Limassol Municipality and Frederick University’s Department of Maritime and Commerce jointly organize the Blue Limassol Forum 2024, taking place on Monday, 15th April, from 17:00 to 19:30 at Frederick University, Limassol.

This year’s Forum, titled “Limassol, an EU Mission City 2023: Actions on Coast & Sea to improve quality of life”, focuses on the EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, its alignment with sustainable coastal development, and enhancing the quality of life for residents of Limassol.

Notably, the Forum will be held shortly after Limassol was awarded the “EU Mission Label” by the European Commission. The “EU Mission Label” is considered a milestone towards the city’s transition to climate-neutrality. Limassol aims to become a green and smart city by 2030, 20 years ahead of the majority of European cities.
Deputy Minister of Shipping, Ms. Marina Hadjimanolis, will address the Forum, as well as the Mayor of Limassol, Mr. Nicos Nicolaides, and the President of Frederick University’s Council, Ms. Natassa Frederickou.

Blue Limassol Forum, an annual event initiated in 2020 by Mayor Nicolaides, serves as a platform to raise awareness and foster dialogue on key issues and initiatives related to the Blue Economy and Coastal Sustainability. By leveraging Limassol's position as a prominent commercial and shipping hub in the Southeast Mediterranean, the forum aims to engage citizens in addressing urban coastal sustainability challenges and exploring innovative solutions.

This year's forum will feature discussions on the transformative potential and benefits for coastal communities and marine ecosystems under the EU Mission for Climate Neutral Cities. Limassol is one of the 100 EU cities participating in the Cities Mission, and Frederick University serves as scientific advisor for the “Coastal and Port” thematic area, one of six thematic areas included in Limassol’s Action Plan to become climate neutral in an inclusive and sustainable way, by 2030. Coastal port cities such as Limassol, deal with intense social and economic activities that strongly affect special coastal ecosystems as well as climate change and growing human impact. Frederick University suggests a holistic approach to tackling these challenges, with the aim to strike a balance between safeguarding ecosystems and resident’s quality of life while also fostering sustainable urban growth.

Participants at the upcoming Blue Limassol Forum will have the opportunity to delve into the thematic area led by Frederick University through a number of related presentations, aligning with the overarching theme of the Blue Limassol Forum 2024: Dr. Michael Makrominas, Assistant Professor at the University’s Department of Maritime Transport and Commerce, will provide insights into the EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities, focusing on the Coastal and Port thematic area and the holistic approach suggested on measures to protect Limassol’s marine and maritime environment. Further, Dr. Sergey Popravko, Lecturer at the Department of Maritime Transport and Commerce, will shed light on the University’s “cold ironing” proposal, to be implemented at the Limassol Port, providing a method for shore-side electrical power to docked ships. Dr Popravko will highlight the benefits of this initiative in reducing emissions and enhancing sustainability in maritime operations, while guest speaker Dr. Corrado Sciutto, Project & Commercial Manager at the Transport & Logistic Division, DBA Pro, will share valuable lessons from the progress and development of cold ironing in Italian ports. Dr Demetris Kletou, Lecturer at the Department of Maritime Transport and Commerce, will present the IRSAI research project, which aims to integrate remote sensing and Artificial Intelligence to monitor maritime activities across Limassol Bay. The project brings together computer scientists, robotic engineers, maritime specialists, marine biologists, and managers to advance maritime surveillance of Cyprus beyond the state-of-the-art. Partners in this project are Frederick Research Center, Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab Ltd, and CYENS – Centre of Excellence.

Captain Eugen-Henning Adami, Chairman of Cyprus Foundation of the Sea (CyFoS), will moderate the Forum and the panel discussion to follow presentations. Panelists are: Dr Angelos Menelaou, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Maritime Transport & Commerce of Frederick University and Group Business Controller of Marlow Navigation, Mr. Prabhat Kumar Jha, Group Managing Director and CEO of MSC Shipmanagement Ltd Cyprus, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Professor Shaul Chorev, Head of the Institute for Maritime Policy & Strategy at the Israeli National Centre of Blue Economy, Ms. Hila Ehrenreich, Director of the Israeli National Center of Blue Economy and Innovation, and Dr Corrado Sciutto, Project & Commercial Manager, Transport & Logistic Division of DBA Pro.

The presentations and discussion will be conducted in English. Simultaneous translation into Greek will be provided.

The event will accommodate participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

To register, click here. For more information, www.frederick.ac.cy or tel. 25730975.