More than 20 major Cypriot companies and organisations actively participated in the latest event in London. The initiative is being implemented under the coordination of the Presidency.
More than 750 Cypriot professionals from around the world have registered on the “Minds in Cyprus” platform, while employers in Cyprus have posted over 400 specialised job vacancies, Eirini Georgalla, Director of the Office of the Deputy Minister to the President, said on Thursday.
Presenting the initiative’s progress at the Annual World Conference of the Cypriot Diaspora, Georgalla said that, within a year, ‘Minds in Cyprus’ had evolved from a strategic announcement into a policy producing tangible results, strengthening the connection between the diaspora and Cyprus’s economy, labour market and development.
She said that, since the initiative was launched, more than 300 questions, proposals and suggestions had also been submitted by members of the Cypriot diaspora.
The initiative, announced by the President of the Republic in London in May 2025, is being jointly implemented by the relevant ministries, Invest Cyprus and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, under the coordination of the Presidency.
According to Georgalla, its aim is to reconnect the international experience and expertise of Cypriots living abroad with Cyprus’s new development model, which is based on knowledge, openness to the world and the creation of high added value.
“Attracting and reconnecting talent requires consistency, continuity and, above all, national credibility,” she said, noting that Cyprus operates in an environment marked by geopolitical tensions, rapid technological developments driven by artificial intelligence and intense international competition for skilled professionals.
Talent, she added, is attracted not only by economic growth, but also by trust, stable rules and a clear sense of direction.
Georgalla said the information technology, communications and digital economy sector contributes around 14% of GDP, while Cyprus’s research and innovation ecosystem consists of 12 universities and more than 15 research institutes and centres of excellence.
At the same time, she said, professional, financial and technological services are being continuously upgraded, creating new opportunities for specialised professionals.
Referring to the career-day mission held in London last May, she said participation had exceeded all expectations, attracting hundreds of Cypriot professionals working in the United Kingdom.
More than 20 major Cypriot companies and organisations actively participated in the event, giving those attending the opportunity to make direct professional contacts and explore specific employment opportunities.
She stressed that the invitation to the diaspora is not based solely on emotion or ties to their homeland, but also on genuine and credible career prospects. She clarified that the initiative is not aimed exclusively at those considering returning to Cyprus, but at the Cypriot diaspora as a whole.
For those wishing to return, the aim is to provide meaningful employment and relocation options. For those who choose to remain abroad, the initiative seeks to create opportunities for networking, collaboration and participation in Cyprus’s economic and development trajectory.
Georgalla also referred to the introduction of a targeted tax incentive for returnees, which she described as one of the initiative’s main tools.
A new international image for Cyprus
In her presentation, Georgalla also referred to efforts to strengthen Cyprus’s modern international image, noting that greater international engagement and closer links with the diaspora are key government priorities.
She said the Cypriot diaspora is an integral part of the country’s international presence and helps amplify Cyprus’s voice through its contribution to business, academia, research, public life and culture.
“We do not regard you simply as participants, but as essential partners,” she said, adding that a country’s credibility in the international arena is built to a large extent through its people.
She also referred to the new framework for the image Cyprus seeks to project, which was presented earlier this month and aims to shape a common and coherent narrative for the country.
According to Georgalla, this narrative is based on the concept of “stability with prospects” and presents Cyprus as a European hub with a global outlook.
Stability, she explained, reflects the country’s institutional credibility, its membership of the European Union and the euro area, its predictable legal and regulatory framework and the resilience of its economy.
Prospects, she added, refer to building a modern, competitive and resilient economy, with an emphasis on reforms, technology, innovation and investment in human capital.
The ultimate aim, she concluded, is to present Cyprus as a safe and ambitious country where talent and quality of life can coexist, and which can offer a reliable choice for work, study, investment and long-term residence.
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Source: CNA
