Professor Panos Papanastasiou was an invited speaker at this year’s Cyprus Energy Symposium, delivering a presentation on PHAETHON CoE, the newest Centre of Excellence to be inaugurated in Cyprus that aims to serve as a catalyst for excellence in the energy field, focusing on the development of solutions and applications that can address a wide range of contemporary global energy challenges.
Professor Papanastasiou, of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and of the FOSS Research Centre of the University of Cyprus (UCY), was speaking at the event’s second session on “Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency”. During his presentation, he outlined the PHAETHON CoE’s path towards a world-class autonomous and self-sustained Centre of Excellence, touching upon its diversification of activities, core research themes, and smart energy infrastructure.
It is worth noting that PHAETHON CoE is being established through the eponymous Teaming for Excellence Horizon Europe project, having secured €15 million in funding from the EU, as well as complementary funding in excess of €30 million, signalling in parallel the evolution and upgrade of the FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy. Along with UCY, the other partners in the consortium are the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Cyprus Seeds, the Technical University of Denmark, and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
The landmark event in Cyprus’ energy sector, which was once again jointly organised by the Institute of Energy for SE Europe (IENE) and FMW Financial Media Way, took place on 31 October 2023 at the Royal Hall Hotel in Nicosia. As previously, the Symposium brought together senior government officials, energy professionals, energy company executives, decision-makers, and academics across Cyprus, Greece, SE Europe, and the Middle East, to meaningfully engage with and chart the next steps in the energy future of Cyprus.
The President of the Republic of Cyprus, H.E. Mr. Nicos Christodoulides was this year’s keynote speaker, with welcome addresses delivered, among others, by the President of the House of Representatives, Ms. Annita Demetriou, the Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Theodoros Skylakakis, and the Cyprus Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Mr. George Papanastasiou.
This year’s Energy Symposium was especially topical, given the rapid developments in the regional, European and global energy scene, as a result of the continuing war in Ukraine, the efforts undertaken by the EU to wean itself off natural gas imports from Russia, the latest flare-up in the Middle East, on account of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the broader geopolitical and economic realignments, the global effects of the unfolding energy crisis, as well as the ongoing threats and provocative actions by Turkey in the EEZ of Cyprus.
In this context, Professor Papanastasiou’s presentation of the nascent Centre of Excellence was notable, given PHAETHON’s Research and Innovation focus on intelligent, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions, aligned to the European Green Deal priorities. This remit places PAHETHON CoE at the heart of the energy ecosystem in Cyprus, the region, and worldwide, in the common pursuit to ensure a more sustainable and secure energy future.
