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Cyprus President Unveils Blueprint To Transform The Nation Into An Investment Powerhouse

Strategic Vision In A Time Of Uncertainty

In an address that underscored the imperatives of today’s volatile geopolitical climate, President Nikos Christodoulides unveiled a far-reaching strategy to reposition Cyprus as a preeminent international investment hub. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation, the president emphasized that decisive, outward-looking economic policy is essential in addressing the multi-dimensional challenges posed by instability on the global stage.

Global Business Missions And International Outreach

Government plans include business missions to India and Kazakhstan, as well as visits to U.S. states including Florida, Ohio, and New York. Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus, called on business leaders to participate in these missions, linking investment promotion with broader economic policy.

Strengthening European Competitiveness And Autonomy

Discussion included the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034 and its role in supporting investment in technology, infrastructure, and innovation. Focus is on strengthening competitiveness within the EU and coordinating economic policy across member states.

Accelerating Reforms And Modernizing The State

The government is implementing digital and structural reforms aimed at improving the business environment. In 2025, 75 digital services were introduced, with more than 100 additional services planned. Reforms also include updates to tax and pension systems.

Energy Reforms And Fiscal Resilience

Addressing the energy sector, Nikos Christodoulides said delays remain and called for faster implementation of reforms. Measures include developing a competitive electricity market, expanding renewable energy capacity, and improving grid interconnections. Recent fiscal data include a budget surplus and a reduction in public debt. These indicators form part of the government’s economic policy framework.

An Economy Poised For Sustainable Growth

In his remarks, Nikos Christodoulides said coordination between domestic reforms and external economic policy can influence borrowing costs and investment activity. He also called for closer cooperation with the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation. The approach includes continued engagement with the business community as part of broader economic policy implementation.

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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