In a crowded Eleftherias Square was held for the 16th year by the Research and Innovation Foundation
On the evening of September 30th, 2022, science, research and innovation shone in the biggest celebration of its kind, the European Researchers' Night, which took place at Eleftherias Square in Nicosia!
After two years of forced online organization, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, thousands of visitors – including 2,500 students – saw, learned and experimented together with dozens of scientists at more than 60 kiosks and activities set up for the event organized by the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF). The event was under the auspices of the President of the Cyprus Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades.
As it is known, European Researchers' Night is an initiative of the European Commission and is organized simultaneously in more than 350 cities across Europe. In Cyprus, the event was organized in collaboration with the main actors from the research and innovation ecosystem, offering an exciting experience to young and old.
Throughout this year's event, the public had the opportunity to be introduced to the world of science and inventions, discoveries and advanced technology by researchers from the academic and business community of Cyprus. Visitors also enjoyed a rich entertainment spectacle on stage, which included, among other things, awards, an artistic program as well as comic improvisation inspired by science!
The 16th European Researchers' Night had as its slogan "Mission Inspire" and the central theme was "European Missions", the emblematic actions of the EU to find solutions to some of the greatest challenges of Europe and the planet, such as, among others, the treatment and prevention of cancer, climate change and the cleanliness of the oceans and waters.
In his address to the ceremonial part of the event, the Chief Scientist, Dr. Nikolas P. Mastrogiannopoulos, stood on the huge improvement that Cyprus has achieved in recent years in the fields of research and innovation, recalling the recent announcement of the results of the European Innovation Scoreboard based on which Cyprus is in tenth place, presenting the greatest progress among all the Member States of the European Union, and rightfully now belongs to the category of strong innovators in Europe. Mr. Mastrogiannopoulos also stressed that "today we lay the foundations, we invest in the student youth and with the experiences of our dozens of scientists, we are building a brighter future for the society of tomorrow".
On his part, the General Director of RIF, Mr. Theodoros Loukaidis, noted that the student competitions organized by the Foundation during the year and in the context of the event "achieve the involvement of young people in the field of STEAM through experiential experiences, which allow the familiarization of the young generation with the fields of science, innovation and research. Considering the participations, I can confidently say that the picture of how we see the Cyprus of tomorrow is absolutely encouraging."
The awards
As part of the event, awards were held for researchers from Cyprus funded by the European Research Council, under the "Excellent Science" Pillar of Horizon 2020, the European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation 2014-2020. Also, the winners of the RIF student competitions for the communication of science, Science Unfold, were awarded for the writing of a short story for the creation of an eBook that was given as a digital commemorative gift to the visitors of the event and for the development and presentation of an innovative product, service or process by student teams INNOVA Challenge.
