Cyprus has maintained its status as a Strong Innovator in the European Innovation Scoreboard for the third consecutive year, announced the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy.

According to the announcement, Cyprus ranks 10th among EU member states, achieving 106.3% of the European average. Notably, the country has experienced the highest increase in performance across Europe, with a 39% rise since 2017. This year, Cyprus has improved in 15 out of 32 indicators evaluated by the report, and since 2017, it has seen progress in 28 indicators overall.

Cyprus is identified as a Top Performer in the “Linkages” category, which pertains to collaborations between innovative businesses, public-private co-publications, and human resource mobility in science and technology sectors. The announcement also highlights Cyprus’s strong performance in the “Attractive Research Systems” category, which includes metrics such as international scientific publications from research universities, highly-cited publications, and the proportion of foreign doctoral students.

The country also excels in applications for trademarks (commercial or industrial), innovation in business processes and products, employment in innovative companies, and engagement in knowledge-intensive activities. Factors related to the country's digital transformation, such as fast connectivity and ICT companies' investment in workforce training, are also highlighted as strengths.

The announcement notes that there is room for improvement to further enhance and leverage the dynamic growth of the Cypriot ecosystem. Areas for development include broader investment in research and innovation (R&I), attracting private venture capital investments in innovative businesses, exports of technological products, patent applications, and factors related to environmental sustainability.

The Deputy Ministry emphasizes a targeted policy to further strengthen the ecosystem’s capabilities, maximize the sector’s impact on the economy and society, and boost Cyprus's competitiveness as a regional innovation and technology hub.

Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy, Dr. Nikodimos Damianou, stated that the ongoing evolution and impressive performance of the country's research and innovation ecosystem, relative to its size, confirm the effectiveness of government policies and measures and underscore the dynamic nature of the Cypriot ecosystem.

“Our goal is to build on this momentum and create even more favorable conditions and opportunities for our scientists and entrepreneurs to innovate. We will ensure, through the new impact assessment mechanism we are developing, that R&I expenditures return benefits and value to society and the local economy,” he noted.

“We must, and will, thoroughly evaluate today's results with the necessary seriousness and attention, looking beyond the numbers to identify areas needing improvement, ensuring our progress remains on a substantial path of enhancement,” concluded the Deputy Minister.