We started the largest sector reset in the history of Europe in 2019 in Syros and in 2023 in Elefsina.
Athens, November 18, 2024
The President and CEO of ONEX Group and President of the Hellenic Shipyards Association, Mr. Panos Xenokostas participated as a speaker at this year’s “Greener Shipping Summit”, which took place last Tuesday, November 12, at the Eugenides Foundation.
Mr. Xenokostas, participating in the panel on the development of the shipbuilding and repair industry in Greece, spoke about the booming sector and the significant economic prospects it creates for the country. Speaking about the ONEX Group shipyards in Syros and Elefsina, he stressed that beyond the economic footprint in the country, the reopening of the shipyard in Syros was of decisive importance for the local community, as the unit already employs 650 workers. At the same time, at the Elefsina unit, while a series of bureaucratic procedures and upgrades are still underway, the Group has already serviced 125 ships in 18 months.
The contribution of the ONEX Group was a catalyst for what is today called the renaissance of the country’s shipbuilding and repair sector and we will continue until the Industry returns to Greece and Europe, was the central message of Mr. Xenokostas’ speech. While, as he emphasized at various points in his speech: “When we were talking in 2018 about the renaissance of the Syros shipyards and in 2022 about the renaissance of the Eleusis shipyards, no one could believe either what would follow, or even the success of the project in relation to the burden we took on and the goal we had set.[…] I am grateful for the trust and support of the Greek shipowners, who are a source of inspiration. […] My vision is to transform the Shipyards into hubs providing a wider range of services, expanding our activities and multiplying our footprint in the coming years.”
Expansion activities include, among others, the construction of tugboats and other special vessels, the construction and maintenance of ships for the Navy, the construction and operation of floating generators for offshore wind farms, as well as the provision of integrated logistics solutions for the interconnection of local and small and medium-sized enterprises with Greek ship-owning companies. “Thus, the Shipyards will be transformed into a technological and manufacturing hub, which will provide well-paid jobs, contributing decisively to the country’s GDP. After all, the shipyards are the platform for interconnecting the domestic industry with shipping.
As he emphasized, the contribution of the employees to the spectacular change in the image and progress of the Shipyards is also decisive, jointly confronting long-standing systems that for decades paralyzed the creative forces of the sector.
Finally, he also referred to the very important support of the Greek government, with special mention to the Greek Prime Minister, the competent Ministries and the Minister of Development, Mr. T. Theodorikakos, the cooperation with whom is decisive for the course of the project in the coming years, the transformation of the ONEX organization, but also of the sector more broadly, with the further creation of thousands of new jobs.
The Group’s development plan for the next five years includes investments of 250 million euros, aiming to create the appropriate conditions so that the shipbuilding units can serve up to 300 ships up to Suezmax size annually, with simultaneous expansion into neighboring industrial and energy sectors.
