Promoting Cyprus as a centre for research and innovation a high priority, President says

Promoting the country as a centre for research and innovation is a very high priority, Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, has said.

He was speaking during his 5 December visit to the Cyprus Institute (CyI), where he announced that the Government is to increase its contribution to the Institute by €1.2 million in 2025, in recognition of its “important work.”

He also said that the Government would contribute an additional €350,000 to the CyI, so that the necessary infrastructure is in place to produce results as regards Cyprus’ Climate Change Initiative, for which the Institute is coordinator.

The President of the Institute, Stavros Malas, said that one of the challenges of the Government during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, is “to build, as a small country on the opportunity given to us to co-shape the framework-programme for research”.

He also said that the very small ecosystem of excellence of Cyprus ranks the country first in competitive programmes in Europe, noting however, that “we still have a way to go in terms of national research spending.”

During his participation in the Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Cyprus Institute, accompanied by the Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Piki, President Christodoulides, addressing the President of the Institute and the other members of the Board, said that the Government was “here to face all the challenges, having very high priorities to promote our country as a centre for research and innovation.”

He also said that small countries "must utilise such centres, such as the Institute, which is a Center of Excellence for Cyprus, a Center of which we are proud.” He also said that the Executive Branch collaborates in many areas with the CyI “to face the multiple, diverse challenges we face as a State.”

He also said that the Government, having assessed “the important work that the Institute is doing” has decided to increase its contribution for 2025 by €1.2 million, “recognising the important work you are doing”.

President Christodoulides also referred to the role of the Institute as coordinator in the Climate Change Initiative noting that the Government would contribute an additional €350,000 to the Institute, “so that the necessary infrastructure is in place to produce results.”

He also said that the State demonstrates with actions that it wants to promote the research and innovation sector, acknowledging that it is low in the country's GDP percentage. “We clearly want to increase it”, he said, adding that the Government, where it sees that work is being produced, is there “to strengthen it”.

Malas welcomed President Christodoulides to the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Institute, as well as of the parent organisation, the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation, and the Scientific Advisory Committee, noting that “this is the first time that the President of the Republic is here with us.”

He also noted that the President’s presence “sends many messages” about his support for the Institute.

Malas, among other things said that the Institute was created almost 20 years ago and that this was “a short journey for a research centre, but with very great achievements, compared with any other Institute abroad”, referring to a “very important evaluation” conducted by leading scientists. He noted that the report “showed that this Institute, in a very short period of time, managed, under difficult circumstances, both financial and otherwise, to establish itself not only as a Centre of Excellence in our country, but also as a European and regional Centre of Excellence with significant presence”. He said that its evaluation “was excellent” in all areas.

(Source: CNA)