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Blue Heritage Summit Thessaloniki
From Dialogue to Delivery — A new-generation international summit
Days
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March 2026
17
Key Pillars
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∞
Connections
The Blue Heritage Summit Thessaloniki is conceived as a new-generation international summit, designed to respond to the growing complexity of challenges facing coastal and maritime regions in Europe and beyond. Rather than functioning as a traditional conference, the Summit operates as a delivery-oriented platform that connects policy, innovation, investment, and implementation.
From Dialogue to Delivery
Most summits stop at discussion.
The Blue Heritage Summit is explicitly designed to produce outcomes.
The Blue Heritage Summit is explicitly designed to produce outcomes.
At the heart of the Summit are interactive Labs, held on the first day, where a carefully selected group of stakeholders—public authorities, businesses, financial institutions, innovators, academics, and civil society—collaborate in structured, facilitated environments to co-design actionable solutions.
These Labs translate expertise and strategic intent into:
- concrete policy recommendations
- implementable roadmaps
- pilot-ready project ideas
This ensures that the Summit moves beyond ideas to real-world impact.
An Integrated Blue–Circular–Regenerative Framework Linked to Culture
he Summit is an integral part of the Blue Heritage Project, an international initiative that uniquely links:
- The Blue Economy
- The Circular Economy
- The Regenerative Economy
- Culture and heritage
This integrated framework positions culture not as an add-on but as a strategic driver of regeneration, identity, social cohesion, and place-based development. It offers a holistic model for coastal regions that integrates economic resilience, environmental stewardship, and cultural value creation.
A Regenerative Model for Coastal and Maritime Regions
Rather than focusing solely on sustainability or mitigation, the Blue Heritage Summit advances a regenerative development model for coastal and maritime regions.
The Summit addresses how regions can:
- enhance long-term resilience
- restore natural and social systems
- foster innovation ecosystems
- create sustainable prosperity for local communities
This approach is particularly relevant to port cities, islands, coastal tourism destinations, and maritime clusters.
Alignment with the Twin Transition (Green & Digital)
The Summit is strategically aligned with the Twin Transition, integrating:
- green transformation (climate resilience, biodiversity, energy, circularity)
- digital transformation (data, innovation, smart systems, new technologies)
This dual focus ensures that solutions developed at the Summit are future-proof, scalable, and aligned with European and international policy priorities.
Cross-Sector and Multi-Level Governance
The Blue Heritage Summit brings together actors who rarely collaborate in the same structured setting:
- local, regional, national, and European policymakers
- private sector leaders and investors
- academic and research institutions
- innovation ecosystems and civil society
This cross-sector, multi-level approach enables policy coherence, reduces fragmentation, and supports coordinated action across governance levels.
Clear Legacy and Institutional Impact
The Summit is designed to leave a clear, measurable legacy.
Key outputs include:
- A Policy Paper addressed to national and European stakeholders
- A Strategic Roadmap for Blue Heritage and regenerative coastal development
- a curated set of Best Practices and Projects with replication potential
These outputs ensure continuity beyond the event and position the Summit as a reference point for future policy and investment initiatives.
Thessaloniki as a Strategic Hub
By taking place in Thessaloniki, the Summit positions the city—and Greece more broadly—as a strategic hub for Blue & Sustainable Growth across South-Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the wider European neighbourhood.
The location reinforces the Summit’s role as a bridge between regions, cultures, and economies.
IN ESSENCE
The Blue Heritage Summit Thessaloniki is not an event—it is a platform for co-creation, a catalyst for policy and projects, and a long-term initiative that shapes the future of coastal and maritime regions through regeneration, innovation, and culture.
COLLABORATIVE NETWORK
SUMMIT SPEAKERS
Leading voices in policy, innovation, and sustainability shaping the future of Blue & Sustainable Growth across the Mediterranean and beyond.
Konstantinos Gioulekas
SPEAKER
Deputy Minister of Interior, Macedonia-Thrace sector
Christos Dimas
SPEAKER
Minister of Infrastructure and Transport
Adonis Georgiadis
SPEAKER
Minister of Health
Giorgos Gerapetritis
SPEAKER
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece
Yannis Kefalogiannis
SPEAKER
Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection
Vassilis Kikilias
SPEAKER
Minister of Merchant Marine
Lina Mendoni,
SPEAKER
Minister of Culture
Stavros Papastavrou
SPEAKER
Minister of Energy and Environment
Dimitris Papastergiou
SPEAKER
Minister of Digital Governance
Thanos Plevris
SPEAKER
Minister of Migration and Asylum
Akis Skertsos
SPEAKER
Minister of State
Takis Theodorikakos
SPEAKER
Minister of Development
Konstantinos Tsiaras
SPEAKER
Minister of Rural Development and Food
Kostas Katsafados
SPEAKER
Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis & Civic Protection
Athanasios Kontogeorgis
SPEAKER
Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Presidency of the Government, Greece
Haris Theocharis
SPEAKER
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
Konstantinos Kyranakis
SPEAKER
Alternate Minister of Infrastructure & Transport
Nikos Papathanasis
SPEAKER
Alternate Minister at the Ministry of Economy and Finance
Dimitris Skalkos
SPEAKER
Secretary General of International Economic Affairs, President of Enterprise Greece
Stamatis Aggelopoulos
SPEAKER
Rector, International University of Thessaloniki
Stelios Aggeloudis
SPEAKER
Mayor of Thessaloniki
Athina Aidona
SPEAKER
Governor, Region of Central Macedonia
George Alexandratos
SPEAKER
President,
Marine Chamber of Greece
George Amanatides
SPEAKER
Governor of Western Macedonia
Panagiotis G. Anastassopoulos
SPEAKER
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hellenic Ports Association (E.LIM.E.).
Dimitris Andriopoulos
SPEAKER
Chairman, Dimand SA
Ioannis Androulakis
SPEAKER
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Green Fund
Michalis Angelopoulos
SPEAKER
President Scientific Council
Institute of Local Government KEDE
Konstantinos Aravossis
SPEAKER
Professor, UNESCO Chair,
National Technical University of Athens, Vice President RAE
Leonidas Bakouras
SPEAKER
General Manager, Thracean Mining (Eldorado Gold)
Christos Balaskas
SPEAKER
President, Hellas Gold
Stella Bejergianni
SPEAKER
President Noesis
Evangelos Bekiaris
SPEAKER
Chairman BoD, CERTH
Fredis Beleris
SPEAKER
Member European Parliament, Group of the European People's Party
Danae Bezantakou
SPEAKER
Vice President, Propeller Club
Evangelos Charalambus
SPEAKER
Co-founder, Beyond Expo
Korina Chatzigeorgiou
SPEAKER
CEO Agrinow
Epaminondas Christofilopoulos
SPEAKER
President, MOMUS | UNESCO Chair on Futures Research/FORTH
Simone Cipriani
SPEAKER
Dean Milano Fashion Institute, former Chair UN Alliance on Sustainable Fashion
Marios Dafnomilis
SPEAKER
Foresight Advisor, Presidency of the Greek Government
Dimitrios Diamantidis
MODERATOR
Journalist
Symeon Diamantidis
SPEAKER
President SEVE
Athanassios Ellis
MODERATOR
Editor-in-Chief, Kathimerini English
Nicolas Farantouris
SPEAKER
EU Parliament Independent, Rapporteur, Global Goals for EU & UN, European Parliament
Constantinos Filis
SPEAKER
Director Institute of Global Affairs, Member of the National Council on Foreign Policy
Gerassimos Gerolymatos
SPEAKER
Director, ONDECK GROUP
Marinos Giannopoulos
SPEAKER
CEO, Enterprise Greece
Vasilis Gregoriou
SPEAKER
Director of Research, fr President National Research Centre
Vicky Hatzivasiliou
SPEAKER
Deputy Regional Governor of Tourism, Region of Central Macedonia
Aggelos Iatrides
SPEAKER
Winemaker, ALPHA Estate
Costas Kadis
SPEAKER
EU Commissioner on Fisheries and Oceans
Anna Kalliani
SPEAKER
President, BHCC
George Kallianis
SPEAKER
Member of the Board, HELMEPA & Shipowner
Mihalis Katrinis
SPEAKER
Member, Parliament for Ileia District, Head, Parliamentary Sector for National Defense, PASOK
Panagiotis Ketikidis
SPEAKER
President Thessaloniki Innovation Zone
Ioannis Kostopoulos
SPEAKER
Co-Founder & CEO SaMMY
Thanasis Kouimtzis
SPEAKER
Chair Agrotech Committee, AmCham
George Koumoutsakos
SPEAKER
Ambassador of Greece to UNESCO
Lazaros Kyrizoglou
SPEAKER
President KEDE
Effie Lazaridou
SPEAKER
CEO, New Agriculture, New Generation
Elena Lazarou
SPEAKER
General Director, ELIAMEP
Lina Liakou
SPEAKER
Global Director, Resilient Cities Network
Spyros Litsas
SPEAKER
Professor of International Relations, University of Macedonia
Faye Makantasis
SPEAKER
Research Director, diaNEOsis
Fotis Maris
SPEAKER
Rector, Democritus University of Thrace
Vangelis Meimarakis
SPEAKER
VP European People's Party, MP European Parliament, European People's Party
Kyriakos Merelis
SPEAKER
Kyriakos Merelis, President EETH
Elias Palialexis
MODERATOR
Journalist, Athens -Macedonian News Agency
Alexandra Palli
SPEAKER
President, CSR HELLAS
Litsa Panayotopoulos
SPEAKER
Chair of Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Committee, AmCham
Marianna Papadopoulou Chatzakou
SPEAKER
Board Member – Executive Director for Sales and Milk Purchase, MEVGAL
Giannis Papailiopoulos
SPEAKER
Giannis Papailiopoulos, CEO & President, ANAKEM
Fanis Papathanasiou
MODERATOR
Journalist, ERT
Theodoros Pelagidis
SPEAKER
Deputy Governor, Bank of Greece
Elsa Poimenidou
MODERATOR
Journalist, ERT3
Pavlina Proteou
SPEAKER
Founder-CEO, BeyondCSR
Loukia Saranti
SPEAKER
President, SVE
Antonis Sioulis
SPEAKER
CEO RECO Exports Ltd., Representative Adventure Travel Trade Association Greece & National
Geographic Traveller UK, BoD Member Hellenic-British Chamber of Commerce, Chair Exports & Tourism
Committee of the Hellenic-Indian Chamber of Commerce
Evita Souri
SPEAKER
Director, Commercial Department, British Embassy Athens
Alkiviadis Stefanis
SPEAKER
Governor of Mount Athos, f.Minister of National Defence
Theodoros Theodoulidis
SPEAKER
Rector, University of Western Macedonia
Christodoulos Topsidis
SPEAKER
Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Ioannis Tsaras
SPEAKER
CEO, ThPA S.A. - Port of Thessaloniki
Christos Tsentemeidis
SPEAKER
President TIF-Helexpo
Dimitris Tsitsamis
SPEAKER
President, Greek Association of Supply Chain Management
Apostolos Tzitzikostas
SPEAKER
European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism
Nikos
Tzollas
SPEAKER
Deputy Governor for Digital Governance, Region of Central Macedonia
Thalia Valkouma
SPEAKER
President & CEO, Faria Renewables S.A.
Evangelos Venizelos
SPEAKER
President Circle of Ideas, former Vice President of the Government, fmr President, PASOK
Aris
Vlachos
SPEAKER
Chairman, Hellenic Business Association
Yannis Voutsinas
SPEAKER
President, KEEE
Maria Voziki
SPEAKER
Vice President, Hellenic French Chamber of Commerce