The European Shortsea Network (ESN) gathers industry leaders, policymakers, and logistics innovators in Athens on October 14th for the European Shortsea Network Summit 2025 – “Walking into a New Era”. Hosted by Shortsea Promotion Centre (SPC) Greece, the summit marks the beginning of a new ESN presidency and comes at a critical moment for European transport and logistics.
ShortSea Shipping remains one of Europe’s most powerful tools in the green transition. Shipping is up to three times as energy-efficient per ton compared to road transport. Still, the challenge lies not in technology or capacity, but in perception and practice: a shift in how goods move is often viewed as an operational risk.
The market is not looking for a specific mode of transport, but for predictable, efficient, and sustainable logistics. The shift itself is not the goal. ShortSea Shipping is the enabler—helping us build robust, efficient, and future-proof logistics chains.
Jørn Askvik, Managing Director of Shortsea Promotion Centre Norway.
Sustainable Freight in Retreat: Why Europe Must Rethink Its Modal Shift Strategy
Despite years of political ambitions, the share of sustainable modes in Europe’s inland freight transport is shrinking. According to Eurostat, rail’s share has declined from 18.7% in 2008 to 16.9% in 2023, while inland waterways have dropped from 7.0% to 5.0% over the same period.
This downward trend raises a pressing question: if freight shifting towards more energy-efficient modes of transport remains a European goal, then policies must be updated. The summit opens the floor to this debate—challenging industry and policymakers alike to rethink strategies that ensure sea, rail, and inland waterways grow rather than retreat.
Seamless, Resilient, Sustainable: What the Green Transition Means in Reality
Discussions in Athens will not just revolve around institutions and regulations, but on what these mean for those who matter most:
- For business: predictable and cost-effective supply chains that reduce operational risks.
- For the maritime sector: access to investment tools that make green fleet renewal realistic.
- For logistics providers: smoother integration between ports, roads, rail, and sea to deliver efficient multimodal value chains.
- For governments: policies that turn ambition into measurable modal shift and lower emissions.
In short, it is about how Europe builds a seamless, resilient, and sustainable transport system that works in practice for cargo owners, carriers, and citizens.
Walking into a New Era – A powerful program
The one-day summit offers a high-level and diverse agenda.
- Opening speeches from European and Greek leaders, including the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport & Tourism (online) and the Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs.
- Keynotes from Gesine Meissner (European Maritime Space Coordinator) and Dr. Guido Grimaldi (Grimaldi Group).
- Session 1 – Connecting Europe: The Power of Intermodality – bridging sea, road, and rail with perspectives from SPC Norway, OFAE Greece, UIRR, and leading ports and logistics associations.
- Session 2 – Shipping Legislation in an EU Context – navigating the policy landscape shaping the industry’s future.
- Session 3 – Financing the Green Transition – with insights from the European Investment Bank, Damen Shipyards, and the Waterborne Technology Platform.
- Session 4 – Navigating Geopolitical Shifts – addressing the impact of global divides on shipping routes.
Networking sessions are integrated throughout the day, allowing participants to connect across industries and regions.
From Vision to Action: Building Seamless and Sustainable Value Chains
Shortsea Network Summit 2025 is a call to action. It invites transport buyers, policymakers, ports, and carriers to think beyond modes and focus on building seamless value chains that deliver both economic and environmental resilience.
Athens will be the stage where Europe’s maritime stakeholders come together to align strategy, share insight, and shape the future of shortsea shipping in a new era of sustainable logistics.
📅 Date: October 14, 2025
📍Venue: Grand Hyatt Athens, Greece
🔗Organised by: SPC Greece