Cyprus Unveils Ambitious Plan To Become A Regional Research And Innovation Hub By 2035

In a bold move to position itself as a leader in research and innovation (R&I), Cyprus has unveiled a comprehensive strategy aimed at transforming the nation into a regional hub by 2035. Presented by Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides at the Cyprus Rectors’ Conference, the strategy outlines a robust roadmap designed to elevate the country’s R&I ecosystem.

The roadmap, developed after extensive consultations with over 650 stakeholders including research organisations, startups, and established enterprises, is built on simplifying processes, enhancing customer experience, and ensuring transparency. Key initiatives include the introduction of a new grants management system by 2025, aimed at reducing administrative burdens and allowing researchers to focus on their scientific and commercial pursuits.

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Cyprus has already made significant strides in innovation, maintaining its 10th position on the European Innovation Scoreboard for three consecutive years. Public universities and institutions, such as the University of Cyprus and the Cyprus Institute, have been instrumental in securing prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants. This success is underscored by 18 ERC awards and notable advanced grants achieved by leading researchers.

Government commitment to R&I is evident with a substantial increase in competitive funding for 2021-2027, rising to €177.25 million—a 34% increase from the previous period. This funding is allocated across various sectors: 23% for research, 27% for collaboration and knowledge transfer, 21% for innovation, 15% for internationalisation, and 14% for infrastructure and skills.

Operational improvements at the Research and Innovation Foundation have drastically reduced the average time to pay from 275 days in 2019 to 61 days in 2023, and the average time to contract from 21 months to seven months in the same period. These improvements are part of a broader effort to enhance customer experience and ensure high-impact funding programmes.

A significant focus of the new strategy is bridging the gap between industry and research. Initiatives like Partner Innovation Day facilitate collaboration and knowledge transfer among research organisations, startups, and technology innovators. This collaborative approach is expected to support over 550 researchers and drive further advancements in thematic areas such as ICT, green transition, energy, and health.

Furthermore, Cyprus is fostering international collaborations, with recent engagements involving Japan’s Ambassador and the President of Japan Science and Technology Agency. These partnerships are aimed at expanding Cyprus’ global R&I footprint.

Chief Scientist Skourides emphasised the importance of competitive funding in sustaining the nation’s R&I momentum. With €22.1 million allocated for various funding calls in 2024 and an additional €4.1 million for post-doc and PhD programmes in 2025, Cyprus is well on its way to realising its vision of becoming a leading regional R&I hub.

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Meta’s Muse Is Outpacing ChatGPT In Early Mobile Adoption, New Data Suggests

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 22, 2026

Meta’s new AI app, Muse, may be emerging as one of the company’s strongest consumer launches to date. Fresh estimates from market intelligence firm Apptopia suggest the app has outperformed ChatGPT in early mobile traction, at least in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Apptopia, Muse recorded more downloads in its first 12 days on the market than ChatGPT did during the comparable period after its mobile debut. The comparison, limited to the U.S. and Canada, puts Muse’s iOS downloads at 1.8 million versus 1.3 million for ChatGPT over the same initial window.

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A Strong Early Start Across Platforms

In total, Muse has reached 2.8 million global installs in its first 12 days, according to the firm. The app’s momentum also appears to be holding. After debuting at No. 2 on the U.S. App Store, Muse has since climbed to No. 1, surpassing ChatGPT, according to reporting from Business Insider. Appfigures had previously estimated that Muse crossed 1 million downloads shortly after launch.

That early rise matters because app-store performance in the first days after launch often signals whether a product can sustain consumer attention beyond initial curiosity. In Meta’s case, the data suggests Muse is not simply benefiting from novelty; it is gaining ground quickly enough to challenge the category leader.

Daily Users Show Similar Momentum

Apptopia’s estimates point to another favorable comparison for Meta: daily usage. In the U.S. alone, Muse is said to have 642,000 daily active users, well above the 231,000 ChatGPT had at the same stage of its mobile rollout.

To make the comparison fairer, Apptopia also narrowed the analysis to iOS only, since ChatGPT launched on iPhone before expanding more broadly. Even under that tighter lens, Muse still comes out ahead, with 359,000 daily active users on iOS compared with ChatGPT’s earlier figure.

Why Meta Has An Advantage

Third-party estimates are not the same as internal company data, and Apptopia cannot see Meta’s proprietary numbers. Still, even directional data suggests Muse may be on track to become a meaningful consumer product for Meta.

That possibility is strengthened by Meta’s distribution advantage. The company has already demonstrated how powerful its ecosystem can be with Threads, which surpassed 500 million users after heavy promotion across Instagram and Facebook. Muse is likely to receive a similar boost, especially because it can connect across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Apptopia does not track Meta’s internal promotion strategy, but its data indicates that more than 95% of Muse users are also Facebook users, while 63% are Instagram users. That overlap underscores how effectively Meta can move users across its products when it chooses to prioritize a launch.

The Strategic Test For Meta

For Meta, the early signal from Muse is less about one app’s download count than about whether the company can turn its scale into durable AI adoption. The first test is attention. The harder one is retention.

If Muse can convert early downloads into habitual use, Meta may have found a new front door into its AI ambitions. If not, the app risks becoming another example of how easily mobile hype can spike before settling back down.

Meta, which was asked for comment, has not yet released public figures on Muse’s early adoption.

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