Nicosia: The ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence recently hosted Mohammed Saif Helal Mohammed AlShehhi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Cyprus, marking the beginning of a dialogue aimed at establishing a sustainable and mutually beneficial collaboration between the ERATOSTHENES Centre and UAE government, authorities, and private organizations.
According to Cyprus News Agency, discussions centered on Cyprus’ strategic geographic position, the forthcoming Cyprus EU presidency, and the Centre’s expertise in Earth Observation, Remote Sensing, and Geoinformatics. The meeting emphasized ERATOSTHENES’ advanced services and platforms, such as the PRECiRRI platform for smart agriculture, the NADIRISK system for natural disaster risk assessment, and the soon-to-be-operational Satellite Data Acquisition Station (sDAS). These technologies collectively support data-driven decision-making for climate and societal resilience, environmental monitoring, and sustainable development.
The meeting also explored educational and training programs for space technology applications, the newly launched space business incubator Space BIC, and mutual actions in technology and innovation. Professor Diofantos Hadjimitsis, Managing Director of the ERATOSTHENES Centre, expressed confidence in building a meaningful collaboration with the UAE to address regional challenges and promote innovation in space and Earth observation technologies.
The meeting laid the groundwork for a long-term partnership, with additional meetings planned in the coming months to further develop the collaboration framework and co-develop initiatives that will benefit both countries through knowledge exchange and innovation.