Posidonia 2026
Since its founding, the Department of Maritime Studies at the University of Piraeus has consistently participated in the international shipping exhibition “Posidonia” (Posidonia Events). This ongoing participation stems from its dedication to bridging academic knowledge with practical shipping applications, as well as strengthening bonds with institutions and businesses across the maritime sector.
As in previous years, the core responsibility of representing the Department rested on its students. Their participation offered a unique experience, allowing them to connect with industry leaders and prominent figures in the maritime sector, understand the pivotal role of technology and the trends it creates, and appreciate the importance of the human element in managing challenges within the complex shipping environment. The Department’s professors had the opportunity to meet with colleagues from Greece and abroad, discuss the progress of their research initiatives, and both renew existing partnerships and establish new collaborations.
The Department’s exhibition booth was visited by hundreds of alumni who now serve as executives across almost every sector of the maritime cluster. These graduates spoke with current students about the Department’s trajectory and the career opportunities available upon graduation. We also had the pleasure of welcoming shipping professionals, shipowners, and top-tier executives from maritime corporations and organizations, engaging in discussions about the Department and its educational and research activities. A major highlight of the exhibition was an event held at the Posidonia Conference Hall titled “AI-driven Education and Research in Shipping.”. The event opened with a keynote speech by Professor Martin Jes Iversen, Executive Director of International Affairs at the Copenhagen Business School, who spoke on digitization in shipping and how it is set to impact every aspect of the industry’s operations.
A panel discussion followed, moderated by Department Professor Alexandros Artikis, which featured Konstantina Bereta (Research Lab Director at Kpler), Karolos Geroulanos (Lieutenant Commander, Chief Engineer of the Hellenic Navy, and PhD Candidate at the Department), Andreas Kouvaras (VP of Product at VesselFront and PhD Candidate at the Department), Ioannis Lagoudis (Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Department), and Vasileios Balabanos (Software Systems Architect and Lead Engineer at MTIS) The event concluded with a Q&A session between the audience and the panelists.
Once again, participating in the exhibition provided an excellent opportunity to deepen the Department’s ties with shipping organizations and enterprises. At the same time, it highlighted the Department’s outward-looking philosophy and international presence through its continuously expanding global partnerships and its aspiration to play a pioneering role in global maritime education and research.
