Marimatch: Fruitful comeback to Posidonia 2022

Face to face after two years of the pandemic. Exhibitors and visitors alike enjoyed the great opportunity of meeting after such a long time. With 29,000 visitors from all over the world, the Posidonia International Exhibition 2022 was a major event for the international shipping community. At this successful restart of the event, the National Documentation Centre (EKT) and the Enterprise Europe Network - Hellas were present with the B2B business meeting event MariMatch, which also achieved record participation.

Marimatch at Posidonia 2022 was a unique opportunity for companies and organisations from Greece and abroad that are active in the fields of Shipbuilding Industry, Mechanical Equipment & Marine Technology. Through targeted 30-minute bilateral meetings, participants had the chance to network with potential partners, approach new customers/suppliers, identify innovative technologies and products, and explore potential partnerships within Horizon Europe, the EU’s programme for research and innovation, targeting to a green and digital transition. Most of the meetings took place on June 7, 8 and 9 at exhibitors’ stands and at the Enterprise Europe Network - Hellas venue at the Metropolitan Expo Exhibition Centre, while continuing online until June 30.

In total, within the framework of the MariMatch event, 224 meetings were held involving 188 businesses and organisations from 28 countries. Following Greece, from which 75 businesses participated, the most participations were from Cyprus (11), the Netherlands (8), Italy (7), the United Kingdom (7), Germany (7), Denmark ( 6), Romania (6). In addition, EKT’s Innovation advisors approached dynamic and innovative Greek companies represented at the exhibition, transforming the booths into places to meet and get to know each other. Following up on these meetings, the next step is the inclusion of companies in the network of EKT’s integrated services and in the Enterprise Europe Network - Hellas consortium.

Meet new Business Partners and expand your Research & Innovation Network in the Maritime Sector. Register online for the #B2B meetings of #MariMatch until the end of June 👉 https://t.co/ZGsodLb95u #EENCanHelp pic.twitter.com/GnqDyIWZzC

— Enterprise Europe Network - Hellas (@EEN_Hellas) June 10, 2022

The exhibitors who spoke with us shared the belief that EKT can make a decisive contribution to their development through its network of services. Besides shipowners, startups and technology companies, there was particular interest from research organisations and academic institutions that were represented in the exhibition area.

The areas covered by the event were:

• Shipbuilding
• Shipyard technologies and equipment
• Environmentally sustainable shipbuilding
• Electronic systems, communication & navigation systems
• Mechanical and auxiliary systems
• Transport logistics /Ports
• Technology Services for safety at sea
• Maritime services
• Marine research, development & innovation
• Marine bio-economy

Marimatch at Posidonia 2022 was organised by EKT in collaboration with the Athens Chamber of Commerce and MIRTEC SA with the support of the Maritime Industries & Services group of the Enterprise Europe Network.

Posidonia 2022

Two years after the first lockdowns and restrictive measures, the Posidonia International Exhibition 2022 has once again set a high bar. The organisers are talking about a dynamic restart and recovery of the institution’s momentum. With 1,964 exhibitors from 88 countries and approximately 29,000 visitors from all over the world, this year’s event strengthened the international prestige and quality of the exhibition. The magnitude of its success is better highlighted when taking into account the absence of exhibitors from countries in Asia, where travel restrictions are still in place due to the pandemic.

Enterprise Europe Network

The Enterprise Europe Network is the largest business support network in the world. It consists of 600 partner organisations, 3,000 specialised staff and 17 expert groups in respective industrial sectors, in more than 60 countries. Since 2008, it has helped 2.9 million businesses to innovate and grow internationally, while, to date, 475,000 small and medium-sized businesses have trusted the Network’s consulting services.

In Greece, the Enterprise Europe Network -Hellas consortium consists of 16 organisations recognised in the field of innovation and SMEs, including industry associations, research, technology and banking institutions, as well as chambers of commerce and industry.