Held in the exclusive Piraeus Marine Club last Wednesday (27/4) the 20th Mare Forum Greece meeting proved a huge success as it attracted some of the top names from Greece’s shipping community. The Mare Forum series of conferences around the globe have emerged over the last ten years or so as one of the most influential live platforms enhancing discussion and networking among principals,ship-owners,ship-managers,charterers,traders,capital providers,maritime lawyers and energy executives.Held in the exclusive Piraeus Marine Club last Wednesday (27/4) the 20th Mare Forum Greece meeting proved a huge success as it attracted some of the top names from Greece’s shipping community. The Mare Forum series of conferences around the globe have emerged over the last ten years or so as one of the most influential live platforms enhancing discussion and networking among principals,ship-owners,ship-managers,charterers,traders,capital providers,maritime lawyers and energy executives. Moreover the free exchange of ideas and experiences and the sharing of common visions in an industry which is at the forefront of technical and financial innovation, a process which is facilitated through the Mare Forum get togethers,has proven the ideal ground to identify new trends and forecast ground breaking developments.
The 20 th Mare Forum Greece proved no exception as the topics chosen for discussion provided the stimulus for a wider debate on the global outlook in view of the latest Russian- Ukrainian conflict. The question which prevailed was if the world is sailing in unknown waters and what are the effects on global trade, shipping, economy, regulations and geopolitics. Is risk management vs the entrepreneurial spirit vs regulation, politics vs technological breakthrough…too many fronts to fight?
Some of the questions which arose during the meeting are indicative of the widespread concern over current global developments. Are we moving into an era of increased trade tensions and regionalism and protectionism,or do we still expect a continuing rise of these phenomena as we have experienced over the past? Will we experience the perfect “trifecta” this year and into the next with all major commodity shipping (dry,energy,container) going into significant upcycles? And,if, so will there be new trade patterns,new infrastructure investment and what do we need to do to protect the roaring 2020’s from geopolitical instability?
Upon the invitation of John Costoulas, founder and chairman of Mare Forum, the Chairman and Executive Director of IENE, Mr.Costis Stambolis actively participated in the first panel of the event. After making a brief review of the origins of the current energy crisis he focused on the implications of Europe’s high energy dependence and the role of LNG in partly mitigating the current impasse in view of growing Russian hostility. He stressed the need for a radical revision of current European energy policy and the need for strengthening indigenous oil and gas production, in addition to the currently pursued green agenda,where the East Med has a key role to play as future gas supplier to the rest of Europe on the strength of important hydrocarbon deposits which are estimated to hold 3.0 - 4.0 tcm of gas.
