By Vaso Vegiri

The Corfu Port Authority S.A. announced its participation in the ARGONAUT project, a cross-border initiative within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Greece-Italy 2021-2027 program, which aims to promote sustainable shipping and “green” maritime tourism.

At the opening meeting, which took place in Taranto, Italy, CEO Dimitris Apergis, met with Gianfranco Gadaleta, coordinator of the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg Greece-Italy program, as well as with Dimitris Katsaros, secretary general of the Decentralized Administration of the Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian. The meeting marked the official start of a project that is expected to significantly upgrade port infrastructure and strengthen the international image of Corfu and Greece in the maritime tourism sector.

Nautical tourism

ARGONAUT aims to respond to the environmental, economic and social challenges of nautical tourism in the Greek-Italian maritime region, focusing on coastal zones and marinas burdened by seasonal traffic and environmental pressures.

Strategic partners from Italy and Greece contribute with specialized expertise: the lead partner from Italy undertakes the coordination and development of the Adriatic Maritime Route Planner, while entities from Puglia and the municipality of Gallipoli contribute to training, skills strengthening and project communication.

In Greece, the Corfu port leverages its experience from European and INTERREG projects, leading innovative actions in digital solutions and green mobility, while the Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian ensures the dissemination of results across three regions. At the same time, the Port Authority of Patras brings its know-how to port infrastructures, with a pilot application of green technologies.

Main actions of the project include:

Development of the Adriatic Maritime Route Planner: a digital, AI-assisted platform for safer and “greener” maritime routes in real time.

Green transformation of pilot ports in Gallipoli, Corfu and Patras, with electric boat charging stations.

Creation of the ARGONAUT Network, a cross-border network for the exchange of best practices in nautical tourism.

Theoretical and practical training programs for sustainable navigation and port management.