The Cyprus Institute

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Nicosia, Cyprus: The Cyprus Institute signed today a cooperation agreement with the French based, Foundation Sophia Antipolis (FSA) to exchange skills and knowledge in the fields of energy and environment, cultural heritage, risk and security, biotechnology and medical technology. The Foundation Sophia Antipolis represented by its President, Senator Pierre Laffitte, and the Cyprus Institute, represented by the Chairman of its Board Prof. E. Brezin and the Institute’s President, Prof. C.N. Papanicolas signed a cooperation agreement which will generate synergies in the execution of innovative projects in science and technology, initially with particular emphasis in the area of solar energy.

Sophia Antipolis was created in 1984 and is the most successful European Technological Park devoted to research and innovation. It is located on the French Riviera and Europe’s largest and oldest research and innovation cluster, hosting over 1300 companies in practically every sector of high technology including computing, electronics, pharmacology and biotechnology, with an annual budget turnover of 6 billion Euros.

President Sarkozy, as co-President of the Union for the Mediterranean, recently charged Senator Laffitte with a mission concerning the enhancement of cooperation of innovation clusters within the Mediterranean region. The creation of new clusters, notably through the enhanced engagement of the financial sector, and to favour links between existing clusters, is emerging as an important goal of the Union for the Mediterranean.

During his three-day visit Senator Lafitte pursued this goal by meeting with government officials including, the Under Secretary to the President Dr. T.Christofides; the Permanent Secretary of the Planning Bureau, Mr. A. Moleskis; the Minister of Education and Culture, Prof. A. Demetriou and the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Mr. A Paschalides. In the upcoming weeks a delegation from the Cyprus Institute will be visiting Sophia Antipolis, the visit will focus on thermal solar technologies, in the context of the UfM’s Mediterranean Solar Plan.