“This is how we envision development in our country. Above all, when we talk about growth, we are talking about good jobs. Especially in an island as Syros, with such a heavy history of shipyards interwoven with the history of the capital of the Cyclades”, stressed Kyriakos Mitsotakis in front of hundreds of workers of the ONEX Neorion Shipyards in Syros. The Greek Prime Minister visited Syros on March 4, 2022 and one of his main stops was at the historic shipyards, which are thriving again under the new ownership of ONEX. Mr. Mitsotakis met with the workers’ union leadership and addressed to all the gathered workers at the yard, while afterwards he met with the shipyards’ management.
Within the framework of the Prime Minister’s visit to the island, six agreements have been signed by ONEX for the benefit of the local community and economy, with emphasis on environmental protection, education – training and the development of new technological possibilities, especially in the energy sector.
Among these is the initiative for government support regarding the training of young workers for the industrial reconstruction, which will be implemented through a memorandum of cooperation signed by the Secretary General of Professional Education, Training, Lifelong Learning and Youth of the Ministry of Education and Religion, Mr. Georgios Voutsinos and the ONEX Neorion Shipyards President Mr. Panos Xenokostas.
Further, a partnership between the Aegean Neorion Innovation Center and the University of Aegean for research activities has been signed. The Prime Minister also visited the premises where the Aegean Neorion Innovation Center will be established (currently under construction), where he was welcomed by the Chiefs of the Center’s co-founders (Southern Aegean region, CISCO, ONEX) and the University of Aegean rector.
The agreements also include a contract between ONEX Shipyards & Technologies and Interamerican to cover air transport for incidents for all Syros residents from Syros to Athens hospitals and a partnership between ONEX and ASRY (Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard) from Bahrain in a series of joint shipbuilding perspectives, as part of government initiatives to develop ties between the two countries.
A partnership between Ocean Energy, ETB Energy Technologies & Biofuels and ONEX for the development of a “Wave Energy Pilot Program” (WEPP) has also been sealed, which can make a significant contribution to the transition to green power generation, especially in island areas which today rely heavily on fossil fuels.
Finally, a Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (ΕΛΚΕΘΕ) – ONEX agreement was announced to study the condition of the seabed of the Port of Ermoupolis, in order to capture the consequences of the various uses over decades and to launch any restoration actions are considered necessary.
The Prime Minister also visited the morning training of the professional men volleyball team ONEX Foinikas Syrou at the Sports Center Dimitrios Vikelas.
Video: Επίσκεψη Πρωθυπουργού κ. Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη στη Σύρο, 4 Μαρτίου 2022 (Αρχείο ΕΡΤ)
