ORGANIZATION OF BALKAN FORUM ON

“Maritime Industry and Northern Greece: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects“

The 7th Balkan Forum is dedicated to the theme “Maritime Industry and Northern Greece: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects”, highlighting a sector of strategic importance for the Greek economy while emphasizing its significant growth potential for the regions of Macedonia and Thrace. This year’s theme was selected to showcase the pivotal role that Northern Greece can play within the modern maritime and port industry, capitalizing on its strategic geographical location, well-developed port infrastructure, and strong connectivity with the markets of the Balkans and South-Eastern Europe.

Although Greece remains one of the world’s leading maritime nations, the participation of businesses from Northern Greece in the maritime sector is still relatively limited. This reality underlines the need to strengthen cooperation, encourage greater engagement, and promote new opportunities for businesses, institutions and young professionals. Through this Forum, we seek to highlight the prospects offered by the maritime sector, ports, transport, logistics and related services, while fostering stronger links between the regional business community and one of the country’s most dynamic and internationally competitive industries.

The Forum aims to establish a meaningful platform for dialogue and cooperation among public institutions, businesses, port authorities, academia and stakeholders from the wider maritime sector across Greece and the Balkan region, with the objective of identifying common opportunities for sustainable growth and regional development. At the same time, it seeks to reinforce the extroversion of Northern Greece, promote strategic partnerships, and maximize the region’s comparative advantages, further strengthening its role as a major transportation, trade and logistics hub.

The expected outcomes of the Forum include the development of new collaborations, the attraction of investment interest, the exchange of expertise and best practices, and the formulation of common strategies that will enhance Northern Greece’s integration into the international maritime ecosystem. Ultimately, the Forum aspires to unlock new development opportunities for Macedonia and Thrace, improve the competitiveness of regional businesses, and contribute to the long-term economic growth of both the region and Greece as a whole.