According to a press release on the website of the Sustainable Energy Laboratory of the Cyprus University of Technology, Climate-KIC is one of the 5 Knowledge and Innovation Communities of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which includes well known European universities, multinational corporations, professional institutions and local authorities.

The process for access to the Climate-KIC RIS programme was competitive and the Cyprus application was highly ranked, securing 1 of the 6 placements available to new regions, amongst more than 50 expressions of interest. The other 5 successful applications were by consortia from Malta, Bulgaria, Portugal, Serbia and Latvia.

Mike Cherrett, Director – External Partnerships, Climate-KIC, said that an active involvement at a regional level is key to ensuring that Europe continues to lead the way in climate change development. “The five new consortia to join our scheme will help us build on the success of our first EIT RIS pilot and further strengthen our network of partners across Europe,” he said.

The Cyprus consortium aims to promote green innovation in Cyprus and beyond, spanning from Greece to the Middle East and North Africa region. This will be achieved through targeted actions in postgraduate and professional education, clean-tech innovation and acceleration of green startups.

Chrysalis LEAP has been working with Climate KIC since 2014, being the national partner for ClimateLaunchpad in Cyprus and Greece, the largest entrepreneurship competition in the world. Furthermore, CUT will be organising the Climathon this October, a hackathon taking place simultaneously in over 100 cities, aiming to solve local challenges attributed to Climate Change.

The Cyprus consortium was supported by the Deputy Minister of the Presidency, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism the Mayor of Limassol, the Cyprus Union of Communities, the Limassol Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the European Enterprise Network in Cyprus, the US Embassy, the UK High Commission, the Former EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and EIT Member of the Board of Governors Prof. Elpida Keravnou.

Source: InCyprus