CSC President Themis Papadopoulos explores the changing face of Shipping

Having weathered the storm of COVID-19 and the subsequent disruption of global supply chains, shipping now has to deal with the need for decarbonisation, the development of new technologies and the endless search for talent.

Themis Papadopoulos, President of the Cyprus Shipping Chamber and Vice Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping, explains how the maritime industry is changing.

It has been reported that, since early October, the number of ships on the Cypriot registry has fallen by 21% as a result of the sanctions against Russia and its oil exports. What can you tell us about this and what can be done to attract more ship owners to register in Cyprus?

The Cyprus flag, like other registries, experiences ups and downs in vessel registrations and that is something that we have to adjust to accordingly. The best way to grow the registry is for the Shipping Ministry to focus on completing the digitalisation and automation programme that it has embarked on and becoming a modern and efficient registry.

How does Cyprus’ shipping industry performance following the pandemic compare with that of other major shipping nations?

The shipping industry, both globally and here in Cyprus, showed tremendous resilience during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite economic slowdowns and legislative challenges, shipping kept going without fail, delivering energy, raw materials and goods throughout the world. When we look back at how difficult everything was during that period, I think this was a remarkable achievement.

How have EU and IMO environmental objectives affected commercial interests with regard to the Cyprus shipping sector?

Shipping has embraced the ambition to decarbonise the industry and we are working closely with the relevant parties at both an EU and an international level to help ensure that the upcoming regulations regarding carbon emissions will be fit for purpose. Clearly there is a change in the landscape to which we have to react positively and, at the same time, it is clear that shipping is an important link in a very long chain.

Cyprus currently ranks as the third largest fleet in the European Union. Can we become number one and the backbone of EU shipping? If so, how do we go about it?

Even though it would be nice to say that we are number one, I do not think that this is the most important thing for the Cyprus flag. I believe that having a modern and flexible registry will ensure that Cyprus is always in the upper tiers, whatever its ranking.

Autonomous cargo ships are still in their infancy but they are no longer a concept or hypothetical. Are Cyprus’ ports ready to sustain them and help them operate?

Autonomous ships have received a fair amount of publicity in recent times and, while no longer merely conceptual, they are hardly found in existing trades. While this technology does have some application in regional or coastal services, I cannot imagine that it will be applicable on the vast majority of ocean-going ships any time soon. There are, as yet, no international rules and standards that would allow ships fitted with this kind of technology to trade globally, or what would be expected of the ports that they would visit. As a general comment, I would say that the push for autonomy has taken a back seat to the push for emission reductions and decarbonisation.

Surveys indicate that the challenge of finding and retaining top talent in the shipping sector has intensified. How would you assess the current situation? Are there enough incentives to persuade young people to pursue a career in shipping?

There have always been – and there will always be – challenges in finding and retaining top talent. However, I believe that the efforts made in the past few years, by both the Government and the private sector, to increase education and awareness amongst students and young people in Cyprus are already paying dividends and we see many more young people choosing a maritime education. It is, without doubt, one of the most stable and promising sectors of the economy and I would have no hesitation in urging young people to choose it as a career.

Elections for a new IMO Secretary-General are due in July. If Turkey’s nominee were to win, would you expect any unpleasant surprises for Cyprus?

The IMO is a UN body and the electoral process for the Secretary-General and the Council members tends to be politically driven. However, the post of Secretary-General is an executive and administrative one, with duties exercised in line with its mandate, so it would be highly irregular for anybody to be exercising personal or national interests. That said, Turkey’s embargo on Cyprus shipping, despite its illegality, has not been resolved under numerous other Secretaries-General over the past 30 years.

This interview first appeared in the May edition of GOLD magazine. Click here to view it.