The presentation provides a historical perspective of the research efforts and funding opportunities in the Republic of Cyprus, with the participation of Universities and Research Institutes, the activities of the Research Promotion Foundation/Research Innovation Foundation and the participation/success of Cyprus in the FP and Horizon EU programs. The presentation discusses the changing research and innovation environment in Cyprus with the establishment of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy and the efforts to promote Innovation in Cyprus.

The presentation then discusses how Cyprus has been able to improve its innovation performance in the EU significantly since 2018 and the changing research environment with the presence of the seven TEAMING Centers of Excellence. The presentation closes with the discussion of the problems and challenges that Cyprus has to face in a competitive research, innovation and entrepreneurship environment in the EU and beyond.

Andreas Anayiotos is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the Cyprus University of technology. He is the secretary and Functional Areas Manager and responsible for the innovation activities at the “Eratosthenes Center of Excellence”. During his Rectorship, he has been instrumental in the internationalization of the University and the establishment of INTENT - the Innovation and Technology Transfer Office at the University to promote innovation and exploitation of research results. He has also been instrumental in the efforts to change the founding legislation for the State Universities in Cyprus to allow the establishment of spinoffs and other entrepreneurial activities.

He served as a Vice Rector of the University 2012-2015 and also a member of the Governing Board of the Open University of Cyprus in 2011. He is the Director of the Biomechanics and Living Systems Analysis laboratory (BiOLISYS) at the Cyprus University of Technology. He has been the director of the Biofluids Laboratory at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Biomedical Engineering. He is an Associate Editor in the “Annals of Biomedical Engineering” and has served on the Editorial advisory board of the “Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology” and “Frontiers of Medical Technology” and a reviewer in numerous other international journals. He is a member of the National Board of Research and Innovation of Cyprus.