17th Hydra Maritime Conference 2026

The successful 17th Hydra Maritime Conference organised by the Fraternity of the Athenian Hydriots took place on 5 September 2026 on Hydra Island. The conference was titled “From Hydra to the World's Oceans and Shipping Amidst the Thucydides Trap”.  Conference Chair was Mr George A. Tsavliris. 

Against a backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions, energy transition and accelerating digital transformation, Hydra once again served as an ideal setting for a forward-looking dialogue on the future of global shipping. The 17th Hydra Shipping Conference, brought together leading representatives of the maritime community to examine the challenges facing the industry and explore pathways towards a safer, more resilient and sustainable future. The conference opened with remarks by John Sachinis, President of the Hydra Fraternity of Athens, who highlighted Hydra’s long-standing maritime heritage and its contribution to Greece’s national and shipping development, while underlining the importance of strengthening the Greek flag and supporting the shipbuilding and ship repair sector. George Tsavliris, Principal of Tsavliris Salvage Group, who chaired the conference, welcomed participants to a constructive discussion on the key challenges confronting the maritime sector.

The first session, “Applications of Nuclear Energy in Commercial Shipping” was moderated by Dinos Arkoumanis, President of the Academic Council of Keele University Greece. Dr. Arkoumanis highlighted Europe’s growing need for energy security and autonomy and presented the potential of fourth-generation Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a future energy solution for shipping. Maria-Athena Papathanasiou, Research Fellow at IENE, stressed that nuclear propulsion is no longer a matter of science fiction, while emphasizing that its adoption would require an appropriate legal, insurance and regulatory framework, together with robust safety standards, specialised training and wider social acceptance. The discussion highlighted the potential of nuclear technology, particularly for larger, energy-intensive vessels, while recognising the challenges that must be addressed before its wider deployment.

The second session on “Geopolitical Uncertainty & the Crises in Iran and Ukraine” was moderated by Costis Stambolis, Chairman and Executive Director of IENE. Costis opened the session by presenting an analysis on the current oil and gas supply situation (here). He then invited the participants in his panel to examine the increasingly unstable international environment and its direct implications for energy markets and shipping, highlighting the impact of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East on fuel prices, inflation and global energy security.

The session also considered the implications of geopolitical fragmentation for maritime trade and the future strategic direction of the shipping industry, with the “Thucydides Trap” providing a broader framework for understanding the risks arising from tensions between major powers and their potential impact on global commerce. Panel participants included: Panos Zachariadis, Technical Director, Atlantic Bulk Carriers Management Ltd., Christos Mavrovitis-Kountouriotis, Senior Lecturer in Finance & Accounting, Surrey Business School, University of Surrey, Stavros Hatzigrigoris, Advanced Engineering Services.

Overall, the conference highlighted the growing interconnection between geopolitics, energy, technology and shipping, at a time of profound transformation for the maritime sector. The discussions demonstrated that energy security, decarbonisation, technological innovation and geopolitical resilience will increasingly shape the industry’s future, with nuclear energy and SMRs emerging as one potential long-term pathway. The 17th Hydra Shipping Conference concluded successfully, reaffirming Hydra’s unique role as a meeting point for the maritime community and a forum for open, informed and constructive discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing global shipping.

Press Release: https://www.aya.com.gr/

16th Annual Capital Link Greek Shipping Forum

The successful 16th Annual Capital Link Greek Shipping Forum was held in Athens on Thursday 5 February 2026. The event was organised in cooperation with DNV, Nasdaq and NYSE. Tsavliris Salvage supported the event with a sponsorship.

The "2026 Capital Link Greek Shipping Leadership Award" was presented to Mr. Pantelis Eleftherios (Lou) Kollakis, Chairman – Chartworld Group of Companies, for his outstanding contribution to Greek & global shipping. Introductory remarks were made by Mr. George A. Tsavliris, Principal – Tsavliris Salvage Group, and Mr. Adam Polemis, President – New Shipping Limited.

The “Capital Link Greek Shipping Leadership Award” is presented annually to a leading maritime figure of the Greek Shipping Community who has gained the respect and the appreciation of the international shipping industry and who is also recognized for their outstanding contribution to elevating Greek Shipping to its leadership position globally.

 Previous honorees were: 2013 - Captain Panagiotis N.Tsakos, Founder & President - Tsakos Group, 2014 - Mr. Pericles Panagopoulos, 2015 - Mr. Lambros Varnavides, Vice Chairman of the Baltic Exchange, Trustee of the Lloyds Register Foundation and Managing Director and Global Head of Shipping RBS 1998, 2016 - Mr. Nicolas, George and Andreas Tsavliris of the Tsavliris Salvage Group, 2017 - Professor Costas Th. Grammenos CBE DSc, Chairman C. Grammenos Centre of Shipping Trade & Finance, Bayes Business School, City, University of London, 2018 - Mr. Panos Laskaridis, President of European Community Shipowners Associations; CEO, Lavinia Corporation/Laskaridis Shipping Company Ltd. and Mr. Athanasios Laskaridis, Chairman and CEO of Lavinia Corporation, Lavinia Enterprises Limited and Laskaridis Shipping Company Ltd., 2019 - Captain Paris Dragnis, Chairman & Founder - Goldenport Group, 2020 - Mr. George Procopiou, Founder, Dynacom Tankers Management, Sea Traders – Dynagas, 2022 - Mr. Simeon Palios, Founder and Chairman, Diana Shipping, 2023 - Mr. Themistocles Vokos, Founder Member, Honorary Chairman of Posidonia; Founder of Seatrade, and 2024 - TEN LTD. -TSAKOS ENERGY NAVIGATION LTD., & Dr. Nikolas P. Tsakos, Founder & CEO - TEN Ltd. (NYSE: TNP); Chairman - INTERTANKO (2014-2018), and 2025 – Mr. Thanasis Martinos, Managing Director - Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited.

Press Release: https://capitallink.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2026-GR-POST-EVENT-PR-16th-Greek-Shipping.pdf

***

9th Annual Capital Link Cyprus Shipping Forum

Mr George Tsavliris, CYMEPA President, was the Conference Chairman of the 9th Annual Capital Link Cyprus Shipping Forum organised on 17 February 2026, at the Columbia Plaza in Limassol, Cyprus. The Forum took place under the Auspices of the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus and the Shipping Deputy Minister to the President and in cooperation with the Cyprus Union of Shipowners. The event was also supported by the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, CYMEPA and other major stakeholders of the Cyprus maritime cluster.

***

City University of London Presentation on Shipping

On 3 March 2026, Mr Andreas A. Tsavliris gave his annual lecture at Bayes Business School, City University of London, to the "Shipping, Trade and Finance" Master's degree students, led by Professor Costas Th. Grammenos.

The curriculum explored real-world case studies, covering: Financing shipping projects, Establishing privately held shipping companies, Equity and Debt Capital Markets, Private Equity, Project Finance, Valuation of shipping companies and their shares, Investments in Shipping, Risk Management, Loan Restructuring, Current Dynamics, Emerging Trends and Industry Challenges.

Professor Grammenos expressed his gratitude to all distinguished guest- lecturers and in particular Mr Andreas A. Tsavliris who has been taking part in more than one lecture per year for the last 40 years. He thanked him for his time, invaluable support and commitment to the University.

***

ALBA University of Athens Presentation on Shipping

On 15 June 2026, Mr George A. Tsavliris gave an inspiring presentation to the Alba MBA class . The event was organised by  Professor Paul Emmanouelides and it was a great success.