By: Stefanos Chartomatzidis, Vice President, HEMEXPO and CCO, Prisma Electronics
According to the Union of Greek Shipowners’ Annual Report 2023–2024, Greece controlled more than 20% of global deadweight tonnage in 2023 and remains the number one ship-owning nation in the world.
While the global market share claimed by Greece’s marine equipment makers may be modest by comparison, it is nonetheless fair to note that the last 10 years have seen significant progress for producers of mechanical electrical and digital systems alike.
Supporting those efforts through the last decade has been HEMEXPO – Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers & Exporters. Since its foundation in 2014, HEMEXPO has presented Greek maritime technology providers with unprecedented opportunities to further their interests on the international stage.
As a founding member, Prisma Electronics – specifically the division responsible for its maritime services, LAROS – has taken full advantage of this global platform. Through HEMEXPO’s international affiliations and global activities, we have formed invaluable connections with maritime organizations across Europe and beyond, fostering global partnerships, sharing best practices, and driving business growth.
Of course, HEMEXPO membership is a mutually beneficial enterprise: no company, including Prisma, is admitted without contributing value. Our portfolio of sophisticated and future-proof technologies has contributed to the association’s taking a driving seat in shipping’s accelerating digital transformation, for example.
In return, collaborating with HEMEXPO has facilitated the smooth flow of international trade and provided a platform to secure multiple awards for our digital technologies. Participation in HEMEXPO also promotes the harmonization of digital standards and the interoperability of systems on a global scale.
HEMEXPO has helped us spread the word regarding both the need for and the impact of digitalisation in enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and mitigating the risks associated with traditional shipping practices.
While LAROS is dedicated to shipboard innovations, Prisma provides technology-based solutions for organisations in numerous sectors. Taking our role as a technology leader seriously, we are a member – and in most cases, a founding member – of associations for IoT, Electronics, Energy, defence, and space, among other clusters. We look beyond maritime, to learn from other industries, helping us grow and adapt to changing requirements and shifting dynamics. We bring these fresh perspectives and new ideas to HEMEXPO, contributing to its continuous evolution; engaging in the association’s shared vision makes our participation rewarding.
As the challenges facing the industry continue to evolve apace, a greater diversity of skills and knowledge will be required. To this end, HEMEXPO is working to establish a programme for talent acquisition. Recognising the importance of human capital in innovation, the project will use training initiatives and educational partnerships to equip new entrants into shipping, as well as the existing workforce, with the competencies to thrive in the lower carbon, digital economy.
Ultimately, HEMEXPO remains committed to its mission of promoting Greek innovation. It is encouraging to see that many manufacturers of newer technologies – including energy saving devices (ESDs) and digital technology providers - are represented in the HEMEXPO portfolio of members.
We are proud to play an important role in this critical endeavour. Thanks to the foundation we have laid over the past decade, members new and old are well poised to leverage novel technologies, navigate evolving market dynamics, drive decarbonization and seize emerging opportunities in the digital age of shipping.
