The absence of any national strategy for the development of intermodal freight transport and for the whole range of related infrastructure, such as ports, along with the competitive delay of Greece in the field of Logistics on an international level, were among the issues highlighted at the 15th Panhellenic Logistics Conference, that was organized with great success on 11-12 November in Thessaloniki.
As was observed by the President of the Greek Association of Supply Chain Management and Professor at the AUTh, Mr Eleftherios Iakovou, despite the rapid growth that the logistics sector has presented in our country during the last decade (mean annual growth rate 19.68% from 1998 to 2008), it is nevertheless experiencing the impact of the recession (Source: ICAP sectoral study, 2011).
The conclusions of the Conference also included the following:
– The need to establish a body that will have the key role of coordinating the operation of the four ports of Northern Greece (Thessaloniki, Kavala, Alexandroupoli, Igoumenitsa), which are also known as the “ports of Egnatia Odos “.
– The need to focus on the port of Thessaloniki, so that it can gradually become a Logistics centre, and strengthen its position as a port for cruise ships.
– The establishment of a Logistics cluster in Thessaloniki, with the participation of Universities, the Institute of Transport, the Greek Association of Supply Chain Management, shipping companies and the Thessaloniki Port Authority.
The 15th Panhellenic Logistics Conference was organized along with the 1st International Southeast European Congress on Supply Chain Management in Thessaloniki, that took place on 11-12 November 2011. The organizing body for the two Conferences was the Greek Association of Supply Chain Management (EEL).
The coordination of the two Conferences was organized by ARTION.
