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A press conference to present the work of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy during the first year of governance and the main actions to be launched within 2024 was held today by Dr Nicodemus Damianou, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy.
"Our goal", said the Deputy Minister, "is the transition to a modern digital state". In this way, he added, and operating on three main and interrelated axes, digital policy, cybersecurity, and research and innovation, "we will enhance the growth prospects and competitiveness of the Cypriot economy, and improve the everyday life of citizens."
Axis 1: Digital Policy
The activity of the Ministry of State is developed in four dimensions, in line with the objectives of the EU's Digital Decade: 1. e-government, 2. upgrading the country's digital infrastructure and connectivity, 3. digital skills (citizens and professionals); and 4. enhancing the digital maturity of businesses.
Regarding e-government, which focuses on enhancing the interaction of citizens, professionals and businesses with the state, the Ministry of State developed a number of digital services during the first year of governance, such as the online application for the Minimum Guaranteed Income, the Electoral Register Registration and the National Solidarity Fund Platform, as well as the Citizen's Voice platform for non-binding referendums. In addition, new, modern systems were put into operation to improve the efficiency and operation of the public sector and upgrade the quality of citizen service, such as the Case Management System of the Legal Service and the platform for the licensing of Renewable Energy Sources projects. The Deputy Ministry also undertook the project for the operation in May 2023 of the 1450 call centre to support the Ministry of Labour and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
Within 2024, according to the Deputy Minister, 20 new digital services will be delivered, including applications for the issuance of Certificates of Military Status and the issuance and renewal of Identity Cards and Passports.
Within 2024, according to the Deputy Minister, 20 new digital services will be delivered, including applications for the issuance of Certificates of Military Status and the issuance and renewal of Identity Cards and Passports. In addition, the Citizen Service Centre (CSC) system will be expanded, allowing citizens to make electronic appointments for all CSC services, as well as be served via videoconferencing for a number of new services, while new systems are expected to be implemented in key services, as well as the upgrade and expansion of the Hippodamus system in the Provincial Self-Government Organizations for development licensing purposes. At this point, said the Deputy Minister, "we must emphasize that Hippodamos is also the first system in which the possibility of electronic signature of documents is officially integrated, which is available to both professionals in the sector and citizens for the submission of applications, as well as to officials of the competent authorities for the purposes of issuing permits."
The project "Digital Citizen" was mentioned at length by the Deputy Minister, "on the basis of which we will gradually and evolutionarily implement the whole range of digital services of the state. Through the new government portal, gov.cy, mobile application and the application of electronic identity and signature, the aim is to create the conditions so that every transaction and contact of the citizen with the state can be done electronically, easily, quickly and securely", he stressed, adding that a cooperation agreement will soon be signed with the Ministry of Digital Governance of Greece for this purpose.
Finally, he referred to a multidimensional project to upgrade and modernize the technological infrastructure of the state machine, which will start in 2024 and is based on the standardization of the basic principles that should govern the design and implementation of every service and every system we develop: ask-once-store-once, cloud first, security by design, open data & standardized components.
Moving on to the dimension of digital infrastructure and connectivity, the Deputy Minister presented the projects implemented by the Deputy Ministry for the transition to the Gigabit society, which concern on the one hand the extension of fibre optic networks to every corner of the island, with state subsidies, and on the other hand the financial support of households for the transition to high speeds. "By 2026," said the Deputy Minister, "we aspire for Cyprus to become the first country in Europe to achieve 100% population coverage across the entire spectrum of high-speed connectivity, both mobile and fixed."
He then referred to the Deputy Ministry's plans to harness cutting-edge technologies, such as space technologies, artificial intelligence and blockchain, while standing on the Smart Cyprus project, which is a holistic approach to implementing smart city solutions across Cyprus, coordinating ongoing initiatives in various municipalities. Within 2023, the Deputy Minister said, an open tender was launched for this purpose, which envisages the implementation - in the first stage - of three common solutions: smart parking, smart lighting and smart waste collection management, as well as a mobile application for citizen communication and interaction with municipalities.
An indispensable component of the digital ecosystem being built is the investment in the digital skills of citizens and employees, the Deputy Minister stressed, adding that "No digital solution can be developed without the necessary expertise and no application will have a substantial effect if citizens do not have the basic digital skills to use it." He then presented the series of trainings conducted in 2023 and early 2024, as well as the actions planned in collaboration with the DiGiNN Innovation Hub. Finally, he spoke at length about the ICT Re-Up Skilling pilot programme announced in February, which through intensive 10-week training in data analytics gives science graduates the opportunity to pursue a career in the IT sector. "This is an innovative initiative that we aim to expand into additional subjects where there is a shortage of specialists in the market," said Dr Damianou.
Axis 2: Cybersecurity
Noting the importance of cybersecurity and resilience, the Deputy Minister presented the series of actions implemented within 2023 in cooperation with the Digital Security Authority (DSA), which include the launch of a horizontal cybersecurity programme for the public sector, the preparation of a draft law for harmonisation with the European NIS2 Directive and the designation, by a decision of the Council of Ministers, of APSA as the National Cybersecurity Certification Authority. In addition, and among other things, the Operations Centre of the National CSIRT, which provides 24/7 monitoring of digital activity, became operational, while 33 sensors were installed for the purpose of detecting and analysing attacks on critical state infrastructure.
Steps were also taken, according to the Deputy Minister, in terms of strengthening cybersecurity in businesses and raising public awareness. Among others, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCC-CY) was launched in 2023, with the main mission to facilitate access to expertise on industrial, technological and research cybersecurity issues. Through the NCC-CY and in cooperation with the Research and Innovation Foundation, a €1 million Grant Scheme was launched to enhance the level of cybersecurity of Cypriot small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A comprehensive toolkit of standards/methodologies was also created to formulate a structured approach for effective protection against cyber threats, and the ICT Academy was established, with the vision of becoming a regional centre for training ICT professionals.
The actions launched for 2024 are along the same lines. In particular, the design of National Cybersecurity Crisis Management Plans based on NIS 2 requirements is being launched, as well as the implementation of a cybersecurity certification framework and the launch of pilot testing programmes at certification bodies and in the market. Finally, an effort is being made through the NCC-CY to claim additional European funds for the announcement and new sponsorship projects to strengthen cybersecurity in businesses.
Axis 3: Research and Innovation (R&I)
Continuing, the Deputy Minister referred to the important steps forward and the dynamics of the Cypriot ecosystem. "Characteristic", he said, "is the fact that our country maintains its position for the second consecutive year in the Strong Innovators of Europe."
Within 2023, the new R&I Strategy was drafted and approved by the Council of Ministers in December, which sets as key priorities the creation of conditions for the further development and strengthening of the ecosystem's capacities, the commercialization of innovative products and services, as well as the strengthening of extroversion.
The Deputy Ministry, he said, supports with institutional funding the operation and activities of research institutions, including Centres of Excellence, with approximately €25 million per year, while an additional €21 million is allocated to the Research and Innovation Foundation (R&I Foundation), which translates into calls for competitive funding programmes and support services for the entire Cypriot ecosystem.
Through the Foundation's programmes, between March 2023 and March 2024, calls for €64 million were launched, which received a strong response from the ecosystem, with 199 new participations. At the same time, contracts were signed for projects worth around €27 million in sectors with particular growth potential, such as technology, agri-food, health and energy, generating 317 new jobs and achieving a remarkable private fundraising of 18% of all funding. "The targeting of the programmes," said the Deputy Minister, "is fully aligned with the strategic objectives of the new Strategy. It is a balanced mix of investment, covering comprehensively all areas of targeting, with particular emphasis on linking the research and business communities and transforming knowledge into value for the real economy, including through internationalisation."
He then referred to the specialised services offered by the Foundation both for innovation issues and for strengthening the efforts of Cypriot institutions intending to participate in European competitive programmes, noting that in the last year, the Foundation has been providing support to Cypriot institutions that intend to participate in European competitive programmes. In addition, he stressed the importance of the operation of the Central Knowledge Transfer Office in May 2023, which provides free intellectual property protection and commercialisation services for research results, supporting research organisations and businesses to take the next step and successfully market their innovative products and services in the domestic and international markets.
Within 2024, an additional €40 million will be made available through the Foundation's ecosystem programmes, while the Ministry of State has launched a series of policy-level actions to further strengthen the environment for R&D. These include amending the legal framework of public universities for the establishment of spin-off companies and strengthening international cooperation with ecosystems abroad.
"In particular," Damianou said, "we are working on the formulation of a mechanism to prioritise publicly funded research organisations in order to allocate state funding, as well as a mechanism to evaluate the socio-economic impact of investments in R&D, in order to ensure that any amount spent is returned in value to the economy."
In closing, the Deputy Minister highlighted the enormous importance of the digital transition for the Government and the President of the Republic himself, assuring that the Deputy Ministry will continue to make every effort to achieve its objectives and contribute to the substantial strengthening of Cyprus' prospect of becoming a regional centre of innovation and technology.
For the full text of the speech of the Deputy Minister click here.
For the presentation click here.
(NZ/MK)
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