“The Greek shipbuilding industry currently has the required capacity, know-how and operational readiness to support a national strategy for the renewal of the coastal shipping fleet, in the context of the green transition”, emphasized the President of the Association of Greek Shipyards, and President and CEO of ONEX Group, Panos Xenokostas, in his intervention in the context of the thematic session “Shipping & ESG: The green transition of ports and coastal shipping as a lever for sustainable development” organized by the “Hub – Network of Global Hellenism”.
As he noted, “it goes without saying that Greece can build ships, and the real issue does not concern technical capacity but the conditions of competitiveness, the institutional framework and the investments required for the process to be sustainable”.
Referring to the progress of the last seven years in Greek shipyards, he pointed out that almost 800 ship repairs have been carried out, while the construction of the first two plus two tugboats with Greek owners is already underway.
At the same time, he said, contracts for the construction of ferry boats are being planned for 2026, demonstrating the substantial return of Greek shipbuilding production.
He also emphasized that the restart of shipbuilding activity is a vindication for a sector that until recently had been underestimated, while it is now a crucial pillar of the maritime ecosystem.
Special reference was made to the need for rationalization and proper organization of the entire production chain, with the aim of the Greek shipbuilding industry functioning as a growth lever.
Xenokostas stated that “shipyards are an extension of shipping inland as well as in industry”, noting that the sector must move at the pace imposed by international competition and not based on internal complacency.
He assessed that the transition to new technologies cannot burden the consumer exclusively, highlighting the need to utilize available European and national resources, so that the cost of green adaptation is not transferred as it is to tickets and the operation of ships.
He also pointed out that the issue requires a comprehensive framework of support and synergies, which will allow Greek shipyards to strengthen their competitiveness and contribute substantially to the renewal of the fleet.
Concluding, he emphasized that every 1 euro invested in the shipbuilding industry can reflect up to 7 euros in GDP, pointing out that the properly organized production process is a mechanism for broader economic and industrial reconstruction.
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