Isalos.net London Shipping Event

The Isalos.net Educational Initiative along with Real Time Graduates and the collaboration of the Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee (GSCC),organized for the first time in London,an educational conference. The conference titled "World Trade and Commerce: Why Go Maritime in this turbulent era?" addressed mainly the new generation of postgraduate students and new shipping executives.

The event took place on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at The Hellenic Center, with the support of ABS, under the auspices of INTERCARGO and with the participation of ALBA Graduate Business School, City, University of London, Hellenic Observatory, London School of Economics, Henley Business School - University of Reading and Hellenic Engineers Society of Great Britain.

More than 220 members of the shipping community in London as well as the student community actively attended the event. Among them notable ALBA alumni, MSc in International Shipping and Finance students as well as the director of ALBA’s shipping program Mr. Spyros Vougious.

The conference included 3 thematic panels, during which 20 participants shared their views on issues related to new technological developments and innovations that will affect the shipping industry, the characteristics of the business models adopted by Greek and European Managing Companies and also the geopolitical and geo-economic developments  expected to affect international trade in the coming years.

ALBA  MBA alumnus Dr. Giannis Arabatzis, Founder & Managing Director, NanoPhos S.A participated at the panel  “The Vessel of the Future: what lies ahead”, while Dr. George Alexandrides, Director of the MSc in International Shipping and Finance/ ICMA Centre Henley Business School- University of Reading, participated ad the panel “The evolution of the shipping busiess: Greek and European Maritime Paradigms”.

Overall, the speeches focused on the new order of the shipping reality as it is shaped, by both the geopolitical developments and the technological revolution. Several speakers also focused on the present and future of the shipping family business while others highlighted the need to review growth and/or survival strategies during this time of problematic bank financing.

Inevitably, several speakers commented on the post-Brexit era and the prospects of "shipping London” in the coming years, while at the close of the event the organizers renewed their appointment for 2019.

Upon completion of the conference, Mr. S. Vougious commented: “I would like to congratulate my colleague and friend Ilias Bissias, the isalos.net and all the organizers for this very successful educational initiative about shipping that took place in the beautiful Hellenic Centre in the heart of London.The discussions and positions by leader speakers in the three panels were very valuable for business but also very helpful for the careers of the hundreds of the attending students.

I was very pleased to see among others many ALBA graduates attending this very successful event.  Some of them are now working for the shipping industry in London while others traveled from Athens either representing their shipping companies or as speakers. They make us so proud! I was also very happy to see our ALBA-Reading students and my colleague Dr George Alexandridis and co-director of our dual MSc in International Shipping and Finance program.  Soon we will host them at ALBA for one month as part of the program’s international exposure is to bring them closer to the Greek shipping industry and culture.”

I hope the organizers will keep their promise for the 2019 isalos.net London event!”