Chief Scientist Highlights Cyprus’ Rise as Global Innovation and Commercialization Hub at Cyprus Diaspora Forum.

Chief Scientist of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Skourides, delivered an opening address at the Cyprus Diaspora Forum 2025, following on from the official opening address by Her Excellency Mrs. Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives. ‍

The Chief Scientist also delivered two impactful keynote speeches as part of his participation in two high-level panel discussions titled “Cyprus as a Bridge Between the EU and GCC” and “From Lab to Market: Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Discovery and Economic Impact.” His contributions set the tone for an in-depth exploration of Cyprus’ expanding role as a hub for innovation, research commercialization, and strategic international collaboration.

The participation of the Chief Scientist, as well as the active support of the Research and Innovation Foundation at the Cyprus Diaspora Forum, comes at a time when Cyprus is steadily strengthening its international presence in the field of innovation through strategic collaborations with some of the world’s most advanced technology ecosystems — such as Japan, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and India.   Under the leadership of the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr. Nicodemos Damianou, and the Deputy Ministry, in shaping a forward-looking national strategy aligning innovation policy with Cyprus’s long-term economic and technological goals, Chief Scientist, Demetris Skourides has been instrumental in driving strategic collaborations, including the Cyprus-UAE Memorandum of Understanding on Artificial Intelligence recently signed by the Deputy Minister, aiming to advance AI technologies and foster innovation ecosystems through key partnerships between Cyprus and the UAE.

Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides has played an important role in building these interstate collaborations, which form part of the ‘Vision 2035’ strategy to establish Cyprus as a regional hub for innovation, research, and technology. At the same time, Cyprus is implementing its national strategy for Artificial Intelligence, aiming to create a dynamic and sustainable ecosystem of high-tech solutions.

The Chief Scientist’s keynotes addressed critical themes, with the first, titled “Cyprus as a Bridge Between the EU and GCC,” exploring Cyprus’ role in connecting regional markets and strengthening its position in global trade and technology sectors. He emphasized that “Cyprus is uniquely positioned as a bridge between Europe and the GCC, not only for trade but also as a centre of innovation and research.” He focused on the importance of trust, adding that “in today’s world, trust emerges as the paramount currency, bridging regional markets and propelling Cyprus into the forefront of global trade and technology sectors – a vital catalyst for innovation and economic growth.”  He ended his keynote stating that “the diaspora is essential in bridging the gap between Cypriot innovators and international markets.”

The panel discussion which followed also featured Theodoros Loukaidis, Director General of the Research and Innovation Foundation; Stavros Stavrou, President of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Stefanos Nicolaou, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Consultics.

In his second keynote, “From Lab to Market: Bridging the Gap Between Scientific Discovery and Economic Impact,” the Chief Scientist highlighted that Cyprus is progressing significantly in becoming a regional hub in innovation, research & development, highlighting the crucial need for more effective pathways to commercialize research and innovations, ensuring that scientific breakthroughs translate into real-world applications that fuel economic growth. He noted that “the commercialization of research is where success lies,” advocating for a “dual language approach”, where integrating scientific research and business acumen, is pivotal in creating real impact. This synergy ensures that innovations are not only technologically sound but also commercially viable, paving the way for Cyprus to become a regional hub. By fostering this dual approach, he emphasized that “Cyprus is enhancing its capacity to translate cutting-edge research into practical applications, boosting the Cyprus innovation, research, and development ecosystem.” He added that with this approach, Cyprus is “creating a future where scientific ingenuity meets economic insight, fostering unprecedented growth and shared prosperity.”

The panel discussion which followed also featured Theodoros Loukaidis, Director General of the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, Elpidoforos Anastasiou, Head of Innovation and AI at Pascal Cyprus, George Christou from the Centre of Game Studies at the European University of Cyprus and Peter Kkolas, an IT Engineer based in the United Kingdom.

During the panel discussion, the Chief Scientist also highlighted the establishment of the Cyprus Innovation Hub as a cornerstone initiative in the nation’s strategy to become a regional leader in research and technology, emphasizing that he remains committed to the further development of “an environment that accelerates the transformation of scientific discoveries into market-ready solutions.”  The Innovation Hub serves as a collaborative platform, bringing together academia, industry, and government to accelerate the commercialization of research and foster sustainable economic growth.

The Chief Scientist was honoured with the “Impact Award” at the CYDIA Awards 2025, in recognition by the Cypriots of the Diaspora for Contribution to the Internationalization of the Cypriot Research and Innovation Community and the Advancement of Innovation Diplomacy Globally. In his acceptance speech, the Chief Scientist expressed gratitude and underscored the importance of collaboration in achieving national goals.  He said: “No vision can be built by one man or one lady alone, and I believe all of you are part of what we want to accomplish. On behalf of the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Mr. Nicodemos Damianou, and the entire Government, building the vision we aspire to for Cyprus through Vision 2035 is of great importance. It requires all of us—it is truly a collective effort.”

The Chief Scientist went on to add that “impact isn’t the work of one individual. It’s the result of shared dedication. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to family, to my team, to the Research and Innovation Foundation, and to all of you who have worked tirelessly”.