Fifty European experts visit Elefsis Port for EU project EXCEED

PRESS RELEASE

Within the framework of the European project EXCEED, which aims to strengthen the Centers of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) and to connect education and the labor market through innovative skills development programs, the Port of Elefsina welcomed fifty European experts.

The visit took place on October 17, 2025 and was co-organized by the Elefsis Port Authority S.A. and the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA), marking a fruitful partnership between port development, shipping and green technology.

Emphasis on the green transition and the protection of the marine environment

In his opening remarks, the CEO of Elefsis Port Authority S.A., Apostolos Kamarinakis, presented the important project of removing shipwrecks and dangerous ships from the maritime zone of the Port of Elefsis- an emblematic initiative, which environmentally and functionally upgrades the Gulf of Elefsis and the coastal front of the city. The participants took a sea tour of the port facilities, acquiring a direct picture of the shipwrecks’ environmental footprint and the necessity of coordinated action to remove them.

A series of thematic presentations focused on shipping innovation, green transition, and the transfer of technical know-how was held at the hall of the Association of Elefsina Port Stevedores. The following topics were presented:

• “The prospects of additive manufacturing in shipping” – Dr. Dimitrios Armenis (ABS Technology)

• “Innovation in shipping equipment and the contribution of the Greek cluster” – Christos Papakis (HEMEXPO)

• “Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies in shipping” – Alberto Di Cecio (ERMA FIRST)

• “The institutional framework for the decarbonization of shipping” – Vera Alexandropoulou (THALASSA Foundation / VA Law Greece).

EXCEED

Exceed is a European research project creating a network of Professional Excellence Centers in five countries, in the sector of advanced manufacturing. It focuses on developing new skills, renewing study programs, and disseminating innovation. HELMEPA, in cooperation with the Economic University of Athens Research Center ‘Athena’, is participating in the founding of a Center of Professional Excellence in Shipping (Shipping CoVE) in Piraeus and Elefsina, on the above mentioned three themes, by bridging professional training and the shipping industry.