Α Memorandum of Understanding in the field of digital transformation between the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Austria was signed on Thursday at the Presidential Palace, by the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos, and Andreas Reichhardt on behalf of Austria's Federal Ministry of Finance.

On a practical level, the memorandum is taking shape since, with the advice of Austrian experts and their know-how, a new upgraded system will be developed that will allow the Social Insurance Services to offer faster and more efficient service to citizens. The signing ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Labor and Social Insurance, Kyriakos Koushios, as well as the Austrian ambassador, Dorothea Auer.

Kokkinos stated that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Austria establishes a close cooperation towards the national road maps for the digital transformation of the two countries. He added that digital transformation is a high priority on the EU agenda, as it is a key pillar for fueling competitiveness and social prosperity at national and EU level. Kokkinos added that this is also reflected on the Resilience & Recovery Plan as well as on Europe’s Digital Decade 2030 roadmap, and collaboration between Member States -sharing knowledge, expertise and solutions- is a key enabler of digital transformation.

He further stated that collaboration with EU ally countries like Austria, open up a new era of opportunities for both countries, enabling and facilitating the development and deployment of digital technologies across government and industry, while optimizing Member State’s individual innovation capacity, vital component for a fast recovery that leads to a greener, more inclusive, sustainable economy, and a stronger, more resilient European society.

In his speech, Koushios expressed his satisfaction with the signing of the memorandum and the first cooperation concerning the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance and in particular the upgrading of the information system of the Social Insurance Services. Undoubtedly, said Kousios, we will greatly benefit from the know-how, knowledge and advice of the Austrian experts to develop a new upgraded system that will allow the Social Insurance Services to offer a faster, more accurate and more efficient service, responding to the needs of citizens while minimizing fraud and errors.

Andreas Reichhardt, stated that he is pleased that this Memorandum already foresees concrete potential cooperation areas such as Austrian support for the Cypriot reform of the Social Insurance System, as well as the digitization of the pension process insurance.