It is indeed a great pleasure to attend for yet another year the Cyprus Innovation Awards and Cyprus Research Awards for 2021, co-organised by the Federation of Employers and Industrialists and the Research and Innovation Foundation.
The now emblematic annual institution recognises and rewards exemplary proposals and practices developed by personalities, businesses and public organisations in the field of research and innovation, which is important for the development of the economy.
Therefore, I would like to warmly congratulate the Federation of Employers and Industrialists and the Research and Innovation Foundation, both for the present initiative and for all the other initiatives they undertake.7]
Through the activity they develop, they are recognized as important agents of the economic and social well-being of our country, as well as a valuable and reliable supporter in the adoption and implementation of the policies adopted by the Government for the benefit of citizens. Policies such as, among others, the targeted investment in the research and innovation sector A sector that plays a key role in the creation of a competitive and productive economy and the successful management of various challenges at local and international level In this context, the decisions to create the necessary conditions for the effective development and consolidation of the sector in order for Cyprus to become a regional centre of research, technology, innovation and business are also part of this. The adoption of a new system of Research and Innovation Governance, the establishment of the National Research and Innovation Council, as well as the expansion of the role of the Research and Innovation Foundation as the executive arm of the new funding system in the research and innovation sectors, were fully relevant to the positive impact of this reform policy. The dynamics that is developing, following the evolution of the Research and Innovation ecosystem, is reflected in the latest results of international indicators. For example, Cyprus is ranked first in Europe among the countries that have secured funding for the creation of Research Centres of Excellence under the "Teaming for Excellence" Programme, while it has recorded one of the highest absorption of funding projects from the Horizon 2020 Programme. For example, Cyprus is ranked first in Europe among the countries that have secured funding for the creation of Research Centres of Excellence under the "Teaming for Excellence" Programme, while it has recorded one of the highest absorption of funding projects from Horizon 2020. In particular, members of the academic, research and business community in Cyprus have succeeded in raising over €317 million in funding over the period 2014-2020, returning three times our national contribution to the EU. It is also worth noting that under the EIP's business innovation programmes, 85 Cypriot companies, including 60 start-ups, secured over €20 million in funding and invested €9 million in equity, contributing to an increase in private investment in research and development. As a consequence, almost 200 new jobs were created in cutting-edge sectors. In addition, start-ups selected through this process succeeded in securing high-risk capital in excess of €12 million, demonstrating their international competitiveness. At the same time, under the RESTART 2016-2020 National Financial Programme for Research and Innovation, with an investment of €130 million, 724 projects were funded, the completion of which is expected to create a total of 1250 new jobs and support more than 500 businesses. In addition, within the same framework of action, last April the Research and Innovation Foundation announced 4 new programmes, the GEFYRA programmes, which concern the transformation of research results into value-added products and services, as well as the strengthening of cooperation between the different actors of the ecosystem. As I mentioned before, we invest in the collaboration between the business and academic worlds in Cyprus, as key actors for knowledge transfer in the transformation of research results into innovative value-added products and services. To this end, the Foundation is working closely, as of March 2021, with a renowned Knowledge Transfer Expert, implementing actions that enhance knowledge transfer between research centres and industry. Recently, the Research and Innovation Foundation announced the third cycle of "Innovation Programmes", with a total budget of €13 million. These programmes, which are aimed at both innovative and start-up companies and existing enterprises, aim to develop innovation activities, boosting the transformation of innovative ideas into products and services with the potential to penetrate the international market. At the same time, in the context of the Digital Decade for Europe 2030, we are focusing our attention on accelerating the digital transformation of the state. To this end, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, €282 million will be made available, representing 23% of the total investment for actions related to or contributing to the digital transition, exceeding Europe's minimum allocation requirement of 20%. On the basis of the holistic plan we have formulated, we promote the development of quality and easy-to-use digital services, the implementation of new information systems in vital services, the upgrading of technological and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as the upgrading of the digital skills of both the workforce and all citizens. The above-mentioned indicative examples are tangible proof of our will and determination to use research, innovation and technology to create a modern, sustainable and flexible state. What I would like to emphasize is the abundance and quality of the proposals submitted as nominations over time in the competition, which proves that Cyprus has the appropriate human resources, capable of contributing with their research work in this direction. I would like to assure you that our main concern was and remains the creation of further perspectives that will allow our scientists to develop creativity, develop initiatives and become professionally established in the country. I would like to assure you that our main concern was and remains the creation of further perspectives that will allow our scientists to develop creativity, develop initiatives and become professionally established in the country. [/p] I would like to assure you that our main concern was and remains the creation of further perspectives that will allow our scientists to develop creativity, develop initiatives and become professionally established in the country.Contents of this article including associated images are owned by
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