On April 7th, the Cypriot delegation — comprising the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr. Nicodemos Damianou; the Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology, Mr. Demetris Skourides; and the Chairman of Invest Cyprus, Mr. Evgenios Evgeniou — participated in a series of meetings in San Francisco ahead of the arrival of the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Nicos Christodoulides.
Following the visit of Deputy Minister Nicodemos Damianou and Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides to Bayanat HQ in Abu Dhabi in July 2024 — where they explored autonomous technologies in the mobility sector — the Cypriot delegation had the opportunity to visit Zoox, an independent Amazon company focused on Mobility as a Service (MaaS).
Zoox is developing a purpose-built autonomous vehicle designed from the ground up by Amazon to deliver a superior customer experience. During their visit, the delegation experienced a ride through San Francisco in a fully driverless vehicle.
Throughout this unique experience, a Zoox executive provided an in-depth explanation of how the autonomous vehicle is trained, the company’s innovative business model, and Amazon’s strong emphasis on safety, reliability, and regulatory oversight. According to the executive, the vehicle incorporates more than 150 safety features and innovations, including full crash-test certifications.
Deputy Minister Nicodemos Damianou, Chief Scientist Mr. Demetris Skourides, and Chairman of Invest Cyprus Mr. Evgenios Evgeniou also held meetings with Oracle executives and senior management at the company’s headquarters in Redwood Shores.
The delegation met with Mrs. Allison O’Brien, Managing Director of Government Affairs; Mr. Tim McCarthy, Senior Director; and Mr. Andrew Sutherland, Group Vice President of Development and Strategy. Discussions focused on Oracle’s global innovation strategy, opportunities for collaboration with Cyprus, and the potential for expanding Oracle’s footprint in the region.
During the meeting, the Oracle team presented the company’s strategic focus on Cloud and AI innovations, highlighting new agentic workflows and capabilities designed to enhance productivity. The discussion also covered Oracle’s multi-cloud strategy, including OCI Public Cloud, Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer (DRCC), and Sovereign Cloud solutions.
Deputy Minister Nicodemos Damianou, Chief Scientist Mr. Demetris Skourides, and Chairman of Invest Cyprus Mr. Evgenios Evgeniou were accompanied by Oracle Cyprus Country Leader Mr. Antonis Skoullos and Michalis Nearchou - Senior Business Development, further strengthening the dialogue between Oracle and the Cypriot delegation.
As part of their visit to Silicon Valley, the Cypriot delegation had the opportunity to engage with world-renowned expert Mr. Panos Madamopoulos-Morais, Founding Managing Director of Industry Programs & Partnerships at Stanford University’s Human-Centered AI (HAI) Institute. The meeting offered valuable insights into how the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem operates, with a particular focus on AI.
During the discussion, Chief Scientist and Chairman of the National AI Task Force, Mr. Demetris Skourides, provided an overview of Cyprus’s National Research and Innovation Strategy 2024–2026. He highlighted the national innovation ecosystem and emphasized the critical role of AI in advancing its capabilities. Mr. Skourides further elaborated on the composition of the National AI Task Force, which brings together experts from industry, enterprise, research and academia, as well as legal practitioners. This diverse representation is expected to provide the holistic input needed to update Cyprus’s National AI Strategy effectively.
Minister Nicodemos Damianou and Mr. Skourides engaged in an in-depth and dynamic exchange with Mr. Madamopoulos-Morais, who shared global best practices for AI innovation and adoption. He also presented programs offered by Stanford to support national strategies and cited successful examples from countries such as Singapore, Japan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, and Finland, as well as collaborations with leading corporations including Google.
Mr. Madamopoulos-Morais emphasized the top-priority need to develop human capital as early as possible—particularly at the executive level—who can serve as both enablers and pace-setters for organizational AI readiness.
Continuing the delegation’s focus on innovation and strategic partnerships, Deputy Minister Nicodemos Damianou and Chief Scientist Mr. Demetris Skourides hosted an introductory meeting with Mr. Amit Zavery, President, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of ServiceNow. The meeting served as an opportunity to further highlight Cyprus’s growing appeal as a hub for technology, research, and innovation.
Deputy Minister Damianou emphasized the importance that President Nicos Christodoulides places on the digital transformation agenda and the advancement of e-Government services in Cyprus. He underlined the government’s commitment to leveraging digital tools to drive public sector modernization.
Chief Scientist Skourides shared insights into the upcoming "Cloud-First" policy currently being developed by the Deputy Ministry, aimed at accelerating the country’s digital transformation. He also elaborated on Cyprus’s intention to adopt a “Mobile-First, AI-First” approach to delivering seamless, citizen-centric digital experiences, positioning these policies as key frameworks for future public sector technology adoption.
Mr. Evgenios Evgeniou, Chairman of Invest Cyprus, spoke about the country’s strong positioning in the services sector, its skilled talent pool, and the availability of competitive financial incentives. He welcomed Mr. Zavery to explore investment opportunities in Cyprus that could generate mutual value and contribute to the wider region’s innovation landscape.
The Cypriot delegation also hosted a high-level executive meeting with Mr. Piyush Mangalick, Global Head of Core AI Engineering at Microsoft. The discussion focused on the future of AI and digital transformation, aligning Microsoft’s global vision with Cyprus’s national strategy for AI adoption and innovation.
Mr. Mangalick presented Microsoft’s strategic outlook on AI integration across industries, emphasizing responsible and scalable adoption. Deputy Minister Nicodemos Damianou provided an overview of Cyprus’s digital transformation agenda, reaffirming the government’s commitment to innovation and the advancement of e-Government services.
Chief Scientist Mr. Demetris Skourides shared how Cyprus is preparing its public sector for AI integration. He introduced the current digital landscape and the mission of the newly established National AI Task Force, which focuses on building the digital skills and governance structures necessary to enable this transition.
Chairman of Invest Cyprus, Mr. Evgenios Evgeniou, outlined the country’s investment environment and incentives, highlighting Cyprus’s strategic location at the crossroads of three continents. He emphasized the rapid growth of the ICT sector and the untapped opportunities available to global tech companies and innovation-driven enterprises seeking to establish a presence in the region.
The visit of the Cypriot delegation to Silicon Valley marked a significant milestone in the national effort to promote innovation, technological advancement, and international collaboration. Through strategic meetings with senior executives from global tech giants and leading academic institutions, Cyprus’s emerging role as a hub for innovation and digital transformation in the region was clearly highlighted. The exchange of knowledge and best practices laid the groundwork for meaningful partnerships that will support the country’s national strategy in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud computing, and digital governance — accelerating Cyprus’s transition toward a more sustainable and innovation-driven future.
Materials are provided by the Office of the Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology Republic of Cyprus.
