The need to strengthen the Greek shipping cluster through unity, strategic visibility, and a focus on the younger generation was emphasized by George Alexandratos, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, during his remarks in the first panel of the Naftemporiki conference on the Greek maritime ecosystem.
As he noted, the Greek shipping cluster already exists and has a name: Maritime Hellas.
“A cluster is a group. In Greece, it exists, and we all need to support it. Maritime Hellas is an umbrella of elected individuals, allowing entrepreneurs to showcase their work through synergies,” he stated.
Alexandratos outlined five key steps that must be taken:
- Unification under Maritime Hellas:
“We must come together under a single, unified cluster. That cluster is Maritime Hellas,” he stated. - International marketing of the cluster:
“Here in Greece, we need to realize that the market is global. We may lead the world in shipping, but there are more than 100 professions directly or indirectly connected to the industry—most people aren’t aware of that,” he emphasized. - Focus on maritime tourism:
According to Alexandratos, maritime tourism offers an inexhaustible field of opportunities for the Greek economy and should be treated as a strategic priority. - Utilization of shipyards:
He reiterated the importance of effectively leveraging the country’s shipbuilding infrastructure, underlining its value in strengthening the cluster. - Attracting the younger generation:
“We need to become ‘trendy.’ We want young men and women to join the industry, but shipping must learn to speak their language. It must become fashionable in order to attract the next generation,” he commented, highlighting the urgent need to renew the sector’s human capital.
Through his remarks, Alexandratos clearly set the framework for a more outward-looking, coordinated, and modern maritime policy—one capable of fully harnessing the strengths of the Greek shipping cluster.
