An Outcomes & Insights Report on Cyprus’ agrifood ecosystem provides a roadmap for strengthening innovation and presents the challenges facing the ecosystem.
The report was discussed at the inaugural EIT Food Cyprus Stakeholder Activation Event, organised by SocialTech Lab in its role as EIT Food Country Representative Cyprus, a member of the EIT Community Hub Cyprus. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
The event was held on 25 May at the CYENS Centre of Excellence in Nicosia.
SocialTech Lab said in a press release that participants took part in facilitated roundtable discussions and collaborative workshops focused on four strategic themes: innovation and digital transformation, access to funding and investment, sustainability and circular economy, and collaboration and ecosystem coordination. The event formed part of SocialTech Lab’s role as EIT Food Country Representative Cyprus, helping strengthen connections between Cyprus’ agrifood ecosystem, as well as EIT Food’s wider European innovation network.
"The discussions have now been brought together in a newly published Outcomes & Insights Report, which captures the ecosystem’s collective perspectives and identifies priority actions for future development. The report provides a practical roadmap for strengthening innovation capacity, supporting entrepreneurship and building a more connected, resilient and sustainable agrifood ecosystem in Cyprus," the press release noted.
It further added that ‘’among the key findings, stakeholders identified ecosystem fragmentation, barriers to innovation adoption, limited commercialisation pathways, funding complexity, climate and resource pressures, and an ageing farming population as some of the sector’s most pressing challenges.’’ At the same time, it said that "discussions revealed strong confidence in Cyprus’ potential to become a regional hub for agrifood innovation by leveraging its strategic location, research excellence, entrepreneurial talent and growing commitment to sustainability."
"The report also highlights practical opportunities for future action, including expanding living labs and demonstration farms, accelerating research-to-market collaboration, supporting technology adoption, advancing regenerative agriculture and circular economy solutions, improving access to funding, and strengthening coordination across the ecosystem," the press release said. "Across every discussion, one message emerged consistently: Cyprus already possesses many of the ingredients for success, but achieving meaningful impact will require stronger collaboration and coordinated action across sectors," it added.
It also pointed out that "as the first structured consultation of Cyprus’ agrifood ecosystem since SocialTech Lab’s appointment as EIT Food Country Representative Cyprus, the report establishes an important baseline for future ecosystem development.’’ ‘’The outcomes are already informing the next phase of ecosystem-building, with SocialTech Lab currently delivering the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) Grow programme and preparing its Ground2Scale (G2S) flagship event re-convening agrifood stakeholders while supporting agrifood startups through training and mentoring," it noted.
Finally, SocialTech Lab said that it invites relevant stakeholders to explore the findings and contribute to the ongoing dialogue as Cyprus continues to strengthen its role within Europe’s agrifood innovation landscape.
(Source: CNA)
