Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides participated in an Invest Cyprus event on Thursday, September 5, in New Delhi, India. The event aimed to promote Cyprus as an emerging technology and innovation hub and a reliable gateway for investments between Europe and India.

According to a press release, the meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy, Nicodemos Damianou, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to India, Evagoras Vryonides, the CEO of Invest Cyprus, Marios Tannousis, and executives from PwC, Chrysilios Pelekanos, and Eurobank, Panayiotis Chrystostomou. Several Indian entrepreneurs and potential investors also participated.

Skourides presented the research, technology, and innovation ecosystem of Cyprus, highlighting the incentives provided to attract investment and talent. He also discussed efforts made by the government to establish Cyprus as a hub for research, innovation, and international entrepreneurship. He emphasized Cyprus' high levels of scientific excellence, significant research potential, and achievements on both national and European levels.

He further stressed the importance of the Centres of Excellence in Cyprus, which have been developed with co-funding from the European Commission. These centers provide essential services and play a crucial role in the ecosystem’s development. Skourides highlighted opportunities for internationalizing their services through new partnerships and investments from countries like India.

The press release noted that Skourides held discussions with over 30 stakeholders, providing detailed information on the benefits of cooperation between entities from Cyprus and India, tax incentives, and funding programs from the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF). He also outlined opportunities for accessing the European single market.

During his meetings, Skourides identified specific collaboration opportunities with innovative Cypriot companies specializing in Fintech, Reg-tech, Health-tech, Agrofood, and ICT. These areas are key priorities of Cyprus' Smart Specialization Strategy and the Research and Innovation Strategy for 2024.

Following his trip to India, Skourides departed for Paris on Friday, September 6, to attend the "Chief Science Advisors Roundtable 2024 - CSAR 2024." The event, organized by UNESCO and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, focused on "Fostering Open Science, Bridging Knowledge Asymmetry, and Building Science Advisory Capacity Globally."