SHOREWINNER Project Launches in Greece

On October 30th, the launch event for the SHOREWINNER project in Greece, organized by the Hellenic Wind Energy Association HWEA/ELETAEN, was held at the premises of OTE ACADEMY. The event opened with introductory remarks from the Deputy Minister of Education, Religion, and Sports, Ms. Ioanna Lytrivi, the Managing Director of HEREMA, Mr. Aris Stefatos, and the Scientific Manager of the SHOREWINNER project, Emeritus Professor at the University of the Aegean, Ms. Chrissi Vitsilaki.

In the first part of the event, there was a broader discussion on offshore wind energy in Greece, covering topics such as wind potential, future prospects, and the supply chain. Mr. Panagiotis Haviaropoulos, Board Member of ELETAEN and CEO of iWind Renewables, spoke about the upcoming institutional, technological and commercial steps needed for offshore wind energy in Greece. Dr. Takvor Soukisian, Research Director of HCMR, presented the results of a detailed analysis of Greece’s offshore energy potential. Mr. Panagiotis Kastanidis, Head of the Energy Sector of Samaras & Associates, shared key findings from research conducted for ELETAEN, which examined the current state of Greece’s offshore wind supply chain and highlighted the need for specialized knowledge and technical personnel.

In the second part of the event, the SHOREWINNER project, its planning and deliverables were presented in detail, followed by an interactive workshop designed to provide information and gather feedback from participants for the project stakeholders. Ms. Teresa Alexandra Nogueira, Project Director, gave an overview of the entire SHOREWINNER initiative and described the national hubs – Centers of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) – in other consortium countries, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Cyprus. Mr. Stavros Pitsikalis, representing University of the Aegean and serving as the Greek CoVE Coordinator, provided a detailed overview of the SHOREWINNER project’s implementation in Greece. Dr. Ilona-Elefteryja Lasica, Research Associate of the University of the Aegean, discussed about the structure and procedures of the Greek CoVE and highlighted synergies with CoVEs in other participating countries. Finally, Mr. Dimitris Kyriakos, Director of public VET school DIEK Aigaleo, spoke about the role of the market and businesses within the SHOREWINNER project in Greece, sharing experiences from similar vocational training programs.