The initiative of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the creation of the Hellenic Supply Chain Cluster (HSCC) was presented at the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Chamber on 11 May, in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis, who, following a unanimous decision, was made an honorary member of the Board.
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According to a statement, Konstantinos Kyranakis referred to the traffic problem in Piraeus and the wider region, discussing problems, proposals and solutions with the members of the Board.The Board of Directors of Piraeus, in order to decongest the Kifissos and the wider area around the port, without at the same time disturbing the economic life of the city. He also referred to the promotion of permanent solutions for three critical infrastructure projects in West Attica: the Skaramanga interchanges, the widening of the Kantzas-Thebes road axis and the Piraeus-Elefsina rail link. He said the impact of traffic congestion on the road network, particularly during peak hours, translates into lost man-hours and delays in delivery times in Attica with the morning three-hour period from 07:00-10:00 being a particularly critical and productive time for hauliers and businesses.
On the occasion of Mr. Kyranakis’ appointment as an honorary member of the Board of Directors of E.B.E.P, President Vassilis Korkidis praised the contribution of the deputy minister in the effort to address the traffic problem around the port of Piraeus, and not only. In fact, he stressed that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry has already brought to the attention of the Minister all available data on the movement of trucks to and from the port of Piraeus, in order to be used appropriately. Concluding his statement, Mr. Korkidis stressed the need for strict adherence to the timetables for the implementation of transport projects and interventions, in order to limit the “collateral damage” in working hours and the burden caused by traffic congestion. Finally, he brought to the attention of the minister the alternative proposal of “subcontracting” instead of undergrounding the lines of the HSTAP, for the opening of the entrance and exit of the city of Piraeus.
Finally, the Minister said he supports the creation of the Greek Supply Chain Cluster, which is a strategic choice of the Hellenic Business Council and comes to respond to the modern challenges of the sector. The aim of the initiative is to link entrepreneurship with the academic community in order to enhance Greece’s competitiveness as an international logistics hub. The initiative, emphasizes innovation, digital transformation, extroversion, competitiveness and sustainability as key elements of a modern combined transport framework. At the same time, it responds to the need for a strong “Mediterranean Momentum”, placing Greece at the heart of international supply chain networks. In this context, the first project will be the establishment of a “Hellenic Supply Chain Innovation Hub”, i.e. a collaboration centre for businesses and universities to develop supply chain technologies such as “predictive analytics” for cargo management through digital platforms.
