Nicosia: An Outcomes and Insights Report on Cyprus' agrifood ecosystem has laid out a roadmap for bolstering innovation while addressing the challenges the sector faces. The report, which was the focal point of discussions at the inaugural EIT Food Cyprus Stakeholder Activation Event, was organized by SocialTech Lab in its capacity as EIT Food Country Representative Cyprus and a member of the EIT Community Hub Cyprus. EIT Food is backed by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an EU body.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the event took place on May 25 at the CYENS Centre of Excellence in Nicosia. SocialTech Lab revealed in a press release that participants engaged in roundtable discussions and collaborative workshops focusing on four strategic areas: innovation and digital transformation, access to funding and investment, sustainability and circular economy, and collaboration and ecosystem coordination. The event aimed to strengthen connections within Cyprus' agrifood ecosystem and integrate it more closely with EIT Food's broader European innovation network.
"The discussions have now been brought together in a newly published Outcomes and Insights Report, which captures the ecosystem's collective perspectives and identifies priority actions for future development. The report provides a practical roadmap for strengthening innovation capacity, supporting entrepreneurship, and building a more connected, resilient, and sustainable agrifood ecosystem in Cyprus," the press release stated.
The report highlighted several critical challenges identified by stakeholders, including ecosystem fragmentation, barriers to innovation adoption, limited commercialization pathways, funding complexity, climate and resource pressures, and an ageing farming population. However, it also pointed out the strong belief in Cyprus' potential to become a regional hub for agrifood innovation, leveraging its strategic location, research excellence, entrepreneurial talent, and growing commitment to sustainability.
The report outlines practical opportunities for future action, such as expanding living labs and demonstration farms, accelerating research-to-market collaboration, supporting technology adoption, advancing regenerative agriculture and circular economy solutions, improving access to funding, and enhancing coordination across the ecosystem. "Across every discussion, one message emerged consistently: Cyprus already possesses many of the ingredients for success, but achieving meaningful impact will require stronger collaboration and coordinated action across sectors," it noted.
As the first structured consultation of Cyprus' agrifood ecosystem since SocialTech Lab's appointment as EIT Food Country Representative Cyprus, the report establishes an important baseline for future ecosystem development. The outcomes are already shaping the next phase of ecosystem-building, with SocialTech Lab currently executing the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) Grow programme and preparing its Ground2Scale (G2S) flagship event to re-convene agrifood stakeholders while supporting agrifood startups through training and mentoring.
SocialTech Lab invites relevant stakeholders to explore the findings and contribute to the ongoing dialogue as Cyprus continues to enhance its role within Europe's agrifood innovation landscape.