Strengthening Greek-US cooperation, investment in shipbuilding and European energy security dominated discussions at Posidonia 2026 this week, highlighting Greece’s growing role in global shipping and energy networks.
Speaking at a conference organized by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce on the sidelines of the exhibition, Shipping and Island Policy Minister Vasilis Kikilias said relations between Greece and the United States are at their strongest level in years, creating opportunities for deeper cooperation in shipping, energy, investment and tourism.
Kikilias said Greece has become a key gateway for Europe’s energy security through the transport of U.S. liquefied natural gas, with Greek-owned vessels playing a major role in supplying the northern Greek port of Alexandroupoli and onward markets across southeastern and central Europe.
Shipbuilding investment also featured prominently, particularly the strategic partnership between ONEX and South Korea’s Hanwha Group. ONEX Chairman and Chief Executive Panos Xenokostas said the cooperation could serve as a model for industrial partnerships involving Greece, the United States and other allies.
The partnership forms part of a broader 1.3-billion-euro investment program aimed at modernizing shipyards in Greece, creating jobs and strengthening industrial competitiveness. Hanwha executives highlighted the country’s potential to develop into a regional shipping and energy hub.
Xenokostas also emphasized the geopolitical importance of shipbuilding, calling on Europe and the United States to pursue a joint 10-year strategy aimed at recovering 30% of global shipbuilding production.
The industry’s green transition was another major theme.
A conference organized by the Maritime Technical Managers Association (MARTECMA) examined onboard carbon capture and storage technology as shipowners seek ways to reduce emissions and comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
