RINA launches R&D/Innovation Centre in Greece

RINA Hellas, the Greece-based arm of the international RINA Group, is opening a dedicated research and innovation centre in Piraeus. RINA’s R&D/Innovation Centre will boost the research and innovation activities of RINA worldwide and will explore further research opportunities in Greece and Cyprus, in close cooperation with the EU and the strong maritime community in the region. 

Initially the RINA Hellas R&D/Innovation Centre is participating in an EC research proposal under the HORIZON 2020 scheme. This proposal brings together an international consortium to develop models and tools for the holistic optimization of ships’ life cycles.

Spyros Zolotas, RINA Area Manager for Greece and Cyprus, says, “RINA is committed to providing high quality services and to being in the forefront of technological developments so as to assist its clients perform better in today’s competitive market. The R&D/Innovation Centre in Piraeus will add a new higher dimension and extend the range of services offered in the area though the Piraeus Marine, the Plan Approval Centre, the Marine Technical Support Centre, the Yachting Centre and RINA Academy Hellas.”

Stefanos Chatzinikolaou has been appointed to lead the Centre. He is a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer, with a background of ten years as a research engineer at the National Technical University of Athens, working in several EC funded and other research projects.

RINA Services is already active in R&D and will present the AnNa Project, a current EU project, in Athens on 4-5 December 2015.

Mario Dogliani, Manager of RINA Connecting Europe Facilities (CEF) Projects, says, “AnNa (Advanced National Networks for Administrations) is a TEN-T Multi-Annual Programme co-financed by the European Commission. Its overall objective is the adoption of the national Maritime Single Window and electronic data transmission for the fulfilment of reporting requirements for vessels entering and departing European ports in accordance with EC Directive 2010/65/EU.”

RINA Services is the RINA group company which delivers ship classification, and testing, inspection and certification services. RINA is a multi-national group which delivers verification, certification, conformity assessment, marine classification, environmental enhancement, product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries and services. RINA operates through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Construction, Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture, Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business Governance. With a turnover of over 330 million Euros in 2014, over 2,750 employees, and 163 offices in 60 countries worldwide, RINA is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. www.rina.org