The research and business community of Cyprus will now have at its disposal resources approaching € 100 million for the promotion of the research, technology, development and innovation sector, through the multiannual program "RESTART 2016-2020" presented on Wednesday by the Promotion Foundation Research (RPF).
A significant part of the programs focuses on the fields of energy, tourism, construction, transport - shipping, health, agriculture, food, environment, information and communications and general technologies.
The program, which comes after a long period of time without invitations to tender, aims to highlight the field of research, technological development and innovation as one of the key players in the country's economic recovery. As stated in his speech during the presentation the Chairman of the Board of RPF George Georgiou, the program wants to connect the system of research, technological development and innovation of Cyprus with the productive base of the economy, in areas where the country has a comparative advantage, with expected consequently the more active participation of private sector actors and the increase of new jobs.
He added that the planning of the programs is based on the results of the study of the smart specialization strategy in Cyprus and are funded by the EU structural programs. He also said that the RPF proceeded to the preparation of the programs by implementing participatory planning and holding public consultations with stakeholders.
Welcoming the event, the Deputy Minister to the President, Konstantinos Petridis, stated that the Government shares the vision of the RESTART 2016-2020 Programs and the goal of highlighting the Research, Technological Development and Innovation sector as one of the key factors in the country's economic recovery. .
Noting that public spending on research and innovation does not automatically create innovation and is not enough to create a growth perspective, he added that for that to happen, an integrated policy and ecosystem framework must be created that will lead to more efficient use. of all available funds, in the promotion of investments in research and innovation but also in the utilization of the domestic research potential to the maximum possible extent.
The Government, he said, is trying to give special importance to the creation of this ecosystem, to the promotion of integrated policies through legislation, procedures and institutional framework that will be friendly and will promote research and development. A big leap in this direction, he said, is the preparation and implementation of the policy statement for strengthening the business ecosystem in Cyprus, which sets clear policy directions for the cultivation of business culture, the promotion of entrepreneurship and emphasizes the strengthening of business innovation. .
As an example, the Minister cited the legislation for the provision of tax incentives for investments related to innovation and for start-ups that are currently in Parliament. He also referred to the new investment law for rapid licensing based on investment in research and innovation. He also mentioned the importance of linking education with entrepreneurship and innovation from the high school level, as well as linking research with business, so that research results create added value in the real economy.
During the presentation of the philosophy and the basic design principles of the RESTART 2016-2020 programs, the General Manager of RPF Vassilis Tsakalos stated that RPF has introduced substantial structural changes in terms of regulations and participation procedures and supportive implementation tools, making the participation of the research community more modern and substantial. The goal, he said, is to focus more on the object and the result of the funded projects.
For the first time, the participation of the interested parties will take place through the new Electronic Services Portal of the RPF "IRIS". The IRIS portal provides an Electronic Help desk and provides useful documents and guides.
The event also presented the first six calls for proposals of the Programs: "Integrated Projects", "Business Research", "Doctor", "Supplementary Sponsorship", "Encouraging Project Coordination in Horizon 2020" and "Horizon 2020 Deut ». In the coming months, the announcement of the Calls for Proposals of twelve other Programs is expected.
Source: KYPE