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CISCO Partners With Schroders to Launch Sustainable Investment Portfolios

Strategic Partnership Redefines ESG Investing

CISCO, a subsidiary of the Bank of Cyprus Group, has entered into a strategic alliance with Schroders, a globally respected asset management firm, to introduce a new suite of sustainable investment portfolios. Designed primarily for institutional investors as well as others favoring Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, the collaboration marks a significant evolution in Cyprus’s financial services sector.

Combining Local Expertise With Global Leadership

The partnership leverages CISCO’s extensive market expertise and longstanding track record in managing institutional mandates with Schroders’ global leadership in sustainable investments. Schroders was chosen for its proven heritage in ESG and impact investing, underpinned by proprietary investment models, ensuring that the newly launched portfolios align with the growing demand for investment solutions that deliver robust long-term financial performance alongside responsible investment practices.

Structured for Comprehensive Performance

The sustainable portfolios have been meticulously designed with clearly defined sustainability metrics. They are continuously monitored for both financial and non-financial performance, adhering to internationally recognized best practices in responsible investing. The portfolios cater to a wide range of investor profiles—from conservative to dynamic—providing tailored solutions that manage risk while capitalizing on opportunities presented by the global transition towards sustainability.

Executive Insights and Market Implications

Christos Kalogeris, CEO of CISCO, stated, “Our mission is to consistently deliver excellence not only in portfolio performance but also in the positive impact we create. Through this collaboration with Schroders, we are proud to offer investment solutions that reflect both superior performance and principled investing, enabling our clients to achieve sustainable growth with transparency and accountability.”

Dimitrios Batzis, Head of Southern Eastern Europe and Mediterranean at Schroders, added, “By merging Schroders’ advanced proprietary sustainability models with CISCO’s market expertise and local leadership, we are uniquely positioned to provide a differentiated investment proposition. Our commitment is to ensure truly responsible investments that generate long-term value for Cypriot investors.”

Alignment With Regulatory Trends

CISCO’s Asset Management Division, one of the largest in Cyprus, serves a broad base of institutional clients, including pension funds, welfare funds, insurance companies, and corporations, both local and international. This initiative not only responds to increasingly stringent regulatory expectations but also addresses the evolving demands of investors for ESG-integrated strategies.

Positioning for the Future

This strategic move firmly positions both CISCO and Schroders at the forefront of ESG innovation within the region, empowering institutional investors to effectively navigate the risks and opportunities associated with the global shift towards sustainability.

Disclaimer

CISCO is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission. License number: 003/03. The content herein does not constitute investment advice. Investing involves risks, and returns are not guaranteed. Prospective investors should consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Adobe Expands AI Tools And Opens Creative Cloud To External Assistants

Adobe is extending artificial intelligence across its creative software, adding new tools to Photoshop, Premiere, Illustrator and InDesign while expanding the capabilities of its Firefly platform. The announcements, made at the company’s MAX event in Miami, also point to a broader shift: Adobe is working to make its creative tools available not only inside its own apps, but through third-party AI assistants.

Among the changes are new image- and video-editing features, a prototyping tool in private beta and a local Model Context Protocol (MCP) connection that will let other chatbots interact with selected Adobe capabilities.

Firefly Expands From Generation To Prototyping

Adobe’s Firefly app is moving further into territory occupied by design and collaboration platforms such as Figma. Its new Builder tool, currently in private beta, is designed to help users create prototypes that communicate early-stage ideas.

Firefly is also gaining tools for creating on-brand charts and editing specific parts of an image without altering other objects. A new AI-powered video feature will let users assemble clips with supporting elements such as images and sound effects. Adobe says its agent will become more proactive and continuously available, allowing it to build context around a user’s work and assist with tasks as they arise. The company is also streamlining quick actions, including background removal and video-thumbnail creation.

More AI Features Across Creative Cloud

The additions build on a steady rollout of AI features across Adobe’s applications, including Photoshop, Express, Premiere and Illustrator. At MAX, Adobe announced further updates: Photoshop is adding a relighting feature and controls for adjusting prompt-based generative styles; Premiere is getting a new professional color-grading system and an object-removal tool for video; and Lightroom is adding corrections for blinking eyes and blemish removal.

Adobe is also broadening its selection of third-party AI models, which already includes technology from Google, Runway, ElevenLabs, Black Forest Labs, OpenAI, Kling and ByteDance. Topaz Labs, the image- and video-enhancement company Adobe recently acquired, is introducing two models: Wonder 4 for upscaling and denoising, and ImageHDR for converting standard images into high-dynamic-range formats.

MCP Opens Another Route Into Adobe Tools

Adobe already offers integrations with ChatGPT and Claude that give users access to some product functions. Its new local MCP is intended to expose additional Creative Cloud capabilities to outside AI assistants, including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.

Deepa Subramaniam, an Adobe vice president, told TechCrunch that the company is still determining which capabilities to make available. The initial set of endpoints spans Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere, with future expansion shaped by how people use the connection.

“We are still figuring out where and when and how to draw the line,” Subramaniam said. “What we really want to do is to support that creative workflow, how you choose to do it.”

The approach leaves room for Adobe to learn from real-world use rather than setting a fixed boundary from the outset. It also reflects a strategic question facing software companies: how to make their products useful within a growing ecosystem of AI assistants without giving up control over how users access their tools.

A Standard Still Taking Shape

MCP offers a way for AI systems to connect with external tools and services, but its role in creative software remains unsettled. Last month, Figma co-founder Dylan Field argued that MCP is not a perfect standard and that its current design may benefit frontier AI labs more than other participants.

Adobe’s move suggests it is willing to test the protocol while it evolves. If users can bring Adobe capabilities into the assistants and workflows they already rely on, the company could make its creative software more accessible beyond its own interfaces. The challenge will be ensuring that this added flexibility supports creative work without making the experience harder to manage.

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