Panagiotis Laskadiris, the Greek magnate and owner of Astican, owner of Lavinia, has pointed out this week one of the most serious issues facing infrastructures such as the ship repair business he operates in Las Palmas: the chronic shortage of specialized personnel. For the Greek magnate, the European shipping industry is losing the global battle not due to a lack of ships or technology, but because of an alarming void of qualified seafarers and technicians, a deficit that is already taking a toll on the response capacity of shipyards and shipping companies against their competitors in Asia and the Middle East.
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Master in International Maritime Transport, Finance, and Management (ISFM) of the University of Economics and Business of Athens, held at the Eugenides Foundation, Laskaridis has denounced that Europe has made a strategic miscalculation. According to his analysis, the continent has become obsessed with improving living conditions on board—seeking more comfortable and sustainable ships—while forgetting the most basic thing: attracting people to the profession. The result is an aging industry that fails to seduce new generations, leaving critical positions such as chiefs of engineering, electronic officers, and specialized mechanics in the hands of an exhausted labor market without replacement.
This local personnel crisis explains the phenomenon occurring daily in the Port of Las Palmas, where international recruitment agencies import entire crews from Southeast Asia or Africa. Laskaridis argues that as long as Europe does not regain the momentum to promote maritime vocations, companies will be caught in a loop of external dependency. The paradox is evident: in a highly sophisticated technical environment, the human factor has become the scarcest and hardest resource to replenish.
The owner of Astican links this shortage to the lack of political weight of maritime transport in Brussels. Lacking ‘votes’, the sector has been ignored in training and employment promotion plans, prioritizing instead environmental regulations that, although ambitious, do not address who will operate tomorrow’s technology. Laskaridis warns that the ‘practical solutions’ that the industry lacks will continue to be a mirage, leaving European ports as mere spectators of a business that is irreparably moving to other latitudes.
On another note, Thanasis Martinos, owner of Minerva, spoke at the same forum about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the entire shipping industry, initially stating that this situation has drastically affected maritime transport, especially oil and LNG carriers, significantly increasing the kilometers traveled for transporting oil and natural gas. For Greece, he stated that it still covers approximately 50% of its natural gas needs from Russia, while for Europe, it will rely on LNG imports mainly from the U.S. and Qatar, which will significantly benefit LNG carriers, including Greek ones. In fact, as he pointed out, it is here that the importance of Greek maritime transport will be seen, as without it, the cost for European consumers in terms of LNG transportation would be significantly higher than it already is.
