Mr. Antonis Lemos, Vice President of the Hellenic Shipowners' Association (UGS) and Chairman of Enesel, spoke about Greece's role as an international shipping leader and its prospects for the future, with Mr. Nigel Lowry, Correspondent in Athens, Lloyd's List Intelligence, in the context of the 9th Delphi Economic Forum, which is taking place in Delphi.

According to Mr Lemos, "Greek shipping is in a much better position than ever before, as Greek shipowners own 20% of the world fleet and 60% of the European fleet.

LEMOS: STATE OF THE FLEET

The question is what state the fleet is in and how it is financed". Analyzing the current picture of the Greek merchant shipping sector, Lemos noted that there is a variety of shipowners in the frame, both small and large owners, some with traditional funding sources, others based on bonds, and others listed on the stock exchange. Most Greek shipowners, according to the Vice President of the Union of Greek Shipowners, have a modern fleet, with orders recording more than 50% growth and high chances of survival in the future. He also made special mention of the multiculturalism of the employees of the shipping companies, from England, Ukraine, Korea, but expressed the hope that in the future many Greeks will play an important role in the shipping sector and that the companies are ready to face the challenges of the current era.

THE PROSPECTS OF SHIPPING

He noted that the success of Greek shipping is that what is happening is a feat that has been achieved without external subsidies and without government support.  Mr. Lemos also spoke about the prospects for shipping in the coming period, noting that things will change as there is a highly regulated environment and this becomes more pronounced after disasters such as the recent Baltimore disaster, as it contributes to rising costs. However, as he explained, "the Greeks have the advantage and it is good to keep it. Technology is advancing and ships are now getting old very quickly. The Greeks are immediately adopting these changes. They will survive the next 25 years, but there will be fewer new companies. Greek shipowners have patience, we are active, we compete in Greece, in London, in New York", adding that "the Silicon Valley of shipping is Athens, that's where the game is played".

According to Mr. Lemos, the green transition is also a great opportunity, "an opportunity to change the world our children will live in", stressing that Greek shipowners have made great progress in this area, with liquid fuel engines and the best tanker fleet, among other things.