Heraklion Port Authority S.A., within the framework of its participation in the European project BLUE PORTS – Blue Careers in Net Zero Energy Ports, is co-organising, together with the Technical University of Crete and the Hellenic Ports Association (ELIME), the international conference entitled:
“NET ZERO PORTS: Empowering the Human Capital Behind the Green Transition”
The conference will take place on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, from 10:45 to 14:30, at Posidonia Seminar Room 1A, Athens Metropolitan Expo, within the framework of Posidonia 2026, one of the world's leading maritime exhibitions.
The event is organised by the BLUE PORTS Consortium, under the coordination of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems Laboratory of the Technical University of Crete (ReSEL-TUC), in collaboration with the Hellenic Ports Association and Heraklion Port Authority, with the support of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy.
As ports and the wider maritime sector accelerate their transition towards climate neutrality, developing the right skills and strengthening human capital have become strategic priorities for the blue economy.
The conference will bring together representatives from European institutions, port authorities, maritime organisations, accreditation and certification bodies, academic institutions and industry stakeholders, aiming to exchange knowledge and best practices regarding the competencies, professional profiles and certification mechanisms required to support the green transition of ports.
The discussions will focus on the skills required for greener and smarter ports, workforce challenges related to port decarbonisation, the role of professional training and certification, and opportunities for developing new career paths within the blue economy.
The conference is organised within the framework of the BLUE PORTS project, co-funded by the European Commission through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). The project aims to develop a European training and certification scheme for port professionals in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024 standards, contributing to the creation of a highly skilled workforce capable of supporting the sustainable development and transformation of the port sector.
Registration is now open:
https://forms.gle/J31mkRbbcVtqWQdEA
Important Notice: Access to the conference venue requires both registration for the conference and registration as a Posidonia 2026 visitor:
https://posidonia-events.com/pages/registration-form/
