Posidonia 2026: Focus on Greek-American cooperation, the green transition and artificial intelligence

Strengthening Greek-American cooperation, investments in the shipbuilding industry, energy security and the digital transformation of shipping dominated the discussions at Poseidonia 2026 on the fourth day, highlighting Greece’s strategic role in the international shipping and energy environment.

Speaking yesterday at the conference of the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce held in the context of the exhibition, Minister of Shipping and Insular Policy Vasilis Kikilias stressed that relations between Greece and the United States are at their highest level in recent years, creating significant prospects for cooperation in the fields of shipping, energy, investment and tourism. As he noted, Greece has become a critical hub for Europe’s energy security through the transport of American LNG, with Greek shipowners playing a leading role in transporting energy cargoes to Alexandroupolis and then to the markets of Southeastern and Central Europe.

ONEX’s strategic partnership with South Korean Hanwha also played a central role in the conference proceedings. ONEX President and CEO Panos Xenokostas stressed that the cooperation model implemented with the United States is an example for the creation of strong industrial partnerships. The cooperation is part of a broader investment program of 1.3 billion euros, which is expected to contribute to the modernization of Greek shipyards, the creation of new jobs and the strengthening of the competitiveness of Greek industry.

For its part, Hanwha highlighted Greece’s potential to develop into a regional platform for shipping and energy, while Mr. Xenokostas also placed particular emphasis on the geopolitical dimension of the shipbuilding industry and called on Europe and the United States to proceed with a joint ten-year plan aimed at recovering 30% of global shipbuilding production.

Carbon capture technologies

The challenge of the green transition of shipping also attracted particular interest, with the conference of the Association of Technical Directors and Executives of Shipping Companies (MARTECMA) dealing with the prospects of Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS) technology.

Sea Traders Technical Director and President of the Association, Mr. Panos Kourkounthis, described the intense financial burden that the new decarbonization regulatory framework is creating for shipping. According to the estimates he presented, a Suezmax tanker may be burdened with millions of dollars in compliance costs in the coming years, while even ships using LNG as fuel will face significant financial burdens. Under these circumstances, carbon capture appears to be one of the few immediately available technological solutions for reducing emissions on existing ships.

The discussion on the energy transition and the future of shipping also dominated special thematic sections of the Poseidonia 2026, focusing on new technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The MARTECMA conference attracted particular interest, where the prospects of Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS) technology were analyzed.

Sea Traders S.A.’s Technical Director, Panos Kourkounthis, described the intense financial burden that the new decarbonization regulatory framework creates for shipping. Under these circumstances, he said, carbon capture appears to be one of the few readily available technological solutions for reducing emissions on existing ships.

From DNV’s side, Chara Georgopoulou underlined that the technology has already proven its effectiveness through studies and pilot applications, allowing emission reductions that can range from 20% to 50%, depending on the type and size of the system. In the same context, Stamatis Fradelos, Vice President Regulatory Affairs of ABS, emphasized that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to shape the relevant regulatory framework and that more comprehensive guidelines are expected in the coming years. Vasilis Dimoulas, Technology & Innovation Director of Bureau Veritas, focused on the technical and operational challenges associated with the storage of liquefied carbon dioxide on board ships.

Artificial Intelligence

Technology is emerging as a dominant theme at Posidonia 2026, more than at any previous edition of the Expo, with Artificial Intelligence (AI), energy efficiency technology and cloud-native maritime software “occupying” the spaces of the Athens Metropolitan Expo.

Research conducted by the organizer “Posidonia Exhibitions S.A.” before this year’s event showed that 

More than 40 exhibitors had already integrated AI into their business in some way — a figure that would have seemed unthinkable at Posidonia 2024, when AI for shipping was still being tested in labs and pilot projects. From classification societies to software developers and from equipment manufacturers to logistics platforms, the technology is now affecting every aspect of the industry.

Speaking at a special event, Joshua Divin, Senior Vice President for Marine Business Development at the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), discussed the impact of AI on classification and safety – the regulatory infrastructure on which the entire industry depends. He said, “We started looking at the value of data for shipping in 2017. We now have several AI-driven projects – including our AI Center of Excellence – aimed at helping us create a useful and operational database for shipping companies. We also offer AI consulting services and products, such as Plato, a powerful AI tool designed to accelerate regulatory compliance. It acts as a digital conversational assistant that helps professionals quickly navigate classification rules and regulatory requirements. AI is here to stay and every company needs to think about how they can leverage it.”

George Kokosalakis, Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Shipping, Supply Chain & Energy and Associate Professor at the American College of Greece, he argues that “the most powerful tool today that helps us decarbonize is Artificial Intelligence. We have identified some gaps that prevent the full implementation of Artificial Intelligence systems, such as lack of trust, the automation paradox (that is, Artificial Intelligence improves the use of manual skills, degrading the ability to make good decisions for the moment when it matters most), cybersecurity and organizational readiness. However, Decision Support Systems with Artificial Intelligence capabilities are not a distant ambition, because the solutions are commercially available today.”

Finally, within the framework of today’s Poseidonium program, the Greek company Fleetwork presented the first fully cloud and fully Greek maritime ERP, designed specifically for the needs of modern shipping. Yiannis Sarris, Founder and CEO of Fleetwork, said: “At Posidonia 2026 we are presenting the new generation of our platform, with an emphasis on our new AI-driven tool, smarter workflows and cloud-based functions that enhance collaboration between ship and office in real time. Our goal is to give shipping companies greater flexibility, better utilization of operational data and more efficient daily processes through a modern cloud maritime ERP environment, which always looks to the future.”