Page 54 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - MARTIOS 2023

ON THE SEAFRONT

SHIPPING FINANCING: NEW The event took place on 13 February in
INITIATIVE BRINGS GREECE AND Elefsina, where the Onex Elefsis Ship-
CHINA CLOSER yards are based. Onex Elefsis Shipyards
The recent initiative of the Union of Bank- will become the cornerstone of the Fin-
ing and Financial Executives of Hellenic cantieri Group strategy if, as the prime
Shipping and the Shanghai Lujiazui Finan- bidder, it is awarded the Hellenic Navy
cial City Council aims to bring Greece and programme pursued by the Hellenic Min-
China closer in matters related to ship- ister of National Defence.
ping finance. In a recent online meeting, Thanks to this milestone agreement, the
the two parties signed an agreement on involvement of the Greek industry, not only
matters of mutual interest that may posi- referring to the corvette programme, con-
tively impact the financial system, partic- tinues. Indeed, the Italian team, consist-
ularly shipping finance. ing of Fincantieri, Leonardo - as system
The agreement was signed by Huang integrator for the Combat Management
Hongyuan, representative of the chair unit System and its naval main sensors, sys-
of the Lujiazui Financial City Council and tems, and artillery - and MBDA Italia and
vice president of the Bank of Communi- Elettronica, solidly supports the devel-
cations and George Xiradakis, president opment of a large breadth shipbuilding
of the Association of Banking and Finan- partner with advanced and reliable skills.
cial Executives of Hellenic Shipping, in These MoUs follow Fincantieri’s signing an
Greece. official agreement with the ONEX Ship-
Under the agreement, the two parties yards & Technologies Group last Decem-
will establish a collaborative network ber to create a corvette manufacturing
to stimulate communication between line & their life-cycle support base, which
their countries’ shipping companies and will be located at Onex Naval and Mari-
financial institutions. Greece and China time Elefsis Shipyards.
already maintain strong ties within the That agreement:
global shipping industry. After all, Greek • provides the terms of collaboration
shipowners have built hundreds of ships in for the construction of 2+1 state-of-
Chinese shipyards in recent years. the-art technology and top-standard
As the Deputy Minister of Shipping and corvettes at Onex Elefsis Shipyards
Insular Policy, Kostas Katsafados, pointed along with the necessary upgrades,
out, in the last fifteen years, the Greeks improvements, know-how and trans-
have built more than 1,000 ships worth fer of technology, equipment, which
more than $50 billion in China. are estimated at approximately € 80
The agreement was also welcomed by million;
the president of the Hellenic Chamber • is expected to generate the creation
of Shipping, Dr George D. Pateras, who of 2,500 direct and indirect new jobs
said it is an important initiative because it in the shipbuilding industry;
involves cooperation between represen- • constitutes a multiple-benefit
tatives of two shipping centres with deep cooperation for the Greek economy
knowledge of the shipping industry. and defence sector while strength-
ening the prospect of further col-
ITALIAN DEFENCE COMPANIES laboration between the two groups
TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION in future warship and commercial
WITH ELEFSIS SHIPYARDS AND shipbuilding programs.
THE GREEK INDUSTRY FURTHER The agreement was a critical step in
Within the framework of teaming up with the empowerment of domestic defence
the local industries and strengthening the production. The know-how acquired
collaboration between Italy and Greece, through the ONEX-Fincantieri collabo-
Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri ration, which involves the whole Italian
and Leonardo, a leading defence and industrial ecosystem, will be an import-
security technologies company, have ant cornerstone in developing competi-
signed a number of memoranda of under- tive products that will meet the defence
standing (MoU) with potential new Greek requirements of various markets, giving
suppliers setting the basis for defining even greater impetus to the rebirth of the
possible long-term business relationships. Elefsis Shipyards.

54