Athens will host on April 30, 2026, at the Eugenides Foundation a high-level meeting on the implementation the European Strategy for the Shipping Industry and the European Strategy for Ports, bringing together leading representatives from Greece and Europe.
Keynote speeches will be delivered by theEuropean Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, and the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vasilis Kikilias, highlighted the strategic importance of the event both at the national and at&European levels.
The event is organized byWaterborne Technology Platformin collaboration with theEugenides Foundationand is held under the auspices of theMinistry of Shipping and Island Policy. It will bring together key representatives from industry, shipping, ports, research, and policy-making, representing the entire value chain of the European shipping ecosystem.
The workshop’s thematic sessions will focus on innovation, competitiveness, and skills, at a critical juncture for the sustainability and transition of the European shipping and port industries. At the same time, European strategies for the shipping industry and ports, while special panels will examine:
- short-distance shipping, passenger ships, and insularity
- maritime technology
- port ecosystems
- skills, education, and quality jobs
The event is taking place at a time when the Waterborne community is developing nine Action Plans for the development of new technologies (Technology Roadmaps), setting priorities for research, innovation, and their implementation in critical sectors such as ports, the shipbuilding industry and equipment manufacturing, coastal shipping, short-sea shipping, cruises, offshore activities, and, more broadly, the blue economy.
The detailed program for the conference will be announced in the coming days.
About the Waterborne Technology Platform
The Waterborne TechnologyPlatform (TP) brings together stakeholders from across the maritime transport value chain, including shipowners, shipyards, equipment manufacturers, ports, energy, infrastructure, and service providers, classification societies, universities, and research institutions. Its goal is to ensure that priorities in research, development, and innovation (RD&I),&as well as the implementation of innovations, meet both the needs of industry and the objectives of broader European policy-making. Furthermore, since 2021, Waterborne TP has been coordinating the private sector side of the Partnership for Zero-Emission Shippingin collaboration with the European Commission. Today, theWaterborne TP has 130 members from 19 EU member states and 4 European countries associated with the HorizonEurope program.
70 Years of the Eugenides Foundation
The Eugenides Foundation has been a member of Waterborne since 2024, and is an institutional partner of the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy for the blue economy, with an emphasis on the skills required for maritime-related professions.
The year 2026 marks a milestone for the Eugenides Foundation, as it celebrates 70 years of uninterrupted and multifaceted contributions to education, knowledge, and the development of skills among the youth of our country. This 70-year journey is the result of a collective effort—a journey undertaken together with thousands of people: students, teachers, families, scientists, technicians, and professionals.
The Eugenides Foundation has extensive experience in maritime and vocational education, in the publication of educational textbooks—with more than 48 million books—as well as in the implementation of digital transformation initiatives and a wide-ranging program of grants and scholarships. In addition to its facilities, which include one of the largest science and technology exhibitions in Europe and one of the most modern digital planetariums, state-of-the-art educational laboratories, a library, a conference center, and the new Institute for Training and Skills Development, it has the organizational and technical foundation to transfer knowledge and skills to the general public.