An important opportunity for Greece and the Greek economy in 2024 is the rebirth of the shipping cluster with focus on the port of Piraeus. Despite the geopolitical developments, a number of important synergies between companies of marine equipment, products and services create the basic conditions for the strengthening of the cluster by the strongest maritime power in the world.
An important role is expected to be played by the reactivation of the largest shipyards in our country: Neorio, Elefsis and Skaramangas.
Executives of the shipping market pointed out to “Naftemporiki” that the strengthening of healthy entrepreneurship with a stable favorable institutional framework, the reduction of bureaucracy, the attraction of young people in the maritime professions, are the basic conditions for the regeneration and expansion of shipping.
They also pointed out that the green transition will require a mix of significant partnerships and initiatives between private and public services, as well as new skills.
The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianidis, recently said that the management of most Greek-owned ships requires a strong shipping cluster, underlining that the port of Piraeus has always been preferred by the management companies as it has evolved into an innovation center for shipping.
Digital register
Among the priorities of the Ministry of Maritime Affairsis the digitization of the register, but also the creation of a new strong institutional framework for the upgrading of maritime education in Greece, with the aim of attracting more young people to the maritime profession.
The shipping companies located in Greece, mainly in Piraeus, exceed 1,570, while more than 3,600 shipping companies operate for the management of smaller ships, providing direct employment to approximately 10,000 workers, who work to financial institutions, legal offices, financial consulting companies, marine insurance companies, etc.
Dr. Nikos Tsakos, founder and CEO of Tsakos Energy Navigation, speaking on a US television network, recently emphasized that shipping is an international industry and Greece has great know-how adding that this is the reason why it is called the Silicon Valley of Shipping.
He pointed out that Greece may be a small country of 11 million inhabitants, but Greek shipowners control, depending on the type of ships, between 20% and 25% of the world’s tonnage.
Renaissance of the shipyards
The president of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vassilis Korkidis pointed out that the Greek companies of the cluster should claim a piece of the pie that has been created.
“It has been estimated that the Greek shipyards can increase ship equipment exports by 1.35 billion euros in the first years, while the renewal of the coastal fleet, until 2030, will require investments of more than 4.5 billion euros, a large part of which should be done in Greek shipyards,” he added.
It should be noted that a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoU) worth 1 billion euros was recently signed between ONEX SA (owner of the Neorio and Elefsis Shipyards) and the Attica Group, lasting ten years, with the possibility of extension.
In the top ten in the world
The full operation of the Tower in March 2024 – the largest iconic building in Greece, which remained closed for 47 years – marks the return of many shipping businesses to the largest port hub of the Eastern Mediterranean combined with the creation of a strong shipping cluster.
The building will house shipping companies, while it is estimated that up to 2,500 people will work there.
It is noted that the port of Piraeus is among the top 10 ports worldwide in the 2023 shipping index, as it has occupied the 8th position internationally in the Xinhua-Baltic Shipping Centers Index (ISCD).
Singapore ranks as the world’s leading shipping hub, followed by London and Shanghai. The report is jointly published by China’s state news agency Xinhua and global maritime data provider Baltic Exchange.
