YPOURGEIO NAFTILIAS KAI NISIOTIKIS POLITIKIS

Their core work

The Greek Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy is the national authority responsible for maritime governance, coast guard operations, and port security in Greece. Within H2020, it acts as an operational end-user and policy authority for EU-funded maritime security and border surveillance research, bringing real-world operational requirements from the Hellenic Coast Guard and Greek maritime domain. It contributes practitioner expertise on border management, maritime situational awareness, and cross-border information sharing — essentially ensuring that EU research projects address actual needs of frontline maritime agencies in the Mediterranean.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early phase (2018–2019), the Ministry focused on broad security challenges — practitioner capacity building across the Mediterranean and Black Sea (MEDEA) and passenger risk-based screening (TRESSPASS). From 2020 onward, their work shifted decisively toward technical maritime surveillance infrastructure: interoperable information systems like CISE and EUROSUR, and AI-driven maritime domain awareness. This evolution reflects a move from policy-level security foresight toward hands-on deployment of advanced surveillance and data analytics technologies.

They are moving from being a policy voice in security research toward becoming an operational testbed for AI and big data applications in maritime domain awareness — expect future interest in autonomous vessel monitoring and predictive analytics.

How they like to work

The Ministry balances leadership and partnership roles, coordinating 2 of 5 projects (ANDROMEDA, PROMENADE) while participating in 3 others. With 74 unique partners across 21 countries, they operate in large, diverse consortia typical of EU security research. As a government end-user, they are valued for providing operational validation and real-world test environments rather than technical development — making them an excellent partner for technology developers who need a credible public authority to pilot their solutions.

Extensive European network spanning 74 partners across 21 countries, reflecting the cross-border nature of maritime security. Their geographic focus aligns strongly with Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, though their consortium reach is pan-European.

What sets them apart

As a national maritime ministry with direct authority over the Hellenic Coast Guard, they offer something most research partners cannot: sovereign operational access to one of Europe's busiest and most complex maritime borders. Greece sits at the crossroads of Mediterranean migration routes and major shipping lanes, making this ministry uniquely positioned to validate maritime surveillance technologies under real, high-pressure conditions. For any consortium working on border security or maritime awareness, having this ministry on board provides both operational credibility and a high-demand deployment environment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PROMENADE
  Their largest funded project (EUR 401,250) and a coordinator role — signals their strategic bet on AI and big data for maritime awareness.
• ANDROMEDA
  Coordinated a project focused on the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE), a flagship EU interoperability initiative for border agencies.
• EFFECTOR
  Addressed end-to-end interoperability between CISE and EUROSUR at strategic and tactical levels — directly relevant to EU maritime security infrastructure.