On Tuesday, 26th of November 2019, the Minister of Defence, Mr. Savvas Angelides, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. George Georghiou, along with a delegation from the Ministry of Defence, visited CyI’s premises in Athalassa to discuss the possibility of collaborating in areas of common interest.

 

Hosting the meeting was CyI’s President, Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas, in the presence of senior academic and administrative staff of the Institute. Following a brief presentation, the delegation was given a guided tour of CyI laboratories and other research infrastructures.

 

In his address, Prof. Papanicolas noted that co-operation with Government agencies is always high on CyI's priorities, especially with the Ministry of Defence where there are many opportunities for co-operation across a wide range of activities, even though CyI does not conduct classified research. He also referred to the pioneering role of research programs in Israel and America, led by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which act as catalysts for developing innovation in these countries.

The Minister of Defence stated that The Cyprus Institute has demonstrated tangible results in its research and technological achievements, while at the same time the Ministry established the Research and Innovation Department. Moreover, CyI’s tangible results are something of special interest to the Ministry, and his staff will further discuss and indicate specific areas in which they would seek cooperation with the Institution.