Greek shipping has the potential, knowledge and experience to adapt to the rapidly developing technology.
This was the main conclusion of the 7th Hydra Shipping Conference, entitled: “From the ‘brig’ to the autonomous ship”. The conference, organized by the Fraternity of the Athenian Hydriots, took place on Saturday, September 17th 2016, in the Conference Hall of the Hydra Holy Cathedral, under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, and with the support of the Hellenic Institute of Marine Technology (H.I.M.T.), the Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping, the International Propeller Club of the United States – International Port of Piraeus and of WISTA Hellas. Greek shipowners, distinguished members of historical Hydriot families, senior business executives working in the shipping industry, representatives from IT companies, consultants and academics, attended the conference.
In his welcome speech, the President of the Fraternity of the Athenian Hydriots, John Sahinis, referred to the conference which, due to the uninterrupted substantial support of all those participating in it, has become not only an important annual event, but also a high-level discussion forum for the shipping industry. He also referred to the contribution of the Fraternity.
The Fraternity was established in 1890, by the historical Hydriot shipping families that led the sea battle during the 1821 fight against the Turks, offering their 186 ships and all their fortune for that cause. They were aiming at the preservation and promotion of Hydras’ contribution to the liberation from the Turkish occupancy, the development of significant charity activity, and attracting the young people to the maritime professions. The Ship Owner and Member of the Hellenic Parliament Gkikas Koulouras, who was the Fraternity’s President from 1938 to 1954, was the initiator and co-founder of the "Union of Greek Shipowners", a union which, this year, celebrates 100 years of operation.
Mr. Sahinis mentioned that for the first time the Conference had been hosted in the Conference Hall of the Hydra Holy Cathedral, where Hydra’s Ecclesiastical Museum is also hosted. In the courtyard, the participants of the conference could see the busts of eminent Hydriots, such as Lazaros Kountouriotis and Andreas Miaoulis. The Conference Hall had been renovated in 2011 and is audio-visually fully equipped.
The President of the Fraternity mentioned that the subject of this year’s Conference was “From the ‘brig’ to the autonomous ship”, with focus on the digital transformation of the shipping industry. He called the distinguished speakers of the conference to develop their views in a productive dialogue and guide the attendants in a tour from the Brig to the autonomous ship.
