21st Mare Forum Greece

The conference will take place in an open, daring and stimulating environment combined with transparent discussions, with executives actively participating, discussing, debating and exchanging their thoughts, ideas, visions, and roles in (green) shipping, energy transition, decarbonisation, financing, and investing models for today and the future and how maritime Greece can become the leading marine hub of Europe and world.

Participants will plunge into a pool of booming businesses, network opportunities, and knowledge transfer.

It will be inspiring, Be There, Be Heard.

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P R O G R A M M E

[To view the tentative list of the panellists, scroll down]
 
The conference will be held on board the Celestyal cruise ship in Piraeus.  ‍

12:30
Registration

13:30
session 1‍

Opening and Welcome

- Ioannis (Jannis) Kostoulas President, Mare Forum
- George Tsavliris Principal, Tsavliris Salvage Group and Conference Chairman
- Chris Theophilides CEO, Celestyal Cruises
- Miltiadis Varvitsiotis Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs
- George Prevelakis Professor Emeritus, University of Sorbonne ; Ambassador, Permanent Representative, OECD, France
- Dinos Arcoumanis Member of Board, Safe Bulkers Participations

 14:00
Session 2‍

Exploring the shipping and trade opportunities while sailing in unknown waters
The voices of Charterers -shipowners – capital providers – and regulators

Challenges and opportunities in a multipolar world. Geopolitics, tensions between Russia, China, and the USA, inflation, dollar appreciation, regionalisation vs globalisation, energy transition, changing trade patterns, and Supply chain disruption.
The Human Factor imperatives, The young generation views.
The need for Synergy needed between Charterers - shipowners – capital providers– and regulators

- Challenges, opportunities and risks in today's global trade, shipping, economy, and regulations.
- What are the Shipping and trade markets forecasts for 2023 and beyond?
- Energy transition status, energy security, geopolitics, tensions, wars, (de)globalisation, changing trade patterns, supply chain disruption, inflation and USD forecast
- One step back or two steps ahead? Are we stepping back to coal, oil, gas, and nuclear energy modes, and for how long.
- Can the regulators follow the speed of the first movers with effective global regulations? Is regional regulation a bad thing in the meantime?
- How can (environmental)regulations become better balanced with market realities?
- Do we need talented and charismatic people for the future of shipping
- Where will they come from?
- Do we need new skills and expertise, plus more diversity in shipping?
- What are the visions of the young generation?

SESSION CHAIRMAN:
- George Alexandratos Vice President, Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and President, Piraeus Marine Club

DISCUSSION PANELLISTS:
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- George Tsavliris Principal, Tsavliris Salvage Group
- John Platsidakis Shipping Executive
- Maria Bertzeletou Market Analyst, The Signal Group
- Tamara Apostolou Senior Maritime Analyst, BARRY ROGLIANO SALLES ATHENS
- George Mantalos Energy Management Director, Star Bulk
- George Prevelakis Professor Emeritus, University of Sorbonne ; Ambassador, Permanent Representative, OECD, France
- Dinos Arcoumanis Member of Board, Safe Bulkers Participations
- Apostolos Poulovassilis Director, Ocean Technologies Group & Director of Maritime Studies, Business College of Athens

14:40 Break

15:00
Session 3 ‍

The right way ahead to Decarbonisation - Lessons to be learned

 - How exposed is the existing fleet to upcoming legislation, and how do shipowners mitigate risk?
- Are carbon-neutral or zero-carbon operations a target? If so, what are the steps to reach it (e.g.vessel speed, efficiency upgrades, switching to alternative fuels, offsetting etc.)?
existing fleet- What is now required to start reducing emissions immediately?
- What are possible incentives for first movers to decarbonization?
- Will the Charterers pay for GHG emissions? }- How are alternative fuel suppliers preparing to provide carbon-neutral and zero-carbon fuels for shipping at scale?
- How are alternative fuel suppliers preparing to provide carbon-neutral and zero-carbon fuels for shipping at scale?
- What is the role of charterers, shipowners, capital providers and regulators in the multi-relationship structure of their interests, focusing on sustainable and commercially viable shipping and trading industry?
- Will repair yards have the capacity to deal with an upcoming wave of retrofits? How are they preparing for the challenge?
- What are the necessary changes in port infrastructure, and is there a plan of implementation by the relevant authorities? What are the key priorities?
- Can industry-wide initiatives, such as green corridors, accelerate the industry’s transformation? What does it take for them to be successful?
- What can we do now to help accelerate the availability of zero-carbon ships while at the same time reducing shipping’s footprint: slow steaming, retrofits, ESG reporting, and verification
- Lessons to be learned

SESSION CHAIRMAN:
- Dinos Arcoumanis Member of Board, Safe Bulkers Participations

DISCUSSION PANELLISTS:
- Fotios Belexis Technical Director, STAR BULK
- Dr. Elizabeth Lindstad, Chief Scientist, Maritime Transport, SINTEF Ocean AS
- Michael de Visser Global Head of Transportation, NIBC Bank
- Volkmar Galke Global Director, WinGD
- Vasilios Lamaris Manager, 2-Stroke Decarbonisation Services, Wärtsilä
- Panos Zachariadis Fleet Technical Director, Atlantic Bulk Carriers Management Ltd.
- Jan Fransen Executive Director, Green Award Foundation
- Nikolas G. Theodorou Chief Strategy Officer, ABC Maritime AG
- Vanessa Tzoannou Partner at Hill Dickinson LLP
- Efthymios Stasinos Senior Business Development Manager, RINA
- Erhan Esinduy Foreign Relations Commission Member, Turkish Shipbuilders Association, GISBIR
- Fabrizio Vettosi Managing Director, VSL Club SpA Investment & Advisory

15:50
Break

 16:10
session 4

What are the benefits of the features of Alternative Finance and other models to the Greek and global shipping industry?
Where does the money come from, and how do you get it?

‍- How can the capital providers fulfil the needs of shipowners?
- What are the trends in banking, alternative ship finance, bonds and other models of finance and investments on the way to decarbonisation?
- What will be the future role of Greek and global banks in the industry (in the context of the increased role of alternative finance providers)?
- What are the benefits of the features of Alternative Finance to the global shipping industry?
- Will pension fund money flow into the international shipping debt markets, and what is required for this to happen?
- Will the maritime green trend accelerate in case the role of alternative finance in shipping increases?
- Will alternative finance focus more on new-build financing or on second-hand?
- How do shipping companies choose an appropriate lender?
- Lending has become highly diverse; what are the most common alternative financing structures? 

 SESSION CHAIRMAN:
- Yannis Litinas Partner, Simonsen Vogt Wiig

DISCUSSION PANELLISTS:
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- Robbert Jan Sougé Managing Director, Direct Shipfinance
- Vanessa Tzoannou Partner, Hill Dickinson LLP
- Even Ulrichsen Director Maritime Finance, GRIEG SHIPBROKERS
- Fabrizio Vettosi Managing Director, VSL Club SpA Investment & Advisory
- Wilhelm Christian Magelssen, Partner, NRP Maritime Asset Management
- Michael de Visser Global Head of Transportation, NIBC Bank
- Katerina Stathopoulou Executive Director, Investments & Finance Ltd
- Iraklis Tsirigotis Director of Origination, Neptune Maritime Leasing
- George Xiradakis Senior Maritime & Investment Banker / Founder, XRTC Business Consultants Ltd.
- Akis Tsirigakis CEO, Nautilus Offshore
- more panellists to be announced

16:50
Session 5
How can Maritime Greece become the Leading Shipping and Maritime Hub Centre of the World, and what does this mean to shipowners, traders, financiers, and many other service providers?

- A comparison of the global maritime and shipping hubs and Piraeus/Athens
- The competitiveness of the Greek shipping Cluster
– What has been done and what to do next?
- A maritime and shipping regional/global financial and trading services hub?
- The Maritime Tourism expansion – infrastructure, regulations,
- Energy hub, gas, exploration, distribution, energy alternatives and exports.
- The creation of Startups and Entrepreneurial environments in Greece. What is more needed?
- Taxes Incentives and quality business environment
- What must be the role of the State?- What is needed from the industry?
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SESSION CHAIRMAN:
- George Alexandratos Vice President / President, Hellenic Chamber of Shipping / Piraeus Marine Club
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DISCUSSION PANELLISTS:
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- Nicolas A. Vernicos President, Vernicos Maritime Group
- Olympia Anastasopoulou Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development, Greek Government
- Akis Tsirigakis CEO, Nautilus Offshore
- George Xiradakis Senior Maritime & Investment Banker / Founder, XRTC Business Consultants Ltd.
‍- Michael de Visser Global Head of Transportation, NIBC Bank
- Katerina Stathopoulou Executive Director, Investments & Finance Ltd
-George Tsavliris Principal, Tsavliris Salvage Group
- Efthymios Stasinos Senior Business Development Manager, RINA
- Spyridon Tarasis Vice Chairman, INTERCARGO
- more panellists to be announced

17:30 - 18:40

- more panellists to be announced

‍Drinks reception hosted by the Celestyal Cruises

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