More than 200 leaders from Cyprus’ research, innovation and entrepreneurship community came together on Tuesday for The Bash 2026, the annual flagship networking event of the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF).

Held under the theme “Let’s Cheers to Innovation Together!”, the gathering brought into one room the startups, scaleups, investors, academics, business support organisations, public sector representatives and policymakers helping shape Cyprus’ next phase of innovation-led growth.

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Building Momentum Through Collaboration

The event opened with remarks from RIF board chairman and Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology Demetris Skourides, RIF director general Theodoros Loukaidis and Konstantinos Kleovoulou, who represented the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy.

Across their speeches, one message was consistent: Cyprus’ innovation story is increasingly being defined by collaboration.

“Cyprus’ innovation ecosystem is growing, maturing and continuously delivering new success stories,” Skourides said. “This is not happening by chance. It is the result of the collective effort and collaboration of everyone who is part of this community.”

He added that RIF remains focused on helping create the conditions needed for the ecosystem to expand further. “As the Research and Innovation Foundation, and personally in my capacity as Chief Scientist, we remain committed to securing the necessary resources and creating the right conditions to further strengthen and support our ecosystem,” he said.

Skourides said The Bash has become a platform where connections turn into commercial and institutional value. “The Bash demonstrates that when the community comes together, new ideas emerge, new partnerships are formed, and the next success stories for Cyprus begin,” he noted.

A More Mature Startup Landscape

Loukaidis pointed to Cyprus’ improved standing in the global startup arena, citing the country’s 39th-place ranking in the StartupBlink Startup Ecosystem Index.

“Today, Cyprus has a much stronger and more mature innovation ecosystem, ranked 39th globally in the StartupBlink Startup Ecosystem Index,” he said. “This achievement is the result of a collective effort involving startups and innovative businesses, investors, incubators and accelerators, knowledge transfer offices, our universities, public sector stakeholders, and the Research and Innovation Foundation, which continuously evolves to better support the ecosystem.”

He said the country is now laying the groundwork for further progress. “Together, we are building the foundations for even greater success,” Loukaidis added.

“Thank you all for being here tonight at The Bash, which has grown into a flagship event, creating opportunities for meaningful networking, new ideas and lasting collaborations,” he said.

Government Signals Continued Support

Representing the deputy minister, Kleovoulou reiterated the government’s commitment to sustaining the sector’s momentum.

“Cyprus today has a dynamic research and innovation ecosystem that continues to grow and create new opportunities,” he said. “The Government remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen collaboration and further enhance Cyprus’ research and innovation ecosystem.”

Beyond the networking agenda, the event served as a snapshot of how far Cyprus has come in building a more connected innovation economy. It also highlighted a broader policy truth: in small markets, scale often depends less on size than on coordination among government, universities, research organisations, investors and businesses.

RIF said the strong turnout and energetic atmosphere confirmed The Bash’s role as the annual meeting point for the island’s innovation community, helping generate synergies, partnerships and initiatives with long-term impact.

The event was organised under RIF’s Innovation Factory initiative and formed part of the activities of the Enterprise Europe Network Cyprus.