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Cyta Poised To Expand Into Renewable Energy With Legislative Backing

Regulatory Momentum And Legislative Approval

Cyta may soon receive legal approval to operate in the renewable energy sector, according to discussions around pending legislation in Parliament. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the proposal during an upcoming parliamentary session.

Unified Political Endorsement And Strategic Implications

Key public entities, including DISY, DIKO, and DHPA, are expected to rally behind the bill during the forthcoming parliamentary session. Their unified stance signals strong institutional support, though several opposition parties express concerns about competitive impacts, particularly the risk that the state energy authority might lose thousands of customers to Cyta’s market entry.

Competitive Concerns And Market Dynamics

Critics say Cyta’s entry into the energy sector could affect existing market dynamics. They argue the state electricity authority could lose customers if Cyta offers combined telecommunications and energy services. Maria Tsiakka, head of the electricity authority, said the issue highlights growing competition in markets where telecommunications and energy services may overlap.

Inter-Organizational Tensions And Collaboration Prospects

Officials say Cyta’s proposed activities would focus on renewable energy projects. The plan would target specific market segments rather than the traditional electricity supply. Some policymakers have suggested cooperation between state-owned entities. However, the Competition Protection Committee warned that certain joint initiatives could raise competition concerns.

Internal Dissent And Oversight Concerns

Some Cyta employees have expressed concerns about comments from General Auditor Andreas Papakostantinou. In correspondence with Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, the auditor questioned the proposed legislative amendment. Papakostantinou said claims about immediate cost reductions for households may be overstated. He suggested Cyta could consider other ways to expand its services without directly competing with the state electricity authority.

Looking Forward

The Parliamentary Economic Committee is expected to discuss the proposal and possible amendments in an upcoming session. Lawmakers will determine whether the legislation moves forward, which would allow Cyta to expand into renewable energy activities.

Cypriot Startup LIVIA Wins Europe’s Top Youth Entrepreneurship Competition

A Cypriot university team has won the European GEN-E 2026 youth entrepreneurship competition with LIVIA, a smart agriculture platform that combines satellite data, autonomous drones and artificial intelligence to help farmers improve irrigation, detect disease earlier and reduce pesticide use.

Alongside first place, the team received the FedEx Access Award, expanding its access to investors, entrepreneurs and industry experts across Europe.

Initially developed for vineyards, LIVIA analyses individual plants and turns complex data into practical recommendations. The team is now preparing its first functional product and pilot projects in Cyprus, with plans to expand into additional crops and international markets.

From An Idea To Smart Agriculture

LIVIA began with a simple question: how could satellite data create practical value in everyday life? After exploring applications ranging from meteorology to marine biology, the team identified agriculture as the sector with the greatest potential.

Recognising the limitations of satellite imagery alone, particularly in resolution and update frequency, the founders integrated autonomous drones into the platform to provide more detailed field data.

Designed as a modular system, LIVIA can continuously incorporate new data sources and capabilities. Its initial focus is irrigation management, early disease detection and plant health monitoring, with vineyards serving as the first use case because of their importance to Cyprus and the team’s own experience.

Turning Data Into Decisions

Satellite imagery provides continuous monitoring of crops, while autonomous drones capture high-resolution images whenever greater precision is needed.

Artificial intelligence then combines those datasets with information collected by growers, including IoT sensors and field observations, to generate tailored recommendations for irrigation, disease prevention and resource management.

By analysing each plant individually, the platform enables precision agriculture rather than field-wide recommendations.

Building A Hardware And Software Startup

Developing LIVIA has required balancing advanced software with specialised hardware, including drones, multispectral cameras and charging stations, all while operating with limited resources.

Although the startup participates in the Bank of Cyprus IDEA programme and has secured non-equity funding, integrating multiple data sources into a reliable AI system remains its biggest technical challenge.

The Role Of Junior Achievement

Participation in the JA StartUp Programme helped transform the original concept into a business proposition through mentoring, coaching and pitch preparation.

Support continued after LIVIA won the national competition, with the Junior Achievement Cyprus team helping the founders prepare for the European final in Latvia.

European Recognition

Winning GEN-E 2026 and the FedEx Access Award marked the team’s biggest milestone to date and created new opportunities to connect with investors, entrepreneurs and industry experts across Europe.

The founders are now focused on completing their minimum viable product, launching pilot projects in Cyprus and expanding the platform to new crops and international markets.

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