Cyprus plans to become a regional space center

The Republic of Cyprus plans to become a regional space center. This was announced by the Minister of Research and Innovation, Nikodemos Damianou, at a two-day conference on geoinformation and remote sensing in Paphos.

According to the minister, the RSCY2024 conference on space technologies offers scientists and policymakers new ways to transform the world.

The minister stated that Cyprus will soon become a significant player in the field of space technology.

"By aspiring to be part of the development of space technology, Cyprus has taken a number of steps at the political, regulatory, and business levels, paying particular attention to satellite communication, Earth observation, and space navigation," said the minister.

He added that Cyprus formulated a national space strategy in 2023 and developed national legislation to regulate space activities.

"We are also working closely with the Ministry of Defense to explore the opportunities arising from the new European space security and defense strategy," the minister said.

Nikodemos Damianou also added that the country has made progress in satellite communication, including the creation of gateways and ground satellite stations for major European operators, as well as four satellites in orbit using Cypriot developments.

Moreover, Cyprus is one of the four European countries where a ground receiving station is located, deployed as part of the Galileo EU search and rescue service for detecting and determining the location of emergency radio beacons, he noted.

To further strengthen local capabilities, the state intends to improve relations with the European Space Agency (ESA), with which it has concluded a new agreement with annual investments of 3 million euros.

Additionally, the Ministry of Research and Innovation is working on establishing a space business incubation center and a local space cluster, while supporting Cyprus's participation in ESA programs and offering access to funding through the Research and Innovation Fund.