The prospects of the Maritime Industry for 2023

Going through past reports on the prospects of the Maritime Industry, may be quite amusing since after the passing of time you realise how wrong people have been in attempting to forecast the future of our industry.

‘Prospect’ is defined as anticipation i.e. expectation or prediction, in other words wishful thinking. It is also defined as vision, which leads us to theoretical expectations.

We all know where the industry stands today:

- The climate issue for which we are recipients of lectures and preaching by qualified and unqualified experts together with public figures that have jumped on the band wagon, which remind me of the stereotype answer in beauty pageants – “World peace”. The fact is that the maritime industry is navigating through uncharted waters since the technology to achieve the level of ambition, is not yet available.

- The geopolitical uncertainty which no one appears to have predicted prior to February last. Will there be more turmoil in other corners of our planet? Where and when?

- Is globalisation back tracking? The importance of maritime transport is highlighted during the current crisis and can be described as the life blood of international commerce.

- The lack of sufficient and qualified sea personnel continues to be a major issue.

- CII, energy crisis in Europe, trade sanctions, how will these issues affect maritime transport?

Since many question-marks remain combined with perilous uncertainty prevailing today, I feel that it is unwise to make plans or prophecies.

A more pragmatic definition of “prospect” is “possibility”. In shipping prudency and preparedness is the safest course to tackle the unexpected possibilities that lie ahead.

Kales Thalasses

President, Hellenic Chamber of Shipping

George Pateras, President, Hellenic Chamber of Shipping

“In a changeable and stormy environment, the centuries-old maritime tradition of our country, the impressively successful course recorded by Greek shipping in the last six decades and the additional dynamics it has developed in the last three years prove that the “foundations” of the sector are strong and indicate that the prospects are auspicious for him”.