Register now for the 7th CSN Cyprus ICT Conference – Limassol 5 May 2026 – 1 week left

“Intelligent Skies, Secure Seas: The AI Impact on ICT”

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Date: 05 May 2026
Time: 09:00-15:00
Venue: Columbia Plaza Limassol

The 7th CSN Cyprus Shipping ICT Conference “Intelligent Skies, Secure Seas: The AI Impact on ICT”, scheduled for 5 May 2026 at the Columbia Plaza Limassol, promises to be a groundbreaking event that will explore the transformative power of AI-powered maritime digital technologies.

Looking at the rapid pace of change in the maritime and tech sectors, we have decided to change the rules of engagement for this year’s event. Digital transformation is no longer a future goal; it is an operational reality. Therefore, we are stepping away from traditional, passive panel discussions.

Under our new theme, “Intelligent Skies, Secure Seas: The AI Impact on ICT“, we are introducing a highly interactive programme designed to stress-test industry strategies. We are focusing heavily on the critical convergence of Satellite Communications, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence.

Instead of standard presentations, we have built the agenda around high-energy formats that simulate real-world pressures, including:

The War Room: A live, audience-driven cyber-attack simulation on a vessel at sea.
The AI Courtroom: A mock trial debating the ethics and liability of autonomous technology.
MythBusters: A rapid-fire debate separating marketing hype from technical reality in SatComs.

The conference is held under the auspices of the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus and is supported by the Cyprus Shipping Chamber, Cyprus Marine Club, CYMEPA, WISTA Cyprus, YoungShip Cyprus, ICS Cyprus Branch, Cyprus Master of Mariners, The Nautical Institute Cyprus Branch and Clean Shipping Alliance.

Attendance is free of charge for all members of the supporting organisations. However, attendees are encouraged to contribute to the charity foundation supported by the conference, with the option to donate indicated during registration. The charity foundation is Mikroi Iroes and the charity sponsor is Intermaritime Shipmanagement.

Join us to navigate the crossroads of innovation and security and to chart a smarter, safer course for maritime’s digital evolution.

This is going to be the seventh consecutive year event of CSN for ICT in Limassol and we would like to invite you to support the conference. There are still available sponsorships and some panellists slots and those interested please contact us at csn@cyprusshippingnews.com.

The programme of the Conference is uploaded and will updated in the following website:

7th CSN Cyprus ICT Conference

AGENDA

Note from the Chairman of the Conference Adonis Violaris, Managing Director – CSN

Welcome Address Dr. Theodoulos Mesimeris, Acting Permanent Secretary – Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus

Keynote Speech Demetris Skourides, Chairman – Research Innovation Foundation Cyprus

Session 1

The Skies – SatComs in the Era of LEO and 5G

We are well past the days of treating ship-to-shore connectivity as a luxury; today’s vessel is an “always-on” operational node. In this session, we will tackle the bandwidth battles head-on, examining how the convergence of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations and maritime 5G is fundamentally altering fleet management.

However, we need to separate what is actually working at sea from what looks good in a brochure. To achieve this, the session will feature our MythBusters format. We have all sat through enough polished sales presentations—this rapid-fire debate will strip away the marketing hype to establish the technical reality of modern satellite communications. We will focus purely on what delivers tangible ROI, what ensures reliable redundancy, and what is merely industry noise.

Connectivity as an Operational Reality David Tropp Hag, Vice President, EMEA Sales – KVH Industries A/S

MythBusters: SatComs Reality Check A rapid-fire debate separating marketing hype from technical reality in satellite communications. Panellists will be challenged to defend their tech claims against industry friction.

Moderator: Capt. Rohit Tandon, General Manager – FML Ship Management Ltd. Cyprus

Panellists

David Tropp Hag, Vice President, EMEA Sales – KVH Industries A/S
Yvonne Tsanos, General Manager – Azimuth Radio Technologies
Angelos Demetiou, IT Manager – RaytecDOT
Sergey Popravko, Head of ESG – Mastermind Shipmanagement

Session 2

The Shield – Redefining Maritime Cybersecurity

For too long, the maritime sector has treated cybersecurity as a mere compliance exercise. With ships now operating as highly connected, floating data centres, a tick-box approach is no longer fit for purpose. This session focuses on the necessary shift from basic compliance to real-time, dynamic resilience, exploring how we can build robust “human firewall” strategies from the boardroom to the engine room.

To drive this home, we are moving away from the standard slide decks on malware and introducing The War Room. This is a live, audience-driven cyber-attack simulation on a vessel at sea. We will put attendees in the hot seat, forcing them to make critical operational and commercial decisions under pressure. It is designed to stress-test our collective incident response and show exactly what happens when the screens go dark.

Securing the Connected Ecosystem Manos Manoli, Chief Information Security Officer and I.T Manager – Marlow Navigation

The War Room: Live Cyber-Attack Simulation on a Vessel

An active engagement session. The audience will drive decisions during a live simulated cyber-attack on a vessel at sea, stress-testing response strategies under real-world pressures.

Moderator: Manos Manoli, Chief Information Security Officer and I.T Manager – Marlow Navigation

Panellists

Marios Christofi, Information Security Manager – Internaritime Shipmanagement
George Michaelides, Commissioner of Communications – Digital Security Authority of Cyprus
Alexander Shulman, Chief Technology Officer – Tototheo Global
Marios Ioannou, Business Information Security Officer – Columbia Shipmanagement

Session 3

The Brain – Artificial Intelligence and the Human Element

AI is actively moving from a conceptual talking point to an operational tool, redefining route optimisation, predictive maintenance, and threat detection. Yet, the introduction of machine intelligence inevitably creates friction with traditional human maritime expertise. We need to understand the new synergy required between the algorithm and the crew.

We will confront these complex dynamics directly through The AI Courtroom. This mock trial will tackle the difficult questions that most panels avoid: the ethics, commercial liability, and legal reality of autonomous and AI-assisted technology. If an AI-optimised system recommends a route that results in an incident, where does the liability lie? Is the industry truly ready to let the algorithm take the wheel?

The Synergy and Friction Between Human and Machine Intelligence Polykarpos Yiannoudes, General Manager – UiBS

The AI Courtroom: A Mock Trial A high-energy mock trial debating the ethics, ROI, and liability of autonomous technology in shipping. Is the industry ready for algorithms to take over?

Moderator: Polykarpos Yiannoudes, General Manager – UiBS

Panellists

Maria Athanasiou, Founder – Athanasiou Law
Gregoris Gregoriou, Chief Technology Officer – Island Oil Holdings
Chrysostomos Efthymiou, Marine Manager – CSC
Theodoros Loukaidis, Director General – Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF)

Looking forward to a very successful event in Limassol.