Thomas Vitsounis is a PENED Research Fellow at the Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport, in School of Business, University of the Aegean. He currently works on a PhD thesis examining port service providers and users relations. His fellowship is part of the research programme “Strategies and Competitiveness of Greek Shipping and Greek Ports” for his Phd research, which is financed by the Greek Ministry of Economic Development, the Greek Regulatory Authority for Competition, Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises; Port of Igoumenitsa SA; Union of Mediterranean Cargo Shipowners.

Since early 2010, Thomas has a key role in the “Port Performance Indicators: Selection and Measurement (PPRISM)” project undertaken by the European Seaports Organization (ESPO) and researcher from several European Universities. He is responsible for the coordination of the academic partners and between the academic partners and the industry.

Thomas is the author of scientific papers that examine the above issues, as well as coastal shipping. He has also a record of participation in international and national research programmes that examine the structure of port, coastal and maritime markets and the development and evaluation of appropriate national and European policies, of European policies. He has been member of the research team leading to the publication of the books: “Transport: Life arteries for the islands” (in Greek; Athens: Papazisis; 2007) and “Greek shipping, employment and competitiveness” (in Greek; Athens: Gutenberg; 2008). Thomas is a member of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), and acts, since 2006, as the Secretariat for the Hellenic Association of Maritime Economist (HAME).

Thomas Vitsounis holds a BSc from the Department of Shipping Trade and Transport, School of Business, University of the Aegean, Greece (2004), and an MSc in Shipping Trade and Transport (STT), School of Business, University of the Aegean, Greece (2005).