Official Launch Ceremony of the Project

NEWS / Official Launch Ceremony of the Project

28 Nov., 17
The official launch ceremony has been scheduled for 29 November 2017, at 10:00am and will take place at "Stoa" venue (Municipal Square in the  Walled City of Nicosia), right next to the premises that will host RISE Centre of Excellence (the old municipal market), the area to be developed as a Creative Industry Quarter and the Buffer Zone that still divides Nicosia and Cyprus in two. 

The ceremony takes place under the auspices of H.E. the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, who will address the event. The Director-General of DG Research & Innovation, Mr. Robert-Jan Smits will honour and address the event on behalf of the European Commission.

The event will also be addressed by the Mayor of Nicosia Constantinos Yiorkadjis, Rectors or other high level representatives of the collaborating academic institutions  (University College London, Max Planck Institute, University of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology, Open University Cyprus) and the Project Scientific Coordinator Associate Professor Yiorgos Chrysanthou on behalf of the core team of RISE Scientists. 

An exhibition of the RISE consortium research showcasing the scientific and innovation potential of the field of interest of the new Centre  will follow the opening ceremony.

The event will close with a Panel Discussion on "The role of innovation cities and academic institutions in driving innovation led economic development".

The panel will be  chaired by  the Director-General of the European Commission's DG Research & Innovation, Mr. Robert-Jan Smits and moderated by the Chair of the University of Cyprus Entrepreneurship Council, Associate Professor of Strategy, Dr. George Kassinis. 

Distinguished panel participants include:

  •  The Head of European Research and Innovation, University College London, Mr. Michael Browne 
  • The StartUp & Portfolio Manager at Max Planck Innovation, Max Planck Society, Dr. Florian Kirschenhofer 
  • The Permanent Secretary of Directorate General for European Programmes, Coordination and Development of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. George Georghiou 
  • The Chairman of the Board of Directors of CIPA(Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency), Mr. Christodoulos Angastiniotis 
  • A representative of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce 
  • • The Co-founder of Startup Cyprus and of StudentLife, Mr. Yiannis Hadjiconstantouras 
  • • The Chief Operating Officer, Tsinghua University Science Park, Mr. Herbert Chen


Call: H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017 (Teaming Phase 2)
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 739578


This project has received funding from the Government of the Republic of Cyprus through the Directorate General for the European Programmes, Coordination and Development.