Cyprus's Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation, and Technology and President of the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), Demetris Skourides, participated in an event hosted by the Hellenic Innovation Network and organized by Fidelity Group in Boston. During the event, Skourides emphasized Cyprus's strategic direction to promote its research and innovation ecosystem on an international level.

According to an announcement by RIF, Skourides addressed the audience in the presence of George Kotsiras, Deputy Minister of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He highlighted the importance of innovative collaborations, such as the Cyprus Seeds initiative, which serves as a catalyst for the development of Cyprus's innovation ecosystem.

Skourides reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting progress and innovation while strengthening Cyprus’s connection to the global economy.

The event, as noted in the announcement, “offered a significant opportunity to showcase Cyprus’s innovation ecosystem and the role of RIF programs, with presentations from two Cypriot startups, Embio Diagnostics and EnergyIntel, aiming to expand their activities in the U.S. market.”

Prominent Greek and Cypriot entrepreneurs attended the event, further strengthening the link between the diaspora and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Among the attendees were George Zacharias, CEO of Kayak; George Dimosthenous, CEO of Voda.AI; Anna Protopapa, a pioneer in startup entrepreneurship; Christos Drousiotis, Senior Managing Partner of Kinisis Ventures; and Christina Karapataki, partner at Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Other participants included Inder Mukhopadhyay, CEO of AliciaBots; Nicholas Myers, CEO of Phoenix Tailings; and Vasilis Stenos, CEO of Solmeyea.

As part of the event, Skourides attended a discussion with Dr. George Serafeim from Harvard Business School and Dimitris Papalexopoulos, CEO of the Greek company Titan. The discussion focused on the challenges faced by the concrete industry in achieving net-zero carbon emissions goals.

The Hellenic Innovation Network, founded in 2018 in the United States, is a nonprofit organization aimed at accelerating technological innovation and entrepreneurship in Greece and Cyprus. Through initiatives such as startup competitions, specialized educational webinars, and targeted networking events, the Hellenic Innovation Network fosters stronger connections between the diaspora and local communities.