Overview
The Ministry of Mercantile Marine is an administrative body that accumulates valuable maritime expertise, skills and know-how, as a large number of its staff deals exclusively with issues about shipping policy, safety of navigation, research, maritime traffic management, merchant ships' inspection and marine environment protection.
These services are supplemented domestically by an extensive inspectors' network operating at the regional port authorities.
Research undertaken by the Ministry of Mercantile Marine covers all areas of maritime transport, maritime safety and environmental protection.
The Ministry supports also projects undertaken by the following supervising organisations: Piraeus port organisation and Thessaloniki port organisation.
After several restructuring the Ministry of Mercantile Marine was turned into the "Department of Marine and Aegean" in 2009.
Research and technological activities of the Ministry have the following objectives:
- Maritime Transport Policy
- Telematics application
- Electronic communication systems
- Safe carriage of freight and passengers
- Maritime safety
The Ministry of Mercantile Marine supports research activities of the Greek universities, the private sector and supervises research activities of Piraeus port organisation and Thessaloniki port organisation.
Funding
The public funding spend over five years on the above mentioned projects amounts to approximately EUR 40 000