Page 49: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2018)

“In 2017 the core of the Greek shipping cluster was composed of 1,389 shipping com- (696 in the ? eld of ship management panies and 693 in the ? eld of chartering/brokerage and other shipping activities) operating in Pi- raeus, resulting in $2.8 billion entering in shipping foreign exchange for

Greece their operational costs. Moreover, these com- panies offer direct employment to over employees and constitute the driving 16,467 force for the entire maritime cluster.

Panagiotis Kouroumplis

Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy al industry such as shipping. the digitalization trend which is rapidly said Kouroumplis. tegic location by turning it into an en- “Our country honestly and actively changing the entire logistics chain. “In “On a more personal level, I consider ergy, transport and communications supported the balanced compromise order to unleash its full potential and being Minister of Shipping of a coun- hub promoting growth and stability in on ambitious and realistic targets, tak- contribute to human wellbeing through try with the largest merchant ? eet and a our part of the world. In a sense I have ing into account what is feasible for the growth and development all around the millennia-old maritime tradition both a been already compensated by working shipping industry and what is necessary world, we need to advance collabora- privilege and a huge responsibility. Es- with some of the most able risk takers for the future of coming generations. In tion, enhance standards and proactively pecially since maritime and port policy in the global business community. I will this context the vision under the identi- engage with industry and policymakers are core elements in this government’s be truly satis? ed when we achieve our ? ed ”levels of ambition”, namely to re- when shaping the regulatory landscape, plan, namely to leverage Greece’s stra- policy goals.” duce total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008, while, at the same time, pursuing efforts towards phasing them out, is absolutely shared by Greece,” said Kouroumplis.

“Over the next ? ve years, we look forward to the constructive coopera- tion with other IMO Member States and other stakeholders in order to effectively implement the Strategy and promote sustainable shipping. Of course, as in all decisions affecting the industry, the speci? c measures should be realistic and easy to implement, while full decarbon- ization is obviously dependent upon the eventual global availability of alterna- tive fuels.”

Challenges Ahead

No stranger to challenges, personal and professional, Kouroumplis is prag- matic in assessing the road ahead.

“The maritime industry is the back- bone of globalization and international trade,” said Kouroumplis. “The Greek maritime sector is one of the country’s most important sectors and a major sup- plier of jobs.”

The entire industry is faced with a num- ber of challenges, from the machinery- based technology to reduce emissions to www.marinelink.com 49

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