The government is modernising institutions, simplifying procedures and building accountability into everyday decision-making, to make Cyprus a country where governance works, business thrives and citizens feel that change is real, said Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Piki, in her opening speech at the Digital Agenda Summit, held on Thursday in Nicosia.
According to Piki, the Digital Agenda Summit has become one of Cyprus’ most vibrant platforms for ideas, for challenging assumptions and for inspiring us to think bigger.
‘When people hear the phrase digital transformation, they often think of technology, apps, algorithms and AI. When I hear it, I mostly think of people. I think of a citizen trying to fill, to renew a licence, of a small business owner filing for a permit and for a young researcher applying for funding. A parent enrolling their child in the school this year for the first time doing it fully online. That’s for me digital transformation. It is a state that is efficient, transparent, fair and delivery driven’, she continued.
‘This kind of change, of course, doesn’t happen by chance. It happens because we have decided as government to reimagine governance for the 21st century, to place people, trust and innovation at the heart of every reform’, she further stressed.
She added that through the newly formulated Secretariat for the Coordination and Support of Government Programme in the Presidency, ‘every reform, every project, every initiative is digitally tracked, measured and connected and it’s also available to all citizens’.
‘Through our digital platform, diakivernisi.gov.cy, anyone can explore what the government programme includes, what has been implemented and what is still in progress and through its special feature, citizens can go one step further, sharing ideas, proposals and feedback directly with the government. This is a simple but powerful tool that turns participation into policy and dialogue into better decisions’, she noted.
2025 is the year of digital transformation, a year dedicated to cutting bureaucracy, boosting competitiveness, and promoting transparency, continued the Deputy Minister, adding that in this effort, under the leadership of the Deputy Ministry for Digital Policy turns President Christodoulides’ vision into action every single day, ‘from cybersecurity, data governance, digital skills, modern infrastructure and seamless public services’.
‘Our collaboration proves that reform and technology are two sides of the same coin. Technology gives reform speed and reforms give technology its purpose’, she added.
Digital transformation is only part of a bigger story, the story of a state that is learning to reform itself, continued Piki, adding that the government is modernising institutions, simplifying procedures and building accountability into everyday decision-making.
‘From the new Business Support Centre, a single point of contact for investors and enterprises, to the tax reform that strengthens transparency and competitiveness. From the fast-track licencing system that delivers building permits in weeks instead of months, to the creation of a dedicated sanctions unit that protects the integrity of our economy. To make Cyprus a country where governance works, business thrives and citizens feel that change is real. Because reform is not a simple action, it’s in the mindset of this government. Of course, digital transformation is not only about systems, it’s also about people’, she pointed out in that regard.
She also referred to the new ‘Minds in Cyprus’ initiative, the government is turning brain drain into brain circulation, inviting Cypriots abroad and international experts to bring their knowledge and creativity home and to build more trust.
She added that Cyprus is increasingly on the radar of global technology leaders, adding that last April, President Christodoulides visited the United States and opened new channels of cooperation with some of the world’s most advanced innovation ecosystems.
‘From New York to Houston and to Silicon Valley, the focus was clear, bringing cutting-edge technology, investment and know-how to Cyprus, while connecting our local talent and research centres with international networks. Because the future isn’t built in isolation. It’s built through collaboration, credibility and trust’, she further stressed.
As Cyprus assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU the 1st of January of 2026, we will help advance Europe’s digital agenda, promoting innovation that serves its citizens, strengthens trust and safeguards human rights, continued the Deputy Minister.
‘Our focus will be on ensuring that Europe’s digital policies move from vision to implementation, that technology works for the people and not the other way around, and that the Union remains open, competitive and secure in the digital age. This is the bridge-building role Cyprus is ready to play. A small island but a stable partner in the region’, she noted.
‘Transformation is about technology, but at its heart, it’s mostly about trust. It’s about proving that the government can change, that public service can be agile and that citizens can once again believe in the world together. Our vision is simple: to prove that when reform is coordinated, transparent and human-centred, even a small state can make a big example. Because at the end, good governance is the best innovation of all’, she concluded.
In his welcome address, former Deputy Minister for Digital Policy and member of the summit’s organizing committee, Kyriakos Kokkinos, said that the summit brings together a lineup of speakers from Cyprus and from around the world, 38 in total, with a record-breaking 1,500 participants registered for the event.
‘The aim of this conference, as every year, is to open up a window to knowledge, put Cyprus on the map of knowledge and curiosity, and share information, but also convert information into knowledge and wisdom. Our approach, as every year, is positivism’, he continued.
‘Cyprus is a place of huge intellectual capital, human capacities and capabilities, and untapped potential. We are classified on the European rankings as a strong innovator, with the technology sector contributing almost 15% of our GDP’, he stressed.
According to Kokkinos, this year’s theme is Beyond AI, a human-centric conversation, not a technology conversation, ‘because the technology is not versus humanity, it’s technology for humanity.”
‘We want to focus on how innovation and technology serves people, not replaces them. We want to talk about smarter innovation, the ethical aspects of AI, how technology creates competitiveness for nations, for Europe. But above all, we want to talk about progress with a clear sense of purpose. We need to redefine or recalibrate our sense of purpose as humans, as Cyprus, as Europe, and this is what exactly this conference is all about’, he further explained.
He added that another important aspect on the agenda of the conference is why and how sciences like arts, humanities, social sciences matter more than ever.
‘This is a time that social sciences are more important than ever because without balancing out the fast pace of technological evolution with the considerations of social sciences and humanities, it would be impossible to cope’, he noted on the matter.
‘We as Cyprus, we need to be proud of our country. We are strong innovators. We have intellectual capital and human capital of immersed value. We are a small country and we can make happen. We just need to think positively. And this is what you will see today, this is the Cyprus that we are proud about’, he concluded.