10/10/2024 08:47
Digital transformation is a change that will make our lives easier, more efficient and more transparent, President Nikos Christodoulides, said on Wednesday, adding that the government's vision is "very ambitious" but also possible.
President Christodoulides was addressing the Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit, which takes place in Nicosia.
Noting that 23% of the national Resilience and Recovery Plan is dedicated to achieving the goals of digital transformation, he said that full digitization will enable the electronic submission of all applications, thereby eliminating time-consuming bureaucracy, increasing productivity, enhancing Cyprus' competitiveness and saving valuable time for all involved.
At the same time, he said, it will offer immediate access to information on the status of any applications, enhancing both transparency and accountability in dealing with the public and acting as a key tool to fight corruption.
"The government's vision for the digitisation of Cyprus is very ambitious, but I am sure that it is a possible one. We have an excellent Deputy Minister of Innovation who is doing an excellent job," he underlined.
The main pursuit and primary goal, he added, is to leverage technology, making the state friendlier to both citizens and businesses.
Referring to the European Digital Decade Report, which was published in September 2024, the President of the Republic said that it presents a very positive image of Cyprus with significant progress towards the realisation of the goals that have been set.
Among other things, as he said, in the report, Cyprus shows an increase in the indicators of development of Gigabit connectivity infrastructure, specific IT and communication technologies in the labour market, as well as coverage of very high capacity VHCN networks.
In the field of digitisation of government services, our country has improved by 16.3%, a rate significantly higher than the European average of 3.1%, he underlined.
This percentage, he continued, reflects the growing number of digital services offered to both citizens and businesses in Cyprus. President Christodoulides said last June Cyprus introduced ten new digital services, while in the near future it will simplify procedures and improve citizen-state interaction by launching the integrated gov.cy platform, which will act as the central hub for all government websites and digital public services.
The President of the Republic noted that in the next few weeks the Government will present the "Digital Citizen" app, which will allow the storage of documents in digital form (in the first phase) for the identity card, driver's license and MOT certificate and with gradual expansion of more functions and services.
Cyprus, he added, is one of the few EU member states (along with Malta and the Netherlands) to have already achieved 100% coverage on 5G mobile networks, achieving the European 2030 target seven years ahead of schedule.
President Christodoulides noted that the Government gives priority to digital literacy, digital access, with appropriate support systems especially for the elderly and those living in rural areas.
"Last month we successfully completed the first national cyber security exercise, marking an important milestone in strengthening our nation's preparedness against ever-increasing cyber threats," he said.
Furthermore, he pointed out that Cyprus has already taken important steps in building a strong digital economy with a strong research and innovation ecosystem.
"Our country is rapidly becoming a regional hub of technology and innovation, significantly meeting the needs of businesses and organizations that wish to expand their activities, leveraging technology," he added.
Today, he said, Cyprus is home to 12 universities, nine research centers and seven Centers of Excellence, "which are the foundations of a rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem".
He also added that there are over 500 startups, 2,500 researchers and 4,000 entrepreneurs, who contribute to the evolution of Cyprus as a technology hub which is increasingly recognised internationally.
The President said that this year Cyprus ranked 27th among 133 countries in the Global Innovation Index, with the designation as a 'Strong Innovator' for the third consecutive year in the European Innovation Index.
These achievements are not only a tangible proof of the progress our country has achieved, but at the same time they prove the enormous possibilities and prospects that exist, he pointed out.
"However, for us, for our government, it is clear that there is still significant work to be done to strengthen the link between research and industry" he stressed.
President Christodoulides said that the field of Information Technology and Communications is a key driving force of our economic development, as it now contributes more than 10% of GDP.
He also said he was proud for the fact that several large multinational technology companies are now operating in Cyprus, adding that "many of these organisations are actively involved in our effort to further expand and upgrade the technology sector."
The government, he continued, has substantially strengthened, upgraded and modernised the Strategy for attracting investments and talents to Cyprus and referred to the "Vision 2035" Strategy, which aspires to turn Cyprus into one of the best places in the world to live, work and do business, with a special emphasis on the green and digital transition. In this context, he said, 23% of the national Resilience and Recovery Plan is dedicated to achieving the goals of Cyprus' digital transformation.
Our goal is to strengthen the competitiveness of Cyprus, he pointed out, saying that this goal goes through the digital transformation of the country, with an emphasis on e-government .
In order, he added, to be able to meet the demands of a rapidly digitizing world, we are modernizing the technological infrastructure of the public sector, improving connectivity across the island with fast internet and further utilizing our country's talented human resources, especially in technology sector.
"The digital transition is about ensuring a future where Cyprus will remain competitive, innovative and ready to face the challenges ahead", he concluded.