By Spyridon Roussos
In passenger and freight volumes, the port of Igoumenitsa is one of Greece’s most important Western Balkan gateways, playing a key role in the development of domestic and international freight. FSN met with Mr Athanasios Porfiris, the new CEO, and had a constructive conversation about his vision and plans, the potential and the future of the significant Western Port of Greece.
Mr Porfiris, you have recently been appointed as the new CEO of the Port Authority of Igoumenitsa (PAI). Could you please tell us a few things about yourself?
I was appointed as CEO of Igoumenitsa Port Authority in early October, and with the position comes a serious level of responsibility. As a Civil Engineer and businessman (design and construction of infrastructure projects, renewable energy projects – especially photovoltaic systems and generally sustainable development activities) I strongly believe that with planning and strategy, consistency and responsibility I will manage to achieve the desired results, which is to make Igoumenitsa one of the most important ports in the region and the country.
The port of Igoumenitsa has a very long history. It is considered to be the second most important port in Greece – after Piraeus Port – and it is the main gateway from Western Europe to Greece and the East. What is your vision for the port of Igoumenitsa?
Igoumenitsa’s port is a major factor for socioeconomic development in the field of transport and tourism, not only for the local Epirus region but for the whole country. In the last few years the port has seen a rapid and progressive development as far as the volumes of cargo and passenger traffic is concerned.
Our port is an important hub of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and part of the Eastern Mediterranean Corridor (OEM), with a strategic position in the realization of a sustainable and efficient Motorway of the Sea (MoS).
Furthermore it is the main link of Trieste – Ancona – Igoumenitsa which connects four corridors of the TEN-T network: the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor, the Orient/East-Med Corridor, the Baltic-Adriatic corridor and the Mediterranean corridor.
The Orient/East-Med Corridor connects large parts of Central Europe with ports of the North, Baltic, Black and Mediterranean Seas. It focuses on fostering the development of these ports as major multimodal logistics platforms and providing economic centers in central Europe with modernized, multimodal connections to Motorways of the Sea. Focused actions can lead Igoumenitsa port into a large scale transit center for freight transport between the EU and the Middle East.
What were the first actions you took or planned to take as CEO of the port?
We set out a clear strategic plan starting from identifying needs through a series of meetings with all the stakeholders of the port community, Coast Guard, customs service etc., as well as with operators and port users, such as shipping companies, transport companies, national associations etc.
We identify the current market trends and needs in the transport sector, share our ideas and strengthen entrepreneurship. Feedback is our priority for market segmentation and targeting – we believe that it is the most important tool for achieving success and providing services that meet customer needs.
We also put corporate social responsibility as a high priority, by reinforcing actions in cooperation with the local community for sustainability and environmental awareness.
What is the role of Igoumenitsa port for the Greek economy? Can you please give us some numbers on the movement of passengers and freight from your port?
Greece’s role in the transport and logistics sector is formed by its significant strategic position in the international transport system and the needs of the internal market. Its strategic geographic position provides a gateway from West to East.
The port of Igoumenitsa is geographically Greece’s closest port to Italy and the Balkan countries of the Adriatic Sea, so it is a major connection for passengers and goods traffic, to and from Western Europe. Annually, 2.5 million passengers and about 250,000 trucks leave the port. The main ports connected directly with us are the Italian ports of Bari, Brindisi, Ancona, Venice, and Trieste, as well as Corfu Island.
The port of Igoumenitsa is the main gateway to Northern and Central Greece for the transportation of passengers and cargo to and from EU countries through Italy.
Can you compare Igoumenitsa with a large European port and if so which one?
Igoumenitsa port serves significant passenger and cargo traffic volumes (transport by trucks or unaccompanied trailers) and is among the most important ports of the Adriatic Sea. We can currently compare our port with the ports of Ancona, Bari and Brindisi.
What are your goals for 2020? Do you have a short-term plan?
Our goal is to promote the port as a logistics hub, by developing all those infrastructures that can serve freight flows. Currently Phase C of the port construction works is under development and will serve freight flows.
Phase C brief description:
Another important objective is the establishment of a Freight Village, in order to add another competitive advantage. The Freight Village will serve freight flows to and from Adriatic regions and will further enhance the viability and efficiency of each Maritime Corridor that either starts or passes through the port of Igoumenitsa. The improved intermodal route along the Adriatic-Ionian corridor will support the integration of Maritime Corridors into a complex supply chain between South-Eastern Europe (Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Turkey) and other Balkan countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania) as well as Central and Western Europe (Northern and Central Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, France, Spain).
Igoumenitsa Port Authority should set high, ambitious, but at the same time realistic goals for its future identity, business outlook and operations.
Greece’s role in the transport and logistics sector is formed by its significant strategic position in the international transport system and the needs of the internal market. Its strategic geographic position provides a gateway from West to East.
The port of Igoumenitsa is geographically Greece’s closest port to Italy and the Balkan countries of the Adriatic Sea, so it is a major connection for passengers and goods traffic, to and from Western Europe. Annually, 2.5 million passengers and about 250,000 trucks leave the port. The main ports connected directly with us are the Italian ports of Bari, Brindisi, Ancona, Venice, and Trieste, as well as Corfu Island.
The port of Igoumenitsa is the main gateway to Northern and Central Greece for the transportation of passengers and cargo to and from EU countries through Italy.
Final question. How do you think ports can contribute to the protection of the environment?
An ecological port, also known as a Green Port, is a sustainable development port, which not only meets environmental requirements, but also raises their economic interests. The core question of an ecological port is to find a balance between environmental impact and economic interests.
The port’s design and gradual development of a modern Environmental Management System has earned it PERS/ESPO, EMAS and ISO 14001 certifications. In line with the requirements of the standards, the Environmental Policy sets the strategic objectives for environmental management issues and the related commitments to implement them. The standards also define the planning for the identification, assessment and control of environmental hazards, as well as environmental programs for the definition and control of individual actions to improve the level.
In a nutshell our strategic goals for transforming our Port into a “Green Port” are:
Mr. Porfiris, I would like to thank you for this interview.
