The National Development Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are launching a strategic partnership to strengthen the resilience of the country’s critical infrastructure, with the signing of a Cooperation Roadmap.
According to the announcement, the agreement will run for 30 months and aims to build expertise and strengthen the operational capabilities of staff responsible for the resilience of critical infrastructure in the National Development Fund’s portfolio.
The Roadmap was signed by the Fund’s deputy chief executive, Panagiotis Stampoulidis, and the OECD’s representative, Jack Radisch, during a two-day international workshop held on 5 and 6 November. The event was organised by the Fund’s Strategic Contracts Unit (PPF), in cooperation with the OECD.
Focus on the resilience of Greek ports
The workshop was addressed by Shipping and Island Policy Minister Vasilis Kikilias, Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, European Investment Bank Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris, Secretaries-General Spyros Papageorgiou and Manos Koutoulakis, and National Development Fund chief executive Giannis Papachristou.
Representatives of institutions, experts and officials from international organisations and port authorities in Greece and abroad also took part in the meeting.
Discussions focused on the impact of geopolitical tensions, extreme weather events, natural disasters, energy shocks and cyber threats on critical infrastructure.
Particular emphasis was placed on risk management, emergency preparedness and the climate resilience of ports. The experience of experts from the US, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands also highlighted the importance of international cooperation and the sharing of expertise.
Strategic Contracts Unit expands its role
The National Development Fund’s deputy chief executive, Panagiotis Stampoulidis, spoke about the Fund’s new approach to making use of the assets in its portfolio, with the aim of turning them into drivers of growth and creating value for local communities.
He also outlined the expanded remit of the Strategic Contracts Unit (PPF), which is now taking an active role in preparing initiatives to strengthen the resilience of the country’s critical infrastructure.
This includes infrastructure such as ports, airports and