Chief Scientist of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Skourides, participated in the EU-India Forum in New Delhi, where, through contacts, identified and assessed opportunities for Cyprus to further strengthen its positioning in innovation, research excellence, and technological development, according to a press release.

Skourides, it said, accompanied by Heraklitos Iosifides, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Cyprus High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus in India, and Nicolas Kyriakides, President of the Cyprus Forum, “recently concluded an official visit to India, where he participated in the EU–India Forum, a closed, invitation-only event held on 6-7 February 2026 in New Delhi”.

Throughout the Forum, it adds, the Chief Scientist “engaged extensively with leaders from across the European Union and India, identifying and assessing opportunities for Cyprus to further strengthen its positioning in innovation, research excellence, and technological development.”

“These opportunities will be advanced in the coming months, beginning with the forthcoming visit to India by the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr Nicodemos Damianou, as well as the Chief Scientist’s participation in the India AI Impact Expo 2026, which will take place in New Delhi during the week commencing Monday, 18 February 2026”, it said.

“Building on discussions initiated in India, the Chief Scientist will focus on how innovation and commercialisation can be accelerated through the EU–India corridor, how digital technologies can progress through targeted bilateral engagements, and how collaboration across the EU and India can evolve into an operational India–Cyprus innovation engine”, it notes. This initiative, it adds, aims to connect digital infrastructure, mobility and talent flows, and investment pathways, enabling startups and innovation ecosystems to establish and scale their presence in Cyprus.

A key focus of the Summit, it said, was the development of interoperable standards to accelerate AI ethics and safety across the European Union. Skourides, according to the press release, noted that, as Cyprus currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with a strong focus on digital autonomy, sovereignty, and trustworthy AI under the portfolio of the Minister of Digital Policy, Research and Innovation, “it is imperative to translate these strategic opportunities into concrete operational pathways”. “These pathways can leverage Cyprus and India to create mutual research initiatives, joint innovation programmes, and shared investment opportunities,” paving the way for the official visit of President Christodoulides to India later this year, he added, it is noted.

During his visit, according to the press release, Skourides held discussions with Indian officials, and “engaged with” the Ambassadors of the European Union to India and Japan, and Dr Sethu Saveda Suvana, CEO and Founder of ReOrbit.

“Exploring further applications of research in defence leveraging artificial intelligence technologies”, the Chief Scientist, exchanged views with Dr D. Gowrisankar, Senior Scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Director of the Office of International and Inter-Agency Cooperation (OIIC) at ISRO Headquarters, as well as Dr Kristi Raik, Director of the International Centre for Defence and Security in Estonia, it adds.

He also held discussions with Professor K. Vijay Raghavan, former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, focusing on the emerging potential of artificial intelligence in biotechnology and the medical sciences.

The exchange between Skourides and Andrea Margelletti, President and Chairman of the Centro Studi Internazionali and Adviser to the Italian Minister of Defence, it said, “reaffirmed that European sovereignty is closely linked to leadership in artificial intelligence across cyber warfare, autonomous systems, and quantum superiority.”

On the sidelines of the event, Skourides exchanged views with Lukas Savickas, Member of the Parliament of Lithuania and Former Minister of Economy and Innovation, and Timo Olavi Harakka, Former Minister of Labour of Finland discussing local initiatives “on how both nations have used specialized committees to create awareness amongst policy makers on technology matters”.  In addition, Skourides also met with Jeevan Talegaonkar, Vice President of 5G Business at Jio, to explore Jio’s AI product platforms and assess how Cyprus’ research and innovation ecosystem can create pathways for collaboration and entry into new markets, it adds.

“Cyprus is uniquely positioned at the intersection of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to act as a trusted innovation and technology gateway”, Skourides said, according to the press release. “As Cyprus holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with a clear focus on digital autonomy, sovereignty, and trustworthy AI, our responsibility is to move decisively from dialogue to delivery”, he added.

“Our objective is clear: to transform strategic partnerships into tangible economic growth, scientific excellence, and high-value opportunities that reinforce Cyprus’s role as a regional hub for innovation and global collaboration” he said.