The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Cyprus is hosting the 7th DeepTech CY Meetup – Building a Deep Tech Ecosystem in Cyprus, an open event dedicated to strengthening the Deep Tech ecosystem in Cyprus and building stronger bridges between research, innovation, entrepreneurship and society.
The event will take place on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, from 19:00 to 21:30, at the outdoor amphitheatre of the Faculty of Engineering, at the University Campus.
Cyprus has significant research activity, highly skilled scientific talent and expertise in emerging technologies. The challenge is to ensure that the knowledge and expertise generated at universities and research centres can be translated into applications, solutions and new opportunities that create real added value for society and the economy. This requires appropriate infrastructure and support mechanisms, access to funding, but above all, partnerships that enable researchers, as well as graduates, to take the next step from scientific knowledge to practical application. Entrepreneurship and the creation of new ventures represent one of the important pathways through which this knowledge can achieve broader impact.
In this context, the DeepTech CY Meetup brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and other key stakeholders of the ecosystem, creating the conditions for meaningful dialogue, collaboration and new connections.
From Research Knowledge to Societal Value
A central topic of the discussion will be the development of Cyprus’s Deep Tech ecosystem and the conditions required for its further growth. The discussion will explore the journey from a research idea to its application and wider exploitation, addressing issues such as intellectual property protection, access to funding, collaboration with industry, technology transfer, and the creation of sustainable Deep Tech initiatives in Cyprus.
As part of the event, Professor Marina Neophytou, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Cyprus, will present the Faculty’s vision and initiatives for connecting research with innovation and entrepreneurship, highlighting its role as a space where scientific knowledge can be transformed into new technological applications and solutions with meaningful impact on society and the economy.
This will be followed by the Fireside Chat ‘Building a Deep Tech Ecosystem in Cyprus’, which will take the discussion from the strategic perspective to practical realities, exploring what is required for a research idea to evolve into an application, technology or new initiative with potential for sustainable growth. The discussion will focus on intellectual property, challenges and barriers, funding, industry connections, and the conditions needed to create and develop sustainable Deep Tech initiatives in Cyprus.
The panel brings together diverse perspectives from academic research, entrepreneurship, investment and innovation, and technology transfer support, with the participation of:
Margarita Chli, Assistant Professor of Robotic Vision, University of Cyprus, and Visiting Professor, ETH Zurich;Charis Christofi, Co-Founder and CEO, Orom AI;Maria Markidou Georgiadou, Director, Cyprus Seeds;Anastasia Constantinou, Head of the Innovation Management Sector, Research and Innovation Support Service, University of Cyprus; andAnixi Antonakoudi, Director of Innovation, The Cyprus Institute.here.
The event is organised by 33East and Plug and Play Cyprus, supported by the Faculty of Engineering, University of Cyprus and Cyprus Seeds, and powered by Cyprus_iT and rpv.global venture fund.