Opening Address – CS Space Speech June 8th 2026
Opening Address
By the Chief Scientist of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Demetris Skourides
From Space to Solutions: Leveraging Space Technology, Earth Observation and AI for Real-World Impact
8 June 2026
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Government Representatives,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Representatives of the European Institutions,
Esteemed Speakers and Panelists,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is both an honour and a privilege to address you today on behalf of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, and to convey his warm greetings and best wishes for the success of this important forum.
I would like to warmly congratulate the organisers for bringing together policymakers, researchers, space agencies, industry leaders, AI experts, innovators and entrepreneurs from across Europe and the wider region for “From Space to Solutions”, a forum dedicated to one of the defining questions of our time:
How do we transform frontier technologies into real-world impact for our citizens, our economies, our environment and our future?
Today’s forum comes at a particularly important moment.
As Cyprus holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026, our message is clear: Europe’s autonomy must be built through trusted technologies, open partnerships and solutions that improve the lives of people.
Autonomy does not mean isolation. Openness does not mean dependency.
True strategic autonomy means building trusted capabilities, with trusted partners, for trusted impact.
This is why today’s discussion matters.
Space technology, Earth Observation and Artificial Intelligence are no longer abstract domains reserved for specialists. They are becoming essential tools for resilience, competitiveness, sustainability, security and growth.
For a small island nation like Cyprus, space is not distance. Space is perspective.
It allows us to see risks earlier, act faster, protect our people more effectively, and make better decisions for the future of our nation and our region.
The achievements we celebrate today are part of a broader national effort to position Cyprus as a regional leader in research, innovation and advanced technologies.
Under the leadership of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Cyprus has adopted a forward-looking National Space Strategy and established the Cyprus Space Office, creating the policy framework through which space technologies, Earth Observation and Artificial Intelligence are being integrated into our national development agenda.
This strategic approach recognises that space is no longer a specialised domain operating at the margins of the economy. It is becoming a critical enabler of competitiveness, sustainability, security and innovation.
Through this vision, Cyprus is building the capabilities, infrastructure and international partnerships required to participate meaningfully in the rapidly evolving global space economy.
The theme of today’s event reflects a profound global shift.
Space is no longer viewed solely as a frontier of exploration. Nor is it a niche sector reserved for a small number of specialised organisations.
Today, space is an enabler.
It is enabling smarter agriculture.
It is enabling stronger climate resilience. It is enabling safer maritime operations. It is enabling more secure infrastructure.
It is enabling improved public safety, enhanced energy management and increasingly sophisticated financial and insurance services.
At the same time, Artificial Intelligence is enabling us to unlock unprecedented value from Earth Observation data, transforming vast streams of information into actionable intelligence that can support governments, businesses and communities in making faster, better-informed and more trusted decisions.
That is why it is particularly fitting that this forum is being held under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.
Because the Cyprus Presidency is focused on a Europe that is autonomous, open to the world and capable of converting science, technology and trust into practical solutions for society.
For Cyprus, this is not simply an area of opportunity. It is an area of strategic investment and long-term national commitment.
Our country is steadily strengthening its position as a regional hub for Earth Observation, space-enabled services and AI-driven innovation, serving the wider Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa region.
A powerful example of this commitment is the milestone we are celebrating today.
Through the vision and dedication of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence, and through strong collaboration with national partners, Cyprus has invested in advanced Earth Observation infrastructure that significantly enhances our ability to receive and utilise satellite data in near real time.
The Satellite Data Acquisition Station, installed at CYTA’s facilities, represents a strategic national asset and a major investment in the future of our innovation ecosystem.
As the easternmost satellite receiving station within the European Union, this advanced 9.3-metre antenna is capable of receiving S-band, X-band and Ka-band data directly from low-Earth-orbit satellites.
Its operational footprint extends from the Baltic Sea to Sudan, and from Tunisia and Sardinia to the Caspian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
This extraordinary reach enables near real-time access to critical Earth Observation data that can support disaster management, environmental monitoring, maritime surveillance, climate intelligence and many other applications that are increasingly vital to governments, businesses and societies.
But infrastructure alone is not enough.
The value of data does not lie only in its collection. It lies in its conversion into intelligence.
And the value of intelligence does not lie only in insight.
It lies in better decisions, faster action and measurable impact.
This is where Cyprus is demonstrating real leadership.
Through the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence, satellite data and Artificial Intelligence are already being transformed into practical solutions that address real-world challenges.
In resilience, projects such as NADI-RISK are helping assess and mitigate risks associated with floods, wildfires, earthquakes and landslides.
In sustainability and agriculture, PRECiRRi is enabling precision irrigation and smarter water management.
In maritime safety and security, ERMA is advancing maritime awareness capabilities for safer seas, stronger environmental protection and more effective regional monitoring.
In cultural heritage, VERITAS is applying Artificial Intelligence to help identify trafficked cultural heritage artefacts, protecting memory, identity and history.
And in critical infrastructure, RustAlert, a patented innovation supported through Cyprus Seeds, is enabling early-stage detection of corrosion, helping protect assets, infrastructure and lives.
These initiatives demonstrate a simple but powerful principle:
Innovation creates value when it solves problems. Technology earns trust when it serves people. And science becomes strategy when it strengthens the resilience of a nation.
Today’s launch of EARTHVIEW CYPRUS, the joint venture between the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence and CYTA, represents the next important step in that journey.
It signifies a transition from capability to market. From research to commercialisation.
From data acquisition to value creation.
From national infrastructure to regional service.
EARTHVIEW CYPRUS will help ensure that the advanced Earth Observation capabilities being developed in Cyprus are translated into services and solutions that benefit both public and private sector organisations across our region and beyond.
At the same time, we recognise that innovation must also create businesses, jobs and opportunities for future generations.
This is precisely why initiatives such as Space BIC Cyprus are so important.
Supported by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Space BIC Cyprus is helping to build the next generation of space technology entrepreneurs.
As Cyprus’ flagship space incubator for the wider EMMENA region, aligned with the European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centre framework, it provides entrepreneurs with funding, mentoring, infrastructure and access to international networks, helping transform innovative ideas into globally competitive businesses.
This is how nations build innovation ecosystems.
Not only through strategies. Not only through infrastructure.
But through people, entrepreneurs, researchers and partnerships that turn ambition into execution.
Cyprus’ success in this field is also built on collaboration.
The ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence today collaborates with more than 600 organisations worldwide and participates in more than 15 European and international networks.
This international connectivity is helping position Cyprus as a trusted bridge connecting Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.
Only a few weeks ago, on 18 May 2026, the first India–Cyprus Space Day brought together government representatives, space agencies, researchers, innovators and industry leaders from both countries to explore new opportunities for collaboration across satellite communications, Earth Observation, geospatial technologies and commercial space activities.
A week later, strategic partnership discussions commenced with the Egyptian Space Agency, further strengthening Cyprus’ growing network of international cooperation.
We are also proud of our strong partnerships with organisations and institutions across the United States, Germany, France, India, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Poland, Portugal, Hungary and Bulgaria.
I am particularly pleased to note that representatives from many of these countries, and others beyond our region, are with us today.
Your presence is a testament to the growing international importance of collaboration in the space sector and to Cyprus’ emerging role as a platform for meaningful cooperation between continents, institutions and innovation ecosystems.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The challenges facing our world do not recognise borders.
Climate resilience, disaster preparedness, food security, sustainable development, infrastructure protection and economic competitiveness require collaboration across disciplines, sectors and nations.
No single country can solve these challenges alone. No single technology can deliver the future by itself.
And no single institution can carry the weight of transformation.
Progress requires partnership. Trust requires transparency. Impact requires execution.
This forum embodies that spirit.
It brings together those who generate knowledge, those who develop technologies, those who build infrastructure, those who design policy and those who apply innovation to create meaningful impact.
And this is exactly the kind of convergence Europe needs.
As Cyprus holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we carry a clear conviction:
Europe’s future will be shaped by those who can combine autonomy with openness, science with trust, technology with human purpose, and ambition with delivery.
Space gives us perspective.
Earth Observation gives us intelligence. Artificial Intelligence gives us speed.
But leadership gives these capabilities direction.
The future will not belong to those who simply collect data.
The future will belong to those who transform data into intelligence, intelligence into decisions, and decisions into impact, for our citizens, for our region and for Europe’s future.
On behalf of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, I thank the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce, Erastosthenes Center of Exellence, you for your participation, and congratulate all those involved in today’s important announcement, and wish you productive discussions and every success in the partnerships and innovations that will emerge from this forum.
Thank you.