Cyta presented three new digital inclusion initiatives focused on access, knowledge and participation, as part of its Digital Inclusion initiative, aiming to reduce digital inequalities in Cyprus and encourage greater participation in the digital world.
The initiatives focus on digital accessibility for people with disabilities, education around artificial intelligence, and digital skills for residents of rural and remote areas, particularly older people.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr. Nicodemos Damianou, referred to the significant progress Cyprus has achieved in the field of digitalisation, while also highlighting the weaknesses that still exist in terms of basic digital skills.
As he noted, Cyprus ranks first in Europe in the use of generative artificial intelligence tools (AI chatbots), while recording particularly high internet access rates among young people and significant progress in the adoption of digital technologies by businesses. At the same time, he pointed out that the technology sector is among the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, contributing approximately 14%-15% to the country’s GDP.
He stressed, however, that despite the progress in the digitalisation of the economy and the public sector, Cyprus still lags behind in basic digital skills, making the strengthening of digital inclusion even more urgent.
Concluding, he underlined the importance of private sector participation in such initiatives, noting that cooperation between the public and private sectors is essential for accelerating the digital transition and ensuring equal access to new technologies for all citizens.
Presenting the initiatives, Cyta’s Chief Operations Officer (COO), Nicos Stylianou, said the initiative emerged through an open call addressed to society, the research community and the innovation ecosystem, with the aim of identifying actions capable of substantially and measurably reducing the digital divide in Cyprus. As he noted, the response was particularly encouraging and led, through an evaluation process, to the selection of three partnerships addressing different but complementary needs
The first partnership, with Ablebook, focuses on digital accessibility and aims to strengthen the autonomy of people with disabilities through tools that facilitate everyday life. As he explained, citizens will be able, through their mobile phones, to check whether a location is accessible or even report obstacles in real time.
The second initiative, in collaboration with Vernian RTI, concerns artificial intelligence education for students and educators, aiming to improve understanding of how the technology works and how it can be used responsibly. ‘A student can understand how an algorithm works and recognise when a decision may be influenced by bias,’ Mr Stylianou noted.
The third partnership, with the CYENS Centre of Excellence, focuses on transferring digital skills to rural and remote communities, with particular emphasis on older people, enabling them to access digital services and remain connected with society and their families.
Cyta Board of Directors Chairwoman Maria Tsiakka Olympiou stressed that technology is evolving rapidly, but the challenge is ‘for it to evolve for everyone.’ As she noted, access to the digital world concerns every individual and is directly linked to the ability to participate in modern society, education, employment and healthcare services.
‘Digital infrastructures are lifelines for society,’ she said, adding that technology gains real value when it enables more people to participate equally.