Quality Flag Forum | Securing the Global Fleet: A Norway-Greece Dialogue

The Norwegian Maritime Authority, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Athens, and Isalos.net are pleased to announce the upcoming Quality Flag Forum entitled: “Securing the Global Fleet: A Norway-Greece Dialogue.”

The conference will take place during Posidonia 2026 on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, from 17:30 to 19:30, at the Posidonia Seminar Room Central in Athens.

The event is organised under the scientific auspices of the Department of Shipping, Trade & Transport of the University of the Aegean.

Bringing together leading representatives from the Norwegian and Greek maritime communities, the forum aims to explore maritime security amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty. It will also examine how different regulatory traditions, security cultures, and industry practices respond to emerging global challenges.

The discussion will focus on identifying common ground between the Greek and Norwegian shipping industries, sharing best practices, and contributing to a more coordinated and resilient approach to maritime governance in an increasingly fragmented international environment.

The conference will take the form of a high-level panel discussion.

Agenda

17:30 - Welcome remarks:

• Even T. Sagebakken, State Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries of the Kingdom of Norway
• Stefanos Gkikas, Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy of the Hellenic Republic

17:50 - Opening speech:

• Prof. Seraphim Kapros, Head of the Department of Shipping, Trade & Transport, University of the Aegean

18:00 - Panel discussion (panellists listed in alphabetical order by company name):

• Line Falkenberg Ollestad, Director - Head of Geopolitics, Norwegian Shipowners’ Association
• Manolis Koutoulakis, Secretary General of the Aegean and Island Policy, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy
• Prof. Maria Lambrou, Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport, Business School, University of the Aegean
• Luisa Puccio, Senior Director, Shipping Policy & Communications, European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA)
• Svein Ringbakken, CEO, DNK - Norwegian Shipowners Mutual War Risks Insurance Association
• Cristina Saenz de Santa Maria, Interim CEO, DNV Maritime
• Alf Tore Sørheim, Director General of Shipping and Navigation, Norwegian Maritime Authority
• Nikos Triantafyllakis, Managing Director, W Marine Inc.
• Angelos Tyrogalas, COO, Contships Management Inc.
• Moderator: Dimitris Monioudis, Chairman of the Technical Committee of INTERCARGO & Managing Director of Rethymnis & Kulukundis Ltd.

Participation in the conference is free of charge, subject to prior registration. Those interested in attending are kindly invited to register via Eventbrite.

Please note that separate registration is also required for entry to the Posidonia 2026 exhibition through the official Posidonia registration platform.

Please also note that photographs and audiovisual material may be captured during the event and used for communication and promotional purposes related to the conference and its organisers.