Piraeus Chamber: “The development of a business park is a great opportunity for the businesses of Piraeus”

The industrial parks, but also the developments in the shipbuilding industry with a focus on the newly founded “Association of Hellenic Shipyards”, were the main topics discussed at the meeting of the Board of Directors. of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Piraeus-EVEP, which was attended by the Deputy Minister of Shipping and Island Policy and Member of Parliament for Piraeus and Islands, Mr. Kostas Katsafados.

The president of the Chamber, Mr. Vassilis Korkidis, connecting, in his initial address, the issue of industrial parks, but also the developments in the shipbuilding industry, informed the members of the administration about the recent report of the Chinese Ambassador to Greece on the investigation , both from the Greek and Chinese sides, of the possibility of sustainable development of an “industrial park”, which will take advantage of the geostrategic position of the port of Piraeus for the development of synergies between Chinese and Greek companies, which was formulated in recent event, which was co-organized by the EBEP and the Union of Banking & Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping.

The president of E.V.E.P. emphasized the importance of the development of such a “park”, noting that such a development will contribute to the development of all the activities of the cluster of businesses that will cluster around the “Association of Hellenic Shipyards”, while, at the same time, it will put on track the implementation of plans that they touch on the blue and circular economy.

Economic value

He also noted that business parks can offer a favorable environment and add economic value to the entire economy, while providing solutions to siting issues, for the most part, for manufacturing businesses that faced chronic problems from the suffocating embrace of the urban fabric. It was also pointed out that the Chamber maintains high on its agenda a policy which favors, on the one hand, the development of economies of scale, but also the possible synergies, through which innovative products can appear and, on the other hand, environmental protection, either from the reduction of noise nuisances for the urban fabric, or from the modernization of the logistical infrastructure, thus also emitted pollutants.

The effects of the Tempi disaster

On the occasion of the tragic accident in Tempe, the president of the E.V.E.P. enumerated the knock-on effects of the suspension of rail routes on the economy, due to the suspension of cargo handling by rail from the port of Piraeus on the country’s export activities, but also the negative effects in terms of the competition the port receives from other ports for in transit loads. In fact, he noted the necessity to launch, after this unspeakable tragedy in Tempe, the rapid modernization of the national railway network, since it is an extension of every commercial port and freight center.

Close cooperation

For his part, the Deputy Minister of Shipping and Insular Policy, Kostas Katsafados, referred to the ministry’s close cooperation with the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and emphasized that the government supported entrepreneurship with a series of interventions, which he enumerated, in the difficult times of which the markets went through serious shocks due to the war, but also to inflationary pressures, a fact which, as he said, is proven by the data published by the Chamber, where the balance of registrations and deletions of businesses is positive. We are on a path of development, but, as he observed, on the occasion of the tragic accident in Tempe, much needs to be done to clean up the operations of the state.

The shipbuilding sector

The Deputy Minister focused on the importance of the revitalization of the shipbuilding sector, but also on the role that the companies of the cluster can play as a whole, which are active around shipbuilding repairs, centered on the port of Piraeus, for the wider economic development, in order to concluded by saying that the goal is to continue the reforms, despite the timing of the national elections, for the benefit of the national economy and society.