Partnership and friendship key to maritime industry’s long-term success
Christos Papakis of HEMEXPO discusses the importance of collaboration between equipment manufacturers and shipyards in helping the maritime industry to achieve its long-term goals.
As one of Europort’s core values, 'Partnership & Friendship’ is also fundamental to the work of Europort 2023 exhibitor HEMEXPO - Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters. The Perama-headquartered association brings together Greek companies providing marine equipment and technical services for use in vessel construction, conversion, maintenance and upgrades. Crucially, it connects these companies with international shipyards to facilitate productive collaboration.
Working together to identify solutions
According to HEMEXPO’s Christos Papakis, cooperation between equipment manufacturers and shipyards is crucial for the maritime industry to achieve its long-term goals: "The shipping industry is constantly evolving, with new technologies and innovations emerging all the time. Partnership and friendship between yards and equipment manufacturers encourages knowledge sharing and research and development efforts. By working together, we can identify and implement advanced solutions that improve efficiency, sustainability, safety and overall operational performance in the long run.”
Greek-Dutch collaboration
Exemplary is HEMEXPO’s cooperation with Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards, which was formalised with the signing of a declaration of intent (DoI) in 2022. The DoI outlines the two parties’ commitment to promoting Greek-Dutch collaboration in the areas of ship building, marine equipment and vessel technology. It covers, among other activities, cooperation on ad-hoc projects and the exchange of information on newly developed equipment and solutions.
A platform for networking and knowledge sharing
Papakis explains that Europort plays a vital role in facilitating such relationships. "Europort brings together maritime businesses, including shipyards and equipment manufacturers, from around the world,” he says. "The event provides an ideal platform for networking, building connections and initiating discussions that can lead to fruitful collaborations. It also serves as a knowledge hub, with its many conferences, seminars and workshops supporting the sharing of insights, ideas and expertise. Overall, Europort makes a significant contribution to the industry’s long-term success.”
As part of its commitment to strengthening the Greek maritime cluster and supporting the industry’s growth and development, HEMEXPO, in cooperation with Enterprise Greece - the official investment and trade promotion agency of the Greek State - has organised Europort’s Greece Pavilion since 2015. With leading Greek marine equipment manufacturers showcasing a range of smart ship solutions, the Greece Pavilion is not to be missed.
National Pavilions in the spotlight
National Pavilions continue to prove a popular attraction at Europort, with key maritime nations given the opportunity to highlight the range of expertise and business networks available to them. Many of the national pavilions at Europort 2023 have already sold out.
Learn more about the National Pavilions here.