MIT Club of Greece hosts “Sustainable Ecosystems for the Maritime Industry”
Profs. Sapsis, Triantafyllou and Patrikalakis honored for contributions to the Maritime Industry of Greece
MIT Club of Greece organized an event in June that welcomed over 400 attendees, including several graduates of the 2N (Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering) program and other MIT alumni, government officials, and maritime leaders. The gathering, that took place at Athens College on June 18, discussed MIT and Sustainable Ecosystems for the Maritime Industry in an interactive way with participants and attendees.
“The discussions in the reception after the event allowed us to make many more connections with alumni and other attendees,” says Michael Triantafyllou, the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Professor in Ocean Science and Engineering, and Director of MIT Sea Grant. “We anticipate moving ahead with a collaborative effort between MIT and the shipping industry in Greece.”
Themistoklis Sapsis, the William I. Koch Professor, and Director of the Center for Ocean Engineering, spoke, followed by a panel discussion featuring Sapsis, Triantafyllou, and Konstantinos Galanis ENG ’02, SM ’02, PhD ’07, member of the Board of Directors for the MIT Club of Greece, that further explored questions on decarbonization in the shipping industry.
Greece’s Minister of Defense, Nikos Dendias, gave the closing speech, emphasizing the importance of human capital and innovation and discussing a new effort to create an innovation ecosystem through the Hellenic Defense Research and Innovation Development Center. He also spoke about the historical connection between the state and Greek Naval Officers, many of whom studied in MIT’s Naval Construction & Engineering program.
The long-standing collaboration has created lasting value, enhancing efforts to develop leaders capable of addressing future challenges. The impacts of this collaboration were further recognized through the presentation of a plaque by the senior-most Admiral in the Greek Navy recognizing and thanking Sapsis, Triantafyllou, and Professor Nicholas Patrikalakis for their contributions.
Triantafyllou says it was rewarding to see such significant attendance and experience warm feelings from all, adding, “the plaque certainly has emotional significance since many of the MIT alumni in Greece hold important positions in industry and government.”
MechE’s 2N program started in 1901 under the direction of Professor William Hovgaard, in cooperation with the US Navy. It prepares Navy, Coast Guard, and foreign naval active-duty officers, as well as other graduate students, for careers in ship design and construction.
