Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides has presented a strategy roadmap to the Cyprus Rectors' Conference, aiming to establish Cyprus as a regional hub for research, innovation, and technology by 2035.

According to a press release, the roadmap is based on a thorough analysis of the ecosystem, involving more than 650 engagements with research organizations, centers of excellence, startups, innovative SMEs, and well-established enterprises. The strategy seeks to propel Cyprus into becoming a regional research, innovation, and technology hub by 2035.

The new strategy, energized by the fresh perspectives of the new board, focuses on simplifying processes, enhancing customer experience, and embracing transparency, the announcement says. These objectives are actionable goals set to improve the productivity and impact of the R&I ecosystem, the press release highlights.

A significant shift towards simplification is underway, with plans to introduce a new grants management system by 2025. This system aims to alleviate administrative burdens, allowing researchers to focus on scientific work and commercialization without compromising accountability and integrity in fund usage.

Cyprus has maintained its 10th position in the European Innovation Scoreboard for the third consecutive year, a testament to the country's growing innovation posture and the efforts undertaken in preceding months. Public universities and institutes, such as the University of Cyprus and the Cyprus Institute, have been instrumental in securing prestigious European Research Council grants, showcasing the nation's research excellence with 18 ERC awards, including five advanced grants awarded to Dr. Christoforos Pissarides, Dr. Johannes Lelieveld, Dr. Marios Polycarpou, Dr. Philippos Patsalis, and Dr. Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos.

The government's commitment to increased competitive funding for the period 2021-2027 is evident, the announcement says, with funding rising to €177.25 million, a 34% increase from 2014-2020. Research accounts for 23% of the budget, collaboration and knowledge transfer 27%, innovation 21%, internationalization 15%, and infrastructure and skills 14%. Improvements in the operation of the Research and Innovation Foundation have significantly reduced the average time to pay to 61 days in 2023, compared to 275 days in 2019, and the average time to contract from 21 months in 2019 to seven months in 2023. "Committed to improving customer experience and refocusing funding on high-impact programs, the Research and Innovation Foundation has created a special committee of board members tasked with conducting regular reviews," the press release says.

Moreover, the Chief Scientist emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between industry and research organizations. Initiatives like the Partner Innovation Day held in February 2024 focus on creating opportunities for research organizations, startups, and technology innovators by facilitating discussions and knowledge transfer on topics such as sponsored research, co-development of IP, and commercialization.

Skourides noted that €7.8 million is allocated to enhancing research excellence internationally through the EU Horizon Europe program, and €47.2 million to collaboration and knowledge transfer in thematic areas (ICT, green transition, energy, shipping, agrifood, health, advanced materials, and environment). An additional €24.2 million is earmarked for infrastructure and skills aimed at building and supporting world-class research and innovation, while €38.2 million is set aside for advancing Cyprus’ innovation posture.

According to the press release, the Chief Scientist facilitated the introduction of Japan's Ambassador Yoshio Yamawaki, President of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Kazuhito Hashimoto, Director of Phaethon Prof. George Georgiou, and Deemah AlYahya, Secretary General of DCO, to the Koios Centre of Excellence, helping to create awareness and explore the potential for further collaboration.

Skourides advocates cross-industry collaboration between research organizations and industry and has been actively supporting such cooperations. During the presentation, he added that the recent criteria in programs like Excellence Hubs increased collaboration between private and public research organizations by 8 percentage points to 29%, compared to 21% in the last call in 2021. He highlighted that the 2024 post-doc call saw more than 60% of leading projects by female scientists and researchers. The programs and interventions are expected to support more than 550 researchers. Although submissions to both calls have not been reviewed, preliminary data indicates marked improvement supporting Cyprus’ growing posture in the EIS.

Finally, Skourides said that in 2024, €22.1 million will be allocated to research across funding calls for Excellence Hubs, post-docs, VisionERC, Bridge2Horizon, and ERC 2nd Opportunity, excluding other funding for research supporting the implementation of MoUs with other countries. An additional €4.1 million will follow in programs for post-docs, PhDs in industry, and Proof of Concept in 2025.

"Under challenging requirements that require funding across research, innovation, and technology, we are ensuring that Cypriot researchers across the entire ecosystem have access to competitive funding to continue their work," he noted.