The BLUE PORTS Consortium is pleased to announce the organisation of the international conference “NET ZERO PORTS: Empowering the Human Capital Behind the Green Transition” which will take place within the framework of Posidonia 2026, one of the world’s leading maritime exhibitions, attracting more than 40,000 participants from over 130 countries. Posidonia is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, and the Union of Greek Shipowners.
📅 Wednesday, 3 June 2026
🕥 10:45 – 14:30
📍 Posidonia Seminar Room 1A, Athens Metropolitan Expo
The event is organised by the BLUE PORTS Consortium, under the coordination of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems Lab of the Technical University of Crete (ReSEL TUC), in collaboration with the Hellenic Ports Association (ELIME) and the Heraklion Port Authority, with the support of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy.
As ports and the wider maritime sector accelerate towards climate neutrality, the need for a skilled and future-ready workforce is becoming a strategic priority for the blue economy. The conference will bring together representatives from European institutions, port authorities, maritime organisations, accreditation bodies, training providers and industry stakeholders to discuss the competencies, professional profiles and certification mechanisms required to support the green transition of ports.
The conference programme will explore:
- the future skills required for greener and smarter ports,
- workforce challenges linked to port decarbonisation,
- the role of professional certification and upskilling,
- and opportunities for strengthening blue careers across the maritime ecosystem.
Through keynote speeches, high-level panel discussions and stakeholder testimonials, participants will exchange experiences and discuss future pathways for scaling up workforce capacity and sustainability competencies in the port and maritime sectors.
The conference is organised in the framework of the BLUE PORTS project, co-funded by the European Commission through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). Through this conference, BLUE PORTS reaffirms its commitment to strengthening skills and professional capacity within the port ecosystem, supporting the green transition of ports through a mutually acknowledged European training and certification scheme in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024, while promoting wider adoption, transferability and stakeholder engagement across the maritime sector.
📌 Registration is now open:
https://forms.gle/J31mkRbbcVtqWQdEA