The strategic importance of the shipbuilding industry, the need to strengthen Greek defence production, and the new opportunities created by the plans of the Ministry of National Defence within the framework of the «Agenda 2030» the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Houpis, at the BLUE STRATEGY SUMMIT 2026 conference, organised by the Hellenic Shipbuilders’ Association (EEN) at the InterContinental Athens on Monday 25 May under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic, with the support of the Ministries of National Defence, Environment and Energy, Development, Labour and Social Security, Infrastructure and Transport, and Shipping and Island Policy.
The Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff noted that «the sea has always been the fundamental pillar of Greece’s national identity and economic openness», even more so today in a context of growing hybrid and maritime threats».
«»The prospect of building a Greek multi-purpose vessel and the ongoing cooperation between the Armed Forces and the Hellenic Coast Guard takes on a particularly critical strategic dimension in terms of both location and timing,” he emphasised.
As he pointed out, the transition «from geographical position to capability, and from there to power, is at the heart of today’s debate», whilst emphasising that the seabed is now emerging as a critical theatre of modern operations. At the same time, he described the Navy as «the cornerstone of national security» and highlighted the need to strengthen shipbuilding capacity, develop low-cost autonomous systems, transitioning to network-centred systems based on open technology, and strengthening cyber security.
Watch the entire EEN Blue Strategy Summit 2026, as broadcast live on its YouTube channel, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po-OwjiZSYQ