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RIF’s €2 Million Fast Track Innovation Programme: A Boost for Cypriot Businesses

The Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) has unveiled an exciting opportunity for Cypriot businesses. Their Fast Track Innovation programme promises to be a catalyst for local companies looking to accelerate their growth and global presence. With a significant budget of €2 million, the initiative is set to fuel the development and commercialization of groundbreaking products and services.

Who Can Benefit?

This programme is open to innovative enterprises in Cyprus across various sectors, aiming for swift growth and international exposure. Eligible businesses must already be operational with a minimum annual turnover of €200,000, employ at least four people, and have products or services at the pilot stage.

Funding and Timelines

Each project may receive up to €200,000 in funding, designed to be executed within 9 months. Applications are due by April 30, 2025, at 13:00. This timeline is stringent owing to additional resources from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), concluding by June 2026.

Additional Support And Information

An informative online seminar will be conducted on March 14, 2025, at 11:00 am. Participants can submit their proposals via the IRIS Portal. For more details, contact RIF‘s support team by email or phone.

Explore the transformative power of innovation with RIF’s latest initiative and potentially position your business among Cyprus’s success stories. Could your enterprise be the next big thing?

Cyprus Outpaces EU Average In Working-Age Population Share, Eurostat Finds

Cyprus had a working-age population share of 61.6 per cent on January 1, 2025, placing the country above the European Union average of 58.3 per cent, according to Eurostat.

Cyprus Stands Above The EU Benchmark

The figures show that people aged 20 to 64 made up more than three-fifths of Cyprus’ population at the start of last year. In Eurostat’s regional demographic breakdown, Cyprus is treated as a single region because of its size, rather than being divided into multiple NUTS level 3 areas.

Wide Gaps Across The Bloc

Across the EU, 58.3 per cent of the population was of working age on January 1, 2025. The share reached at least 63.0 per cent in 39 NUTS level 3 regions, most of them in Germany. The group also included island regions in Spain, alongside several capital regions and their surrounding areas.

Capital And Island Regions Lead

At the top of the range was the Danish capital region of Byen København, where 68.9 per cent of residents were of working age. The same proportion was recorded in Spain’s island region of Eivissa y Formentera, while Fuerteventura stood at 68.3 per cent and Lanzarote at 67.3 per cent.

Rural Europe Skews Older

At the other end of the spectrum, working-age residents accounted for less than 55.0 per cent of the population in 189 EU regions. These areas were largely rural, including inland Portugal, much of rural France, most of eastern Germany, and rural areas in Bulgaria, Greece and the Nordic EU countries.

In six regions, fewer than half of the population was of working age. Those regions were Bornholm in Denmark, Creuse and Lot in south-west France, Etelä-Savo in south-east Finland, the Arrondissement of Veurne in Belgium and the French outermost region of Mayotte.

What The Data Measures

Eurostat’s regional demographic data measure the share of people aged 20 to 64, not the share of people who are actually employed. Cyprus’ 61.6 per cent figure was 3.3 percentage points above the EU average, though still below the highest regional levels recorded across the bloc.

The data underline how sharply Europe’s age structure varies from one region to another, with working-age shares differing significantly between urban centres, capital regions, islands and predominantly rural areas.

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