Greening the Gateway: Smart Ports & Blue Logistics
Greening the Gateway: Smart Ports & Blue Logistics https://pharosproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Greening-the-Gateway-Smart-Ports-Blue-Logistics-Presentation-1024x576.jpg 1024 576 PHAROS Project https://pharosproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Greening-the-Gateway-Smart-Ports-Blue-Logistics-Presentation-1024x576.jpg1 October 2026 | 12:00 CET | Zoom
On 1 October 2026, the PHAROS Project, in collaboration with Impact Hub Athens and ICORSA, will host the sixth session of its “Meet the Oceanpreneur” webinar series, titled “Greening the Gateway: Smart Ports & Blue Logistics.” The session will bring together innovators, researchers, and practitioners to explore one of the defining opportunities within the blue economy: how to transform ports and maritime logistics from pollution pressure points into active enablers of ocean restoration, circularity and sustainable innovation.
Webinar Format
Each 50-minute webinar follows a fireside chat format, combining storytelling, real-world insights, and meaningful exchange. Two speakers will present their work in 10-minute segments, followed by a 20-minute moderated discussion and a 10-minute live Q&A. The sessions are designed to be fast-paced, focused, and impactful, with an emphasis on practical lessons and scalable solutions rather than abstract theory.
Who Should Attend
The session is designed for innovators, researchers, and changemakers from across the blue economy, including representatives from startups, academia, student communities, local authorities, policymaking bodies, the private sector, education, and civil society. It is particularly relevant for those working on smart port technologies, blue logistics, marine litter prevention, circular waste management, and coastal community engagement.
Context and Background
The webinar is organised under the Meet the Oceanpreneur programme, with session leadership from Impact Hub Athens and ICORSA support. Smart ports and blue logistics sit at the intersection of global trade, climate action, and marine ecosystem health, making this session directly relevant to PHAROS’s core mission of restoring ocean health while enabling responsible economic activity. The discussion is framed not as a trade-off between efficiency and ecology, but as a case for their mutual reinforcement.
This session explores how ports, harbours and maritime logistics can become gateways for a cleaner, smarter and more circular blue economy, with a focus on smart port technologies, digital logistics solutions, port waste-management systems and harbour-based monitoring. Bringing together innovators and entrepreneurs working directly with maritime infrastructure and coastal environments, the discussion highlights emerging approaches that enable port-based industries to improve operational performance while reducing plastic leakage and environmental impact.
The session will also examine how entrepreneurship, innovation, and nature-based solutions can contribute to healthier oceans and more resilient coastal economies, while addressing current environmental pressures affecting marine biodiversity, plastic pollution and port-related emissions. It explicitly connects these themes to the Citizen Litter Entrepreneur Programme, supporting innovation in plastic litter prevention, collection, monitoring, reuse and valorisation.
The Core: Ports as Platforms for Restoration and Circularity
The session’s central argument is that ecological performance is a precondition of long-term port competitiveness. Ports that ignore waste streams, emissions and biodiversity loss ultimately undermine their own social licence to operate and their resilience to tightening environmental regulation. Conversely, port systems that integrate smart technologies, circular waste management and nature-based solutions regenerate the natural and social capital on which maritime trade and coastal communities depend.
Smart port technologies and digital logistics can reduce vessel waiting times, fuel consumption and emissions, while port waste-management solutions and harbour-based monitoring can intercept plastic and other debris before it reaches the open ocean. Entrepreneurs, port authorities, logistics actors, researchers and coastal communities all have a role to play in developing and scaling solutions that address marine litter and plastic pollution while improving efficiency and service quality.
The session aims to encourage cross-sector collaboration between innovators, investors, public authorities, industry actors and civil society to support cleaner, more efficient and more circular maritime gateways. It will inspire participants to adopt and replicate solutions aligned with Mission Ocean goals, the fight against plastic litter and the Citizen Litter Entrepreneur Programme, turning ports into living labs for ocean restoration and circular blue-economy innovation.
Event Details
Title: Greening the Gateway: Smart Ports & Blue Logistics
Date: Thursday, 1 October 2026
Time: 12:00 – 13:00 CET (60 minutes)
Format: Online via Zoom
Host: Impact Hub Athens, in collaboration with ICORSA.org
About the Panelists
Host
Dimitris Kokkinakis
CEO & Co-Founder, Impact Hub Athens
Dimitris Kokkinakis is a social entrepreneur and community-builder, he co-founded Impact Hub Athens in 2013, an ever-growing ecosystem of social innovators and entrepreneurs driving change through responsible, inclusive, and sustainability-driven initiatives. Impact Hub Athens is part of the global Impact Hub network, present in over 110 cities worldwide, connecting people, places, and programs to inspire, support, and catalyze impact. Since a young age he has been actively involved in national and international organizations and networks, working with diverse communities across sectors including entrepreneurship, the arts, and environment. Under his co-leadership, Impact Hub Athens has implemented large-scale initiatives at local, national, and EU levels, focusing on sustainability, inclusion, and climate resilience.
Moderator
Richard Hardiman
Founder and President of RanMarine Technology
Richard Hardiman is the founder and President of RanMarine Technology, a Netherlands-based environmental cleantech company. Raised and originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Richard has a diverse background spanning journalism, broadcasting and entrepreneurship. He has successfully led multiple start-ups and scale-ups since earning his business administration degree from the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business in 2009.
In 2016, Richard embarked on his most ambitious venture by developing the WasteShark, an emissions-free autonomous aquatic vessel designed to remove floating waste such as plastics, rubbish and biomass or algae from ports, rivers and waterways, preventing ocean pollution. Under his strategic guidance, he has expanded RanMarine’s Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) product line and global footprint, driving innovative solutions for environmental sustainability.
With Richard at the helm, RanMarine now operates worldwide with deployments in over 34 countries. The company’s technology not only collects waste but gathers real-time data on water health through RanMarine Connect, an online portal providing detailed environmental insights for clients. Richard has garnered international recognition for his contributions to corporate social responsibility and sustainability, while his expertise in innovation and strategy continues to drive his mission of balancing commercial success with meaningful environmental impact.
Speakers
Alejandro Luna
Head Strategic Partnerships – Naval & Offshore
Alejandro Luna is a Naval and Ocean Engineer with international experience in shipbuilding, offshore technologies, and maritime innovation. He currently leads strategic partnerships and business development for the Naval & Offshore sector at CTN (Spain), driving collaboration between industry, research organisations, and technology developers. Prior to CTN, he spent six years at Damen Naval (The Netherlands), progressing from Structural Analyst to R&D Project Manager and leading initiatives in Digital Twins, Structural Health Monitoring, and maritime innovation.
Alejandro holds Master in Science (MSc) degrees from the University of Strathclyde (UK), TU Hamburg (Germany), and the Technical University of Cartagena (Spain), where he is currently pursuing a PhD in Naval and Ocean Engineering.
Georgia Kalantzi, PhD
Founder and Business Lead, Oyster Heaven
Georgia Kalantzi, PhD, is Co-founder and CEO of AlongRoute Data, operating commercially as AlongWave. A Physical Oceanographer specialising in wave modelling, she has more than 20 years of combined experience across academia and the private sector. Her expertise spans physical oceanography, ocean-data analysis, GIS, innovation and business strategy. At AlongWave, she leads the development and commercialisation of proprietary marine-weather intelligence designed to support better decisions across shipping, voyage optimisation, offshore operations and maritime risk. She also drives the company’s strategy, partnerships and international growth.
About the PHAROS Citizen Litter Entrepreneur Programme
The Citizen Litter Entrepreneur Programme is part of the EU-funded PHAROS project, which develops innovative nature-based solutions to restore marine ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and address climate change across the Atlantic and Arctic regions. The programme empowers citizens and entrepreneurs to transform ocean plastic waste into sustainable business opportunities through training, tools, and circular economy ventures.
