Piraeus, the Great Port of Greece, welcomes the global maritime community to “Posidonia 2026”. This year marks a historic milestone for the institution, as the event adopts an extended schedule for the first time. For three weeks, our country will serve not only as a global magnet for the international shipping industry, but also as its decision-making hub.
Posidonia is immensely significant for Greece, the national economy, the maritime sector, and, by extension, the city of Piraeus—a metropolis which boasts one of Europe’s largest ports and serves as the primary gateway to Greece for millions of tourists.
Piraeus—the city of seamanship and sailors, shipowners and major shipping corporations—has played a decisive role in the exponential growth of the Posidonia International Shipping Exhibition, particularly during the event’s formative decades. And while the institution’s immense success—and spatial needs—eventually meant it had to relocate beyond our immediate geographical boundaries, the heart of Greek shipping continues to beat in Piraeus.
For us as the Municipal Authority, the sea is the engine powering our future. When we took over the City’s administration in 2014, our vision was clear: Piraeus could remain a transit point no longer; it had to evolve into a port city the equal of its greatest European counterparts.
Our slogan was equally clear-sighted: “Piraeus looks to the sea.” Drawing inspiration from the same ingredients from which the triumph of Greek shipping was forged—vision, knowledge, innovation, and adaptability—, we have systematically invested in Blue Growth as we press ahead with transforming our city into a tourist destination in its own right.
We were among the first Greek cities to formulate a comprehensive strategy tailored to the Blue Economy within the scope of our municipal purview. Today, 12 years on, our efforts have borne tangible results. Through the Blue Growth innovation competition, which has earned awards across Europe, and our Blue Lab—the first tech hub of its kind dedicated to the Blue Economy—we provide practical support to emerging business ventures and maritime-focused business ideas.
At the same time, through our Entrepreneurship Support Center, we back local companies and forge synergies with the University of Piraeus to bridge the gap between academic research and the labor market. Through these targeted interventions, we aim to ensure that the growth generated by the sea, the port, and shipping translates directly into new, high-quality jobs for the citizens of Piraeus, fostering a genuinely outward-looking environment for our enterprises.
On the tourism front, Piraeus has undergone a dynamic evolution in recent years. The city is now firmly establishing itself as a home port for the cruise industry, while the ongoing development of new hotel units continues to steadily elevate its tourism profile. As a Municipal Authority, we are implementing a comprehensive tourism action plan which encompasses revitalizing iconic landmarks both aesthetically and functionally, spotlighting our rich historical, cultural, and gastronomic heritage, and amplifying the city’s multicultural, extroverted character.
Additional landmark projects are on the horizon, including the redevelopment of the Piraiki Coast and Akti Dilaveri, two celebrated stretches of coastline, along with the creation of the Museum of Underwater Antiquities in the port by the central government. These initiatives are designed, first and foremost, to elevate the quality of life of local residents, while simultaneously enriching Piraeus’ cultural capital and acting as a catalyst for further touristic growth.
Nonetheless, development cannot be an end in itself, especially if it is not sustainable. As a Municipal Authority, our stance is unequivocal: we want our port to thrive, but we also want future generations to inherit an environmentally revitalized city. This means we do not turn a blind eye to the reality that the intense operational tempo of the country’s largest port exacts a heavy environmental toll on our city—from ship-generated air pollution to severe traffic congestion.
It is precisely for this reason that, in our ongoing dialogue and cooperation with the port’s administration, we staunchly advocate for investments that will tangibly improve citizens’ quality of life—such as the gradual transition to shore-to-ship power for vessels and the introduction of eco-friendly buses within the port zone.
Furthermore, an indispensable infrastructure project—the conversion of Metro Line 1 connecting Neo Faliro to the port from overground to underground—remains of paramount importance to both the Municipality and citizens of Piraeus as a vital solution to the city’s traffic gridlock.
Despite rumors suggesting the project has stalled, we continue to call on the State to reevaluate its planning decisions, stressing that this is a project of supra-local significance that has previously received every requisite green light, including clearance from the Ephorate of Antiquities. The project impacts the primary ingress and egress of the nation’s largest port—a gateway that handles millions of passengers and tens of thousands of vehicles every year. Piraeus, home to the country’s most rapidly expanding maritime hub, deserves the infrastructure commensurate with its immense strategic value to the nation.
As a Municipal Authority cooperating closely with maritime institutions and the relevant stakeholders, we continue to forge a city that is rapidly modernizing, honoring Piraeus’ deep-rooted maritime heritage while rising to the challenges of the modern era. “Posidonia 2026” provides the perfect opportunity to send out an unequivocal message to the world: Piraeus has transformed itself, is continuing along its dynamic growth trajectory, and is rightfully claiming its place on the world map.
Mr. Yannis Moralis is Mayor of Piraeus.
