The issue of the creation of a Science and Technology Park in Cyprus is again under the microscope of the Parliamentary Energy Committee.
During today's session it was said that there is interest from investors, while it was reported that the Government and specifically a committee of representatives from the Ministry of Energy, Finance and the Deputy Ministry of Innovation are studying ways to enable them to re-tender the project.
Members of the Energy Committee of the Parliament stressed after the meeting the necessity of creating a Technology Park for the development of innovation and research, areas in which Cyprus lags behind significantly, they said.
It is recalled that in recent years there have been discussions for the creation of the Technology Park in the Pendakomou area.
It is recalled that in recent years there have been discussions for the creation of the Technology Park in the Pendakomou area.
The Chairman of the Committee and DISY MP, Kyriakos Hatzigiannis, called on the Ministries involved to coordinate, go out to bid and accept proposals and offers from interested investors, who will then create development prospects based on their own capabilities or based on the capabilities of the market.
He indicated that this issue needs to be discussed further, noting that a timeline was provided during the meeting.
"We believe that Cyprus cannot have a Technology Park of its own, while other countries have and operate Technology Parks, giving home and ground to innovative businesses and initiatives," he said.
AKEL MP Kostas Kostas Kostas said that his party stresses once again how necessary the Technology Park is for the development of innovation and research, "areas in which we are significantly lagging behind and whose development will provide thousands of jobs for unemployed young people and boost the economy".
He expressed hope that "the government has a sincere intention this time to finally move forward with this very important project."
He said that the previous two governments had decided that this Park should be created in the Limassol District and specifically in the Pendakomou area, where the land had been found and the relevant planning had been prepared, to note that "the present government decided to abandon the planning for the creation of the Park in Pentakomo, a decision which was subsequently revoked on 29/7/2015, following the strong reactions of Limassol MPs and organised bodies".
He went on to say that "on 29/3/2016 he issued an open public invitation to companies operating in the fields of information and communication technology, energy, nanotechnology, health and biopharmaceuticals, agriculture and environmental nutrition and water", adding that sixteen serious and international innovation and research companies had expressed interest at the time."
"This was followed by extensions in the submission of bids, due to lack of interest, submission of only one bid which was rejected by the Ministry and then re-advertisement of the tender on 11/5/2017, which was completed on 3/7/2017, unfortunately no bid was submitted due to the terms of the tender, which the government refused to change," he said.
He also said that subsequently the government cancelled the project, removing from the state's budgets the allocation for the creation of infrastructure up to the Park site, to note that "since then until today, both we as a party and other parties as well as the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we call on the Government to study incentives to attract serious, credible and reliable investors from abroad, which should be incorporated in a new call for expressions of interest, which should be made as soon as possible and change its position on the cancellation of the project".
"Nothing has been done to date. We wonder if even on this serious issue, for which the government found a comprehensive plan and threw it in the trash, it does not want to proceed because of expediency, perhaps even interests," he concluded.
Source: CNA
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