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Cyprus Construction Material Prices Rise 0.6% In February 2026

Overview Of The Latest Price Trends

Cyprus Statistical Service reported that the construction materials price index reached 119.28 units in February 2026 (base year 2021=100), indicating a continued increase in input costs across the sector.

Month-On-Month And Yearly Trends

Compared with January 2026, the index rose by 0.33%. On an annual basis, prices increased by 0.60% compared with February 2025, pointing to a gradual upward trend in construction costs.

Segment-Specific Developments

Price changes varied across categories. Electromechanical products recorded the largest increase, rising by 2.27%. Wood, insulation materials, chemicals and plastics increased by 1.64%, while minerals rose by 0.94%. In contrast, metallic products declined by 0.45%, and mineral products edged down by 0.08%.

Methodology And Data Collection

Cystat’s data collection process is rigorous, relying on a monthly sample acquired via telephone and email from a range of suppliers. The reference date for price collection is the 15th of each month, and the figures are recorded exclusive of VAT to ensure clarity in assessing underlying cost movements. The index is anchored to a base year (2021), with an average index value of 100 units over the twelve months, thus serving as a benchmark to gauge price evolutions. An index of 101.56, for example, represents a 1.56% increase over the 2021 average.

Implications For The Construction Sector

The latest figures indicate that cost pressures in the construction sector remain present, although increases are moderate. Ongoing monitoring of price trends remains relevant for contractors and developers planning future projects and budgets.

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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