discussion also spotlights the importance of startup–corporate partnerships in driving innovation, and why cruise lines open to piloting emerging tech will be the ones to lead the green transition. Charlotte also shares her vision for power-coupling with future-focused cruise lines, her team’s openness to collaborative pilots, and the role data and curiosity play in nurturing the next generation of talent for a more resilient cruise sector.

Tune in for a refreshing, solutions-focused conversation on turning food waste into value—for your business, your guests, and the planet.