Press Releases

It gives me great pleasure to address this important event.  I would like to thank you all for your participation and congratulate the Department of Electronic Communications and ESA Team for the great effort put in order to organize such an important event.

Today you will be briefed about the content and procedures of the 3^rd ESA PECS Call. This will enable you to exploit the ECS Agreement as better as possible. The team from ESA, will make a presentation on how you will correctly submit your proposals. They will also meet many of you later, in private meetings.

As you probably know, during the first and second ESA PECS Call, a very large number of proposals were submitted. This clearly shows that, despite the small size of Cyprus, there is a great potential and capacity regarding Space Technologies and Applications. The First Call contracts are already signed and the negotiations regarding the successful proposals of the 2^nd Call are in progress and the relevant contracts will be signed soon.

Space technologies are of strategic importance for economic growth, social prosperity and cohesion, protection of the environment, enhancement of public security and civil defense, and for the promotion of excellency in science, research and innovation. In this framework, space stretches the innovative skills of scientists and engineers and inspires young people to develop their skills and to push forward the frontiers of scientific knowledge.

Cyprus realized the tremendous benefits that the space sector can bring upon its economy and people and decided to invest in space.  In this context, we have proceeded with the organization and development of the appropriate necessary structures and procedures aiming in an active participation in the European Space Policy.  My presence here is indicative of the importance we attribute to space sector’s potential and to our relations with ESA.  The clear message that we received from the 1^st and 2^nd PECS Call, encourages us and prepares the path for the coming years.  

Towards this direction, Cyprus has recently become a member of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful uses of Outer space (known as COPUOS), a member of the organization EURISY, and also a member of the MOU on Satellite Monitoring within CEPT.  In the meantime, we increased the subscription to ESA to enable the funding of more proposals and we started working on the preparation of the National Space Strategy.  The feasibility study, which will be presented to you today, will contribute immensely to the formulation of this strategy.

It is now your turn to demonstrate the real strength of the Cypriot space stakeholders through the successful implementation of the 3^rd PECS Call for which we are expecting increased participation and the best possible results. 

In conclusion, I would like to thank the ESA team for being here with us and wish everyone a fruitful and productive meeting.

( DC )