The younger generation’s prospects for training and a career in the shipping industry amid intense technological developments was the main topic of the event titled “Between Oceans and Archipelagos: Exploring Educational and Career Opportunities in the North and South of Europe” organized by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Athens and Isalos.net on Wednesday 27 March 2019 at the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation.
The proceedings of the event, which took place under the auspices of MARTECMA, began with a brief opening speech by Mrs. Elisabeth Lothe, Deputy Head of Mission of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Greece.
The event, which was honored by the presence of Mr. Yannis Saranditis, Honorary Consul General of Norway in Greece, and Ms. Henriette Gulbrandsen, Senior Adviser, Central European Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, was attended by students from the Merchant Maritime Academies of Oinousses and Aspropyrgos, the Warsaw Maritime Academy, the Law School of the University of Athens, the National Technical University of Athens, Athens University of Economics and Business, the University of the Aegean, ALBA Graduate Business School, the University of Reading, and by young executives from the shipping industry.
The first panel of the event, moderated by Prof. Maria Lekakou, Dean of the School of Business, University of the Aegean, was titled “Innovation in Marine and Maritime Education: what lies ahead?” and included Prof. Øivind Berg, Program Director, Dpt. of Maritime Operations, University of South-Eastern Norway and Cap. Glenn Edvardsen, Chief Executive Officer, Vesselman.
Prof. Berg made a brief presented on the structure of maritime training programs at the University of Southeast Norway, which is directly related to digitization, and the University’s initiatives to connect with the Norwegian labor market. According to Prof. Berg, the academic community has a responsibility towards the shipping industry to educate young people in line with modern technological developments in a highly internationalized and competitive environment.
For his part, Mr. Glenn Edvardsen focused his presentation on the innovative solutions provided by his company for the improvement of the technical management of ships. In the discussion that followed, Prof. Maria Lekakou underlined that a gap exists between the universities/ maritime academies and the labor market, especially as regards young people’s soft skills. In light of what had been said, Dr. Maria Progoulaki, Regional Representative, Senior Consultant at Green-Jakobsen A/S, commented that when it comes to educational practices, the concept of dialogue and communication should be further developed so that the human factor can properly manage technology and ultimately reap its great benefits.
In the second panel, moderated by Dr. Maria Progoulaki, interesting views were heard about how Norwegian companies manage to maintain their competitive advantage in terms of human capital. In this context, presentations were made by Messrs. Berend Paasman, Head of Athens Rep. Office, DNB Bank, and Nikos Stefanis, Key Support Manager, Kongsberg Maritime Hellas.
Mr. Paasman began by noting that in addition to profitability, DNB Bank focuses today on issues of racial equality, sustainability, and environmental regulations, adding that the day-to-day operation of banks has changed radically due to technological developments. At the same time, Mr. Paasman urged young people to look into the possibility of working abroad to gain experience and to follow their passion. For his part, Mr. Stefanis spoke about the Kongsberg simulator systems for crew training, which in his view lead to greater efficiency and safety. He also urged young people to dare and get involved in shipping and to choose “new paths” and added that the fact that they are close to technology could only work positively. Dr. Progoulaki advised young people to “take a deep look inside, find out what they truly want, and then go after it.”
The speakers of third and final panel of the event were Dr. Clemet Thærie Bjorbæk, Assistant Professor of the Department of Maritime Operations, University of South-Eastern Norway, and Mr. Sølve Fauskevåg, Head of Green Shipping and Maritime Autonomy of Innovation Norway. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Eleni Thanopoulou, Professor at the Department of Shipping and Business Services, University of the Aegean.
Dr. Bjorbæk began his presentation by commenting extensively on the areas that the Norwegian shipping industry is currently focusing on placing particular emphasis on green growth, such as autonomous ships and smart ports. Asked whether energy or retail giants would become more involved in shipping or whether it would continue to act independently in the supply chain, Dr. Bjorbæk noted that the developments are rapid and that new technologies are contributing to the growing involvement of these companies in the wider supply chain.
Mr. Sølve Fauskevåg focused on the “oceans economy” and pointed out that the new generation is the one that will determine what skills will be needed within the shipping environment in the future.
Dr. Thanopoulou wrapped up the very interesting event saying that when looking at the young people who are involved in shipping today, one can notice significant differences mainly in terms of skills and attitude. She added that if young people manage to survive in the demanding environment of shipping, they will be well-equipped “not only to float but also to swim successfully.”