This vision is underpinned by a comprehensive Strategy Roadmap and Programme rollout, designed to bolster research, foster collaboration and knowledge transfer, enhance innovation, improve infrastructure and skills, and drive internationalisation. As explained by the RIF, this roadmap was developed through Skourides’ extensive engagement with key stakeholders. This involved over 650 meetings and events with research organisations, universities, technology companies, startups, and policymakers. 

The RIF also said that Skourides has been proactive in engaging with the international community, holding meetings with ambassadors from Egypt, France, Israel, Japan, Poland, and Sweden. These discussions focused on potential collaborations to externalise Cyprus’ research and innovation ecosystem. This externalisation effort, the foundation continued, has been complemented by partnerships with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce (Keve), aimed at briefing over 30 ambassadors of Cyprus across the globe. Moreover, participation in international events such as the Mobile World Congress in Spain, Slush in Finland, NASA Space Apps in the United States, GITEX in the UAE, Reflect, and LEAP in Saudi Arabia, and the Japan-Cyprus trade mission in Japan has further bolstered these efforts.

A key aspect of the new strategy, endorsed by the new board of the Research Innovation Foundation (RIF), is the simplification and streamlining of processes. This aims to improve service quality, enhance customer experience, and embrace transparency. A significant development is the planned introduction of a new Grants Management System in 2025. This system is intended to reduce the administrative burden on researchers and entrepreneurs.

Skourides explained that it is important for the RIF to simplify participation rules and improve customer service. “We are introducing a new Grants Management System to replace IRIS in 2025, simplifying rules of participation,” he said. He added that “the RIF is working diligently to enhance customer service, which is crucial for Cyprus’ aspiration to become a regional hub for research, innovation, and technology”. To this end, a Customer Experience Committee has been established to review and evaluate customer experiences.

Furthermore, several planned simplifications are currently under review with competent authorities, including Wages + 40 per cent, Unit Rates, and the introduction of lump sum payments in select programmes. “While the lump sum payment method is still under discussion, it carries the risk of resulting in zero-sum payments if scientific deliverables cannot be shown,” Skourides said. He also encouraged companies and organisations to leverage administration fees to set up teams for project management and funding payments.

Skourides said that the government’s commitment to research and innovation is reflected in the increased competitive funding for 2021-2027, which has risen to €177.25 million, a 34 per cent increase from the 2014-2020 period. This funding focuses on research, collaboration, knowledge transfer, infrastructure and skills, and internationalisation. In addition, Skourides further indicated that the total investment to support research for the period 2021-2027 amounts to €36.75 million to date, including the two Excellence Hub funding calls amounting to €12m, and post-doc at €2.5m which aim to support more than 500 researchers, stressing that another €4.1m will be announced in 2025.

The Chief Scientist highlighted that the emphasis on research is reflected by the markable increase of 66 per cent in funding allocation compared to the period 2014-2020. However, he also said that more needs to be done to support research and innovation in an effort of further improving Cyprus’ posture on the European Innovation Scoreboard. Skourides stressed that public universities and institutes, such as the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus Institute of Technology, and the Cyprus Institute, have been instrumental in securing prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants, demonstrating strong research excellence. Private universities are also making significant strides by building research capacity and focusing on high-impact publications. “The new Excellence Hubs and Post-Doc programmes are expected to increase collaboration between public and private research organisations,” Skourides said. He also stressed the importance of encouraging universities and research organisations to aim for three more ERCs by 2027. What is more, Skourides emphasised the importance of bridging the gap between industry and the research community.

The Partner Innovation Day in February 2024 brought together more than 420 participants across the ecosystem, including 43 enterprises and SMEs, 39 startups, policymakers from the Ministry of Health, Energy, and Deputy Ministries of Shipping, and Digital Policy, Research, and Innovation, 22 consultants, and 69 researchers from major public and private research organisations including the University of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology, the Cyprus Institute, Cyprus Institute of Neurology, University of Nicosia, Frederick, and European University of Cyprus. Such events are focused on breaking silos and creating opportunities for research and commercialisation, also facilitating discussions on sponsored research, co-development of IP, and commercialisation.

Skourides outlined a total funding allocation of €7.8m for research internationalisation, €47.2m for collaboration and knowledge transfer in thematic areas (ICT, Green Transition, Energy, Shipping, Agrifood, Health, Advanced Materials, and Environment). Additionally, €24.2m is allocated to infrastructure and skills aimed at building and supporting world-class research and innovation infrastructures, specifically supporting nine small-scale infrastructures and five large-scale infrastructures.

Recent visits by dignitaries, such as the Ambassador of Japan and the Secretary General of the Digital Cooperation Organisation, have showcased Cyprus’ advancements in green energy, control infrastructures, and digital twins. Elsewhere, a total of €38.2m is allocated to advance Cyprus’ innovation posture in the 2021-2027 period. Recent visits facilitated by the Chief Scientist, such as the introduction of Ambassador of Japan H.E. Mr. Yoshio Yamawaki and President of the Japan Science and Technology Agency JST Mr. Kazuhito Hashimoto to Director of Phaethon Prof. George Georgiou, and the visit in June of H.E. Deema Alyahya, Secretary General of DCO, to Koios Centre of Excellence hosted by the Chief Scientist, staff of the Deputy Ministry, and Professor Constantinos Pitris, have showcased the state of the art in Cyprus in domains such as green energy, control infrastructures, and digital twins. “The strategic direction will unlock value across the R&I ecosystem, creating network effects and enabling Cyprus to implement President Nicos Christodoulides’ vision,” Skourides said. He concluded by saying that it is “key to prioritising impactful areas and uniting the research and innovation ecosystem while ensuring accountability for impact and commercialisation”.

The official presentation is available on the Cyprus chief scientist website, and the videos of the Chief Scientist and RIF mission in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese are available on the Cyprus Chief Scientist Youtube channel.

Source: Cyprus Mail