The Department of Electronic Communications (DEC) of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works (MTCW) of the Republic of Cyprus, the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK) and the Cyprus University of Technology co-organized a Stakeholder Meeting on “Space technologies and Earth observation’s benefits for Cyprus and Eastern Mediterranean”, on Wednesday 13 December in the Senate Room at the University of Technology Cyprus, in Limassol.
The National Stakeholders meeting of EXCELSIOR project was organized on Wednesday, 13 of December, 2017 in the Senate Room. The meeting which was attended by representatives from the Public and Private Sectors, the Academia and the Industry, covering multiple sectors such as Engineering, Technology, Topography, Architecture but also Culture and the Environment. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the benefits of the establishment of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence (CoE) which will be established through the realization of the EXCELSIOR project for Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as to map the needs and limitations in the use of space technologies.
The meeting which forms part of a more elaborate and specific meetings that will be co-organized from the EXCELSIOR and supporting partners, was addressed by Georgios Komodromos, the Director of Department of Electronic Communications (DEC), Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works (MTCW) of the Republic of Cyprus. Mr. Komodromos stated the full support demonstrated by the Ministry towards the objectives and goals of EXCELSIOR and its importance for the future of the Electronic Communications in Cyprus. The contribution of the CoE in the fields of Research and in the creation of new innovative services and products, the Centre will place Cyprus on the international map for Earth Observation.
On behalf of ETEK, the member of the Administrative Committee, Mr Ntinos Nikolaidis, congratulated EXCELSIOR and the members of the ERATOSTHENES Research Centre for their work and contribution in highlighting the significance of Earth Observation for Cyprus. Regarding the collaboration between his organization and ERATOSTHENES he mentioned that ETEK fully supports the effort that has been initiated for the establishment of an autonomous and dynamic Centre of Excellence in Cyprus which will benefit all Cypriot Engineers with the provision of information, data and the development of new products and services.
The Rector of the Cyprus University of Technology, Prof. Andreas Anayiotos, greeted the collaboration between the ETEK, the statutory Technical Advisor to the State and the umbrella organization for all Cypriot Engineers with the ERATOSTHENES Research Centre and the EXCELSIOR project, since members of the ETEK can benefit from the multiple integrated uses of remote sensing and space-based techniques for monitoring the environment. Moreover, Prof. Anayiotos stressed that the University has already committed to support both financially and in providing infrastructure and in kind contributions, to the Centre of Excellence which will be established during Phase 2 so that all its objectives are met. Professor Christis Chrysostomou, Vice-Rector of Economic Planning and Development of Cyprus University of Technology was also present at the meeting and expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the stakeholder engagement.
Finally, a short address was delivered on behalf of the Limassol Municipality, by the Vice-Mayor Mr. Nikos Sykas, who stressed the support to EXCELSIOR from the early beginning and its benefits for the city where the new Centre will be established, mentioning the development opportunities and the job openings for more than 200 researchers, scientists, engineers and administrative staff.
During the Meeting, Dr Kyriakos Themistocleous, Stakeholder Manager of EXCELSIOR, presented the ways in which interested parties can be affiliated with the new Centre offering a variety of opportunities for collaboration. The Coordinator of the project, Prof. Diofantos G. Hadjimitsis, made a presentation of the fields of activity that the new Centre will focus which include, inter alia, the Environment, Agriculture, Archaeology, Defense and Security, Water Management, Meteorology, Atmosphere, Electronic Communications, Forestry, Civil Defense etc. He also spoke about the importance of Open Data, like the SENTINEL from Copernicus and underlined that the project is fully aligned with the Smart Specialization Strategy of Cyprus in many areas, significantly enhancing the impact of the targeted regional and national investments, namely, Environment and ICT.
The Senior Researcher of CUT, Dr Kyriacos Neocleous and the Project Manager of EXCELSIOR, Dr Rodanthi– Elisavet Mamouri, presented the EXCELSIOR questionnaire to the participants which aimed in mapping the current needs and limitations in using space technologies. The participants discussed their organizations’ needs and conversed with the ERATOSTHENES researchers for the benefits of their collaboration with the Centre.
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