The workshop on Green Technologies in the Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Industry has been successfully held at the premises of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Small and Medium Sized Industries on the 19th of December, 2018. The workshop was co-organized by the Hellenic Institute of Transport / Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (HIT/CERTH), the Thessaloniki Chamber of Small and Medium Sized Industries (VETh), and the EXANTAS Training Institute, within the framework of the EU co-funded project MATES.
The aim of the workshop was to introduce the new trends in the adoption of green technologies in the field of shipbuilding and ship repair industry and examine the current and future skill gaps of the sector’s workforce.
The topic is of great interest to the local business community and the event was well attended by representatives from the Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A., Thessaloniki Chamber of Small and Medium Sized Industries, Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Industries of Northern Greece and Greek Exporters’ Association, among others.
The event presentations were of high scientific and technical interest, as they outlined the current situation in the shipbuilding and ship repair industry and analyzed the skills gaps of the relevant workforce. The potential for development of high-tech ship repair activities in the Port of Thessaloniki and the increase of the sector’s attractiveness were among the important issues that were discussed. The needs for establishing communication channels between the Education and Training, and the Business Community of the region, as well as the development of proper training programs aiming to provide well trained and specialized workers, were emphasized.
In the context of the development of the Port of Thessaloniki as a major intermodal transportation hub in the broader South-East Europe region, there is an opportunity for simultaneous development of shipbuilding and ship repair activity. This development will bring multiple benefits to the local economy and trade, and the activity of the small and medium-sized enterprises, contributing also to the wider extroversion of the economy of Northern Greece.
The workshop ended with the resolution to support the project and, as an initial step, to establish a permanent Working Group that will examine in depth the prospects for implementing and developing the goals that were set during the workshop.
