Skourides promotes Cyprus as gateway hub during Australia visit

Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides last week visited Australia as part of ongoing internationalisation efforts to position Cyprus as a gateway hub to Europe, according to an official announcement.

Accompanied by Cyprus’ High Commissioner in Australia Antonis Sammoutis, Skourides held a series of high-level meetings to strengthen research and innovation collaboration between Cyprus and Australia.

He met Australia’s Chief Scientist Tony Haymet and presented Cyprus’s research and innovation ecosystem along with the Research and Innovation Strategy for 2024–2026.

The two exchanged views and best practices, with discussions focusing on cooperation in climate change and sustainability, ocean science and robotics, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.

Australia’s strong reputation in research was underlined, with more than 90 per cent of its research output rated above the world standard.

Seeking to learn how Australia implements policy for emergency response and fire management systems, Skourides also met Lori Mancel and Benedict Lyons from the Department of Infrastructure to discuss best practices and the development of drone policies for fire prevention and emergency response.

At the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), he was hosted by Janet Anstee, Head of Aquawatch Australia, and Stefanos Xenarios.

Anstee presented an overview of Project Aquawatch, which is building an integrated water quality monitoring and forecasting system using water sensors, earth observation data, and advanced management technologies.

Talks explored how European best practices could complement Aquawatch’s work and identified areas for collaboration.

Skourides also met Katherine Woodthorpe, President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (ATSE), and Peter Derbyshire, ATSE’s Director of Policy and International Affairs.

Their discussion focused on synergies between Cyprus and Australia in agro-food and agritech, climate tech, health, and MedTech.

Together with Sammoutis, he also met Tina Hutchinson, Deputy Secretary of the Agricultural Trade and Regulation Group in Canberra.

On September 3, meetings were organised by George Georgiou, President of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Australia, in collaboration with James Demetriou, a prominent Greek Cypriot member of the Australian diaspora and recipient of the Member of the Order of Australia honour.

At the University of Melbourne, Skourides was hosted by Ruth Park-Jones, Director of Commercialisation, along with senior leaders including Carlie Rogers, David Wooland, Dhiraj Hans, and Navkaran Singh.

Discussions centred on MedTech, SportTech, AgriTech, and EnviroTech commercialisation best practices.

He also met Michelle Foster, Dean of Melbourne Law School, as well as Simon McKeon, former Chair of Macquarie Bank and 2011 Australian of the Year.

The University of Melbourne ranks among the top 15 law schools globally and is considered a pioneer in using artificial intelligence in legal education and judiciary preparation.

At Monash University, Skourides was welcomed by Cecilia Hewlett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for International Affairs.

Monash academics showcased research in medicine, health sciences, IT, sustainable development, and intelligent computing, along with technology transfer successes such as Seaport Therapeutics, Electralith, and Juniper Ionics.

Highlighting Cyprus’s rising innovation ecosystem, Skourides promoted collaboration in AI, agritech, environmental research, and healthcare innovation.

On September 4, he took part in a panel discussion at the 14th World Chamber of Commerce Congress in Melbourne, reflecting on leadership styles built on purpose, empathy, and service.

Georgiou, building on the memorandum of understanding between the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian-Cyprus Chamber of Commerce, hosted meetings with Australian technology companies and startups including Hydrogenus Energy, AdvanzPay, Pacific Bio, and Mindset Health.

At a diaspora event attended by Andrea Michaels, Minister of Innovation and SMEs for South Australia, and MP Kat Theophanous, as well as former ministers and business leaders, Skourides delivered a keynote speech titled “Bridging Continents: Cyprus’s Rapidly Growing R&I Ecosystem”.

He highlighted success stories from Cyprus such as the Cyprus Space Research and Innovation Centre (C-SpaRC), the artificial reef projects of CMMI, Dynamic Works, the SOZO Brain Center, and the Minds in Cyprus Action Plan for talent repatriation.

The audience also met Nic Lucas, co-founder of the SOZO Brain Center in Nicosia and Melbourne, who is known for pioneering work in Brain Neuromodulation Therapy and presented as an example of real-world collaboration between Cyprus and Australia.

Before leaving Australia, Skourides gave an interview to SBS Radio and appeared on a podcast with George Donikian of Donikian Media, a former Nine News broadcaster and SBS anchor.

“It was an honour to engage with Australia’s leading scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and members of the vibrant Cyprus diaspora whose dedication and success stories were truly inspiring,” said Skourides.

He added that “our discussions have laid the groundwork for meaningful partnerships in areas such as AI, MedTech, and climate resilience, with two promising Australian startups already exploring a presence in Cyprus”.

“This visit reinforced the role Cyprus can play as a strategic gateway to Europe, enabling the exchange of knowledge, talent, and innovation that can drive real impact,” he said.

On his part, Georgiou stated that “it was a pleasure to host the Chief Scientist in Australia. Skourides leaves with a deeper understanding of the merits of both countries working together to support each other’s economic goals around Innovation, Technology, Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Agritech and Fintech”.

“The Cypriot Diaspora in Melbourne have also realized how much Cyprus has changed and feel proud,” he added.

“We strongly believe that this is the right time to develop opportunities for partnership across continents and position Cyprus as Australia’s gateway to Europe,” he stated.

The announcement also stated that the visit “has already opened dialogues for cooperation, with two Australian technology companies expressing interest in establishing a presence in Cyprus in the coming months”.