By Paris Tsirigotis

ptsirigotis@naftemporiki.gr

The 20th Annual Conference on Maritime Technology of the Hellenic Institute of Marine Technology (ELINT) opened amid the challenges of green transition, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and rising investment requirements.

The anniversary event was held on October 6 and 7, with Naftemporiki as its media sponsor, bringing together the scientific and technological communities, industry and institutions. A common message emerged from the opening remarks: the technological transition must be practical, economically viable and accompanied by investment in people.

"Realistic and practical solutions"

The president of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, George Alexandratos, said that shipping is at a "historic turning point" and needs well-founded, realistic and collective solutions. He placed particular emphasis on the younger generation, as well as on the need for technological applications to be translated into commercially viable solutions.

As he stressed, maintaining the leading position of Greek shipping will depend on whether competitiveness can be combined with technological adaptation, investment in human capital and an effective institutional framework.

The president of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Vassilis Korkidis, highlighted the link between shipping and high technology as a potentially powerful driver of growth for the Greek economy. He called for a shift from relying on shipping's competitive strength to creating new value through innovation, digital infrastructure, research and domestic investment.

For his part, ELINT President George Pratikakis stressed that shipping is undergoing a historic transformation, as the energy transition, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, new fuels, advanced materials and automation are changing at unprecedented speed the way ships are designed, built and operated.

According to Pratikakis, competitiveness in the years ahead will be determined by who develops the best technologies, who designs safer and more efficient ships, who makes the most effective use of data and, above all, who invests the most in people and knowledge.

Shipping

The particular challenges facing Greek ferry shipping were highlighted by the president of the Association of Passenger Shipping Enterprises (SEEN), Dionysis Theodoratos. As he noted, the sector is entering a period of major technological change while being called upon to serve the country's island communities and support territorial cohesion.

He pointed out that Greece accounts for around 2% of the European population but 18% of European ferry shipping, underscoring the need for a stronger Greek voice in European decision-making. He also referred to the recovery of Greek shipyards and the prospect of Greek ferries being maintained, upgraded and, in the future, built in Greece.