State of the Art, State of the Sea: Reflections from London
The recent Hellenic Tech Network (HTN) event at the Hellenic Centre in London, “Anchoring Innovation – Greece as a Global Hub for Maritime Tech”, brought together founders, innovators, investors, and shipowners to explore Greece’s evolving role in maritime technology. The evening opened with remarks by Ambassador Yannis Tsaousis, Permanent Representative of Greece to the IMO, followed by a keynote from Prof. Dr. Haris Lambropoulos, President of the Hellenic Development Bank of Investments (HDBI). The event was held under the Auspices of the Economic & Commercial Section of the Greek Embassy in London.
It was, in many ways, a snapshot of the current state of the art in Greek maritime innovation and a reminder that while technology and investment drive progress, sustainability must remain part of the conversation as the sector evolves.
A key point highlighted during the keynote was the renewed focus on how Greece can strengthen its position as an innovation and investment hub, and what ecosystem conditions are required for that ambition to be realized.
Although a relatively young organisation, HTN has quickly become a meaningful platform for Greeks abroad who want to contribute to the country’s technological and economic future. The commitment, expertise, and sense of responsibility expressed by the diaspora remains one of Greece’s most valuable assets, especially in sectors shaped by international networks.
The event also reflected a welcome generational shift. Nikol Konstantaropoulou, member of the HTN Board and Legal and Policy Specialist at venture catalyst lomarlabs, helped shape the program and brought a noticeable freshness and younger audience to the room, a reminder that the next wave of maritime innovation will depend on emerging talent as much as established leaders.
The panel discussion, “Founders Transforming Maritime,” moderated by Stylianos Papageorgiou, Managing Director of lomarlabs, explored what it truly takes for early-stage innovation to succeed: operational access, talent readiness, regulatory clarity, and the capital pathways needed to support growth.
For Humanitas, being present in such spaces reinforces a simple truth: innovation accelerates when diverse perspectives: technical, policy, scientific, and societal, come together to build shared understanding and momentum.
As Greece positions itself for a period of maritime transformation, one observation stood out across the evening:
progress will depend not only on engineering excellence, but on the ecosystems and people in Greece and across its global diaspora who choose to drive innovation forward.
