«In recent years, the foundations have been laid, and with ELKAT we are seeing rapid growth,» said the Stefanos Gikas, Deputy Minister for Maritime Affairs and Island Policy in his opening address 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 and 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.
Among other things, he emphasised: «The Greek Government has done significant work in the areas of defence and foreign policy. The domestic defence industry must be a driver of growth. Warfare is evolving, the means are changing; Greece must be a leader, not a follower.».
The conference agenda included, amongst other things, issues relating to the restructuring of the shipbuilding industry, attracting investment, domestic expertise, technical training, shipping finance, dual-use technologies, the defence industry, as well as the energy transition and new technological requirements in the shipping sector.
Watch the entire EEN Blue Strategy Summit 2026, as broadcast live on its YouTube channel, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po-OwjiZSYQ