Lucien Arkas, Chairman of Arkas Holding, shared his insights on the transformation of maritime transport, its future, and the importance of education at the Chios International Shipping Summit.
Held for the second time this year on the island of Chios, the Chios International Shipping Summit opened with a speech by Stefanos Ghikas, Deputy Minister of Shipping and Island Policy of Greece. The summit brought together academics, industry leaders, and public officials to discuss key issues such as green technologies, carbon markets, geo-economic balances, seafarers’ welfare, new trends in short sea shipping, and sustainable coastal transportation.
Summit Focus: Green Technologies, Geo-Economics, and Education
During his speech at the summit, Arkas highlighted the direction of the industry by stating: “The key to becoming sustainable in the maritime industry is to integrate sea and land. It’s not enough to remain at sea. If you can combine both, no one can take your business from you. The future lies in combined transport — where you pick up goods from a customer’s factory and deliver them directly to another factory’s door, that’s when you’re truly providing a complete service.”
“A 60-Year Journey Built on Patience, Courage, and Strategy”
Lucien Arkas has also reflected on the evolution and milestones of Arkas Holding since its establishment: “I was only 19 when I took over our family business. But I soon realized that agency work alone wasn’t enough. After 1995, major companies started opening their own offices in the Mediterranean. We had to grow, too.”
Arkas noted that this strategic awareness led him to focus on investments, saying, “The Suez Canal allowed large vessels to reach the Mediterranean, but they didn’t want to call at small ports. So, I purchased two 500 TEU vessels and launched the Malta-Italy-Greece-Türkiye line. This move was followed by the opening of our Greece office in 1999, with operations starting with 500 containers. We would unload them in Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Istanbul, and Izmir, then go to Piraeus to pick up empty containers. Imports were high, but exports were very low. We said, ‘Let’s not sail empty,’ and began loading cargo from Izmir and Istanbul to Piraeus. That’s how we entered short sea shipping. Today, we provide regular services to the Mediterranean, Black Sea, West Africa, the East Coast of the U.S., the Red Sea, and India. Sixty years ago, we were a small agency. Today, we transport 1.5 million containers annually with a 49-vessel fleet.”
“Corporate Loyalty is Built Through Culture and Education”
Beyond commercial success, Arkas also highlighted their achievements in education, stating that they aim to provide the sector with qualified human resources through the educational institutions they have established in Izmir: “We must train knowledgeable, competent youth in the maritime industry. We’re simply their mentors. Watching them grow and commit to the company is our greatest reward. We are a family of 8,000. Corporate loyalty is built through culture and education.”
