Key stakeholders to gather at the Eugenides Foundation on April 30, 2026

Athens will host, on April 30th 2026, at the Eugenides Foundation, a high-level meeting on the implementation of the European Industrial Maritime Strategy and the European Ports Strategy, bringing together leading representatives from Greece and across Europe.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, and Vassilis Kikilias, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, will deliver keynote speeches, highlighting the strategic importance of the event at both national and European levels.

Organized by the Waterborne Technology Platform in cooperation with the Eugenides Foundation and held under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, the event will convene leading stakeholders from industry, shipping, ports, research and policymaking, representing the entire value chain of the European waterborne ecosystem.

The conference sessions will focus on innovation, competitiveness, and skills, at a critical moment for the sustainability and transition of Europe’s waterborne sector. The European strategies for the Maritime Industry and the Ports will be presented, while dedicated discussions will explore:

– short sea shipping, passenger vessels, and insularity
– maritime technology
– port ecosystems
– skills, training and quality jobs

The event comes at a time when the Waterborne community advances the development of nine Technology Roadmaps, setting priorities for research, innovation and their deployment across key sectors such as ports, shipbuilding, and equipment manufacturing, ferries, short sea shipping, cruise, offshore, and the wider blue economy.

The detailed programme of the event will be announced in the coming days.

About the Waterborne Technology Platform:

The Waterborne Technology Platform (TP) brings together all stakeholders from across the waterborne value chain, including shipowners; shipbuilders; equipment manufacturers; ports; energy, infrastructure and service providers; classification societies; universities; and research institutes, ensuring that research, development and innovation priorities (RD&I) and the deployment of innovations reflect both industrial needs and policy objectives. In addition, the Waterborne TP is coordinating the private side of the Partnership on Zero-Emission Waterborne Transport, a cooperation with the European Commission since 2021. Currently, the Waterborne TP has 130 members from 19 EU Member States and 4 European countries associated to Horizon Europe.

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 Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy for the blue economy and the skills required for sea-related professions.

The year 2026 marks a milestone for the Eugenides Foundation, as it celebrates 70 years of continuous and multifaceted contribution 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 individuals: students, educators, families, scientists, technicians, and professionals.

The Eugenides Foundation has extensive experience in maritime and vocational education, as well as in the publication of educational textbooks—with more than 48 million books—and in the implementation of digital transformation initiatives, alongside a substantial body of work in donations and scholarships. Combined with its infrastructure, which includes one of the largest Science and Technology Exhibitions in Europe, one of the most advanced digital Planetariums, state-of-the-art educational laboratories, a Library, a Conference Centre, and the newly established Institute of Training and Skills Development, it possesses the organizational and technical capacity to disseminate knowledge in technical education to the wider public.
To attend, please register here

 

Eugenides Foundation
387, Syggrou Ave.
175 64 Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece
Phone: +30 210 9469 670
www.eef.edu.gr | LinkedIn | Facebook