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We’re here to bring the maritime community together and provide opportunities to UK Flag bearers for responsible and sustainable development. The Greek and Cypriot shipping market is one of the largest and most influential in the world, with over 30% of operators globally being based in and around the region and with many operators investing in new tonnage. Opening our first overseas office in Greece was a crucial to ensure this community was able to access the advantages of the UK Flag conveniently.

As a dynamic woman in shipping, what is your opinion about the diversity of genders in the industry?

Diversity, equity and inclusion are important topics to me. In essence diversity helps us acknowledge the strengths of every individual and allow them to fulfil their potential in a safe environment. It helps us bring different new ideas to the table and scale our growth via peer-to-peer learning and best practice exchange. The customer and work force base of the shipping industry is diverse deeply in its roots including nationalities, background, gender, race, ethnicity, religion. Having a diverse workforce in the UK Ship Register Offices helps us better understand our customers and serve them by offering impactful and meaningful solutions. I am proud for supporting an organisation that looks into not only gender diversity, but also the wider equity and inclusion

It’s not foreign to me operating in a male-dominant industry and admittedly the shipping may be even holding the reins in that regard. The world of work is though evolving towards inclusion and gender diversity and I am optimistic seeing even more women active and thriving in it and let alone in a leading role. That said, being one of the women in the industry myself I am extra keen to contribute to this mission.

In your opinion, what are the prospects of the Maritime Industry for 2023 from the UK Registry Perspective?

The UK Flag team at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, supported UK’s Department for Transport and His Majesty’s government are continually making improvements to the UK Flag offering, making it a valuable partner for shipping operators.

We expect conversations around decarbonisation to continue with some convergence starting to happen. The UK will continue its work influencing the decarbonisation agenda at IMO, as well as in other forums such as the Maritime Technology Forum. We’ll also be working closely alongside our customers to ensure they can implement new technologies onboard their vessels safely and keep up with the latest innovations. Part of this includes a programme of events for customers centred around decarbonisation, as we look at different fuels options sector by sector.

The safety of our seafarers will continue to be a high priority for the UK Flag. This means preparing crews for the future of shipping as new technologies and fuels come into play. The maritime industry in the UK is working collaboratively to modernise and improve the training of future seafarers. Our teams can also work one-on-one with UK Flag operators to develop new training plans where technologies move ahead of international regulation.

2023 also marks the tenth anniversary of London International Shipping Week (LISW). We’re looking forward to welcoming and meeting with ship owners from across the Greek and Cypriot region, whom we hope will come and see what talent and opportunity the UK has to offer them.

I (Aretina) will be in London with my colleagues so make introductions and invite anyone to get in touch should they like to know more about our plans at LISW.