Greece is well positioned as a strategic transportation hub between Europe, Asia, and Africa due to its ports and location near the Suez Canal. Its ports, especially Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Igoumenitsa and Patra, have grown substantially and could serve as regional logistics hubs. The Port of Piraeus in particular has expanded dramatically and offers integrated services. Greece also aims to establish integrated logistics networks and develop the Thriassio logistics park near Piraeus to facilitate freight movement by rail, road, and sea. New technologies are also enabling more efficient transport through data sharing and electronic documentation across borders.

1. Vasiliki Siouta, LL.M.
Head of Supply Chain Division
Directorate of Transport Development
Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport
Workshop on
Operational challenges of regional intermodal
transport and innovative solutions
Geneva, 20 November 2018
Working Party on Intermodal Transport and Logistics
Greece: A bridge for Euro-Asian transport

2. A. GREECE AS A STRATEGIC NODE FOR TRANSPORTATION
 On the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Asia, Africa)
 Close to Suez Channel, the main Maritime Freight Line
Potentiality to act as:
 a regional or even European transhipment and
 connection hub between MENA, East and Europe via:
 Its ports, road and rail networks
 Its storage and air transport facilities and
 The related logistic services

3. GREEK PORTS
 Strategically located
 They could easily be transformed into regional logistic hubs
for goods coming from Asia to the European Community
Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Igoumenitsa and Patra
 core ports for Trans European Network of Transport
 major maritime connections to the European Corridor of Orient /
East Med Corridor that connects large parts of Central Europe with
ports of the North, Baltic, Black and Mediterranean Sea

6. Port of Piraeus
 It has increased the trade volume of TEUs
by 7,5 times in the period 2008 – 2016
 Close to the main Mediterranean maritime route (210 nm)
 With significant capacity
both as a container port and as a car terminal
 Infrastructure and natural depths
for the accommodation of even
the largest modern container ships

7. Port of Piraeus
 Operation under a free zone type II status
 Scale of tariffs based on the volume of transhipment containers
and cars
 Competitive storage fees
 Integrated information system supporting port operations
 Operational and safety standards according to international
regulations
 24 hour - 365 day operation of the Container and Car Terminals

8. Port of Piraeus
 Extended feeder services connecting the port
with almost all main ports in the Mediterranean
 Integrated information system supporting port operations
 Since 2016 Piraeus Container Terminal joined forces with the
international Airport of Athens in order to provide integrated
intermodal transport services with project sea -n- air
 Port of Piraeus provides access
to a large logistics center in Thriassio and
a high-speed cargo train route leading into Europe

9. LOGISTICS
a sector with strategic importance and large potential for Greece
 The wider Transport and Logistics sector in Greece has gradually
become one of the most important sectors of the Greek economy,
contributing to the domestic GDP by 10.85%
(about 20 billion euros).
Attracting international freight flows
The geographical position of the country is critical
to establish Greece as the logistics hub of North-East Europe
Greece should mainly aim at:
 increasing transit freight
 and provision of added value services
 while transhipment freight continues to be increasing

10. Development of national logistics
The development of national logistics should aim at
the reduction of the logistics cost and
consequently at the reduction
of the product cost
till the end consumer
It is of great importance for the Greek public sector
to incorporate best practices in logistic operations
in order to reduce the operational cost and
increase the quality of the provided services to the
citizens

11. Business Environment
-improving the business environment
-facilitating enterprise logistic activities
-enhancing public awareness
-legislation
-promotional activities
Initiatives
-Limitation of administrative barriers
-Improvement of legislation
-Enhancement of the information flow related to
logistics

12. Development of Logistic networks and infrastructure
crucial role
for the facilitation of effective operation
in order to make Greece a more attractive place for investors
Policies will
 encourage the development
of logistic networks and infrastructure
 take advantage of intermodal capabilities

13. Thriassio Pedio Logistics Park
Logistic center with the largest freight railway station in the Balkans
and one of the largest in Europe
 It will accommodate the largest
multimodal logistics park
and most developed intermodal freight centre
in Southeast Europe
 It has a direct railway connection
with the Piraeus port (Ikonio)

14. Thriassio Pedio Logistics Park
 It will become a physical expansion
of the Piraeus container terminal
 It is also connected with the Greek core
and comprehensive TEN-T Road network
via the modern 3-lane highway of Attiki Odos
 It has direct access to the city of Athens
and the Athens International Airport

15. Thriassio Pedio Logistics Park
 Opportunity for major global manufacturers
to use Greece as an assembly, logistics and
quality assurance center for their products
manufactured in Asia and sold in Europe
 Use of the experience from Thriassio Pedio in order
to develop the other major logistics center
in Thessaloniki

16. Greece - Bulgaria port - rail link:
a project of geopolitical significance
'
A Memorandum of Understanding
between Greece and Bulgaria was
signed in September 2017 for the
development of the Thessaloniki
Kavala-Alexandroupolis-Burgas
Varna-Ruse rail link.

17. Road transport
During 2017,the following has been concluded:
 the Ionia Highway
 Olympia highway and
 the middle section of Athens -
Thessaloniki Highway
 All those projects are connected with the necessary adjustments in
the legal framework in order to create a solid, reliable and time
efficient background for new investments in the logistics and
transport sector.
'

18. Β. New technologies and innovation as enablers of transport solutions
Logistics is to a large extent about process
optimisation requiring enhanced access to :
 data and data exchange
 better information
 management and predictive analysis
 Big data
 Cloud computing
 Internet of Things
'

19. Ιmportant enablers for the integration of modes:
 Data sharing
 Smart and collaborative logistics
 Enhanced supply chain management
 Better use of resources and infrastructures
This requires:
innovative technologies
the appropriate digital infrastructure
new business models
'

20. AEOLIX:
an ambitious project kicked off under the EC Horizon 2020
programme.
'
AEOLIX was launched in September 2016 with the aim of
contributing to the priorities of the EU policy for a digital
single market, but also the optimization of cargo flows,
the facilitation of supply chain management, the
reduction of administrative burdens and to make better
use of existing resources.

21. AEOLIX will develop a platform for:
 connecting logistic information systems
 different characteristics
 intra - and cross – company
 immediate (real - time) exchange of information
 support of logistics - related decisions
'

22. Living Lab 12: Digitalization of freight transport documents
 Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Romania and Serbia
 The aim is to test electronic consignment notes (e-CMR)
on cross-border transport
 By using e-CMR for the trial the transport operators
acrοss the five countries will be able to:
 input data electronically
 store logistics information
 exchange data in real time via a mobile phone or tablet
'

23. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION