Posidonia 2018 opens - agenda-setting shipping show
Celebrating 50 years since its inception, Greek Prime minister Alexis Tsipras officially opened Posidonia 2018, last night signalled the start of the global biennial maritime calendar’s most anticipated week which this year will see a record of 2,010 exhibitors from 92 countries welcoming some 22,000 maritime executives from nearly every country of the world.
Addressing an international audience comprising heads of states, European Union officials, Greek cabinet members, foreign maritime ministers, board members of the Union of Greek Shipowners, chairmen of international organisations as well as 1,500 VIP guests, Tsipras noting Greek shipping owns the largest international commercial fleet said the “government is investing in infrastructure upgrades required by our shipping industry, while promoting initiatives which support the sector’s expansion in Greece as well as abroad”.
Reflecting a theme of the exhibition, IMO secretary general Kitack Lim, said: “We must ensure the opportunities presented by modern ‘mega trends’ like digitalisation, artificial intelligence and the so-called ‘fourth industrial revolution’ are carefully integrated into shipping, balancing the benefits against safety and security concerns, the impact on the environment, on international trade, and on the human element.”
Seatrade Maritime News is reporting Live From Posidonia 2018
EU Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, referred to the responsibility “to make sure our shipping sector remains safe, sustainable, competitive that offers many good jobs both on-board and onshore. The EU is your partner all the way through and I hope we will continue working together on this path.”
Theodore Veniamis, Union of Greek Shipowners president, added: “Once again, Posidonia highlights the indispensable role and the multidimensional importance of shipping for the welfare of all nations.”
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