Dorita Yiannakou
For the second consecutive year, the government is seeking to build ties with the U.S. market and connect with Cypriots living and working there through a series of meetings with international investors, business organizations, and members of the Cypriot diaspora.
President Nikos Christodoulides will lead the business mission, joined by officials and representatives of the Cypriot business community. The aim is to attract investment, showcase opportunities in Cyprus, and establish contacts that could lead to new partnerships and investments.
The aim is to build a network connecting Cypriots with one another, as well as with businesses and organizations in Cyprus.
According to informed sources who spoke to Kathimerini, the trip, planned for late November, is about more than attracting capital or encouraging professionals to return home. Its main focus is to draw on the international experience, specialist skills, and expertise of Cypriots abroad, creating opportunities to share knowledge, develop professional partnerships, and pursue new business ventures.
The delegation will begin its visit in New York, where Christodoulides will attend a Financial Times conference. The city will also host, for the first time, an outreach event for Cypriots abroad under the Minds in Cyprus initiative.
The initial aim is to connect skilled professionals with Cypriot businesses, bringing expertise and talent into new collaborations. At a later stage, the initiative seeks to improve the prospects for skilled professionals to return to Cyprus.
The U.S. investment campaign may extend to other states to develop ties with business organizations. However, those meetings have yet to be finalized, as the itinerary is still taking shape.
What is different this year
This year’s U.S. investment campaign will go beyond meetings with corporate giants aimed at laying the groundwork for investment in Cyprus.
Invest Cyprus and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, known as KEVE, both among the mission’s organizers, told Kathimerini that last year’s visit laid the foundations for partnerships and investment between Cyprus and the United States in the technology sector.
Some of those meetings have already produced results, with companies visited by the delegation subsequently establishing operations in Cyprus.
However, the organizations involved say the U.S. market requires a consistent presence and sustained follow-up to make the most of existing opportunities and attract further investment. According to information obtained by Kathimerini, there are prospects for partnerships with companies in both technology and the wider financial sector.
Alongside investment, this year’s visit will see the government and business organizations seek to strengthen connections among Cypriots working abroad and open new avenues for cooperation with Cyprus.
The first stop in New York, centered on the Financial Times conference, will provide opportunities for meetings with major investment and business groups. There will also be follow-up meetings with companies such as Amazon and Google, which the delegation met last year, as well as other major organizations.
This year, meetings are planned in both New York and Boston with companies operating in technology, investment, finance, and infrastructure.
The aim is to highlight the opportunities Cyprus offers through the attractive investment environment it has developed and its geographical position, which can provide businesses with a gateway to other markets.
As part of the effort to attract Cypriot talent back to the island, numerous Cypriot businesses will participate through KEVE. They will hold one-to-one meetings with members of the diaspora to discuss specific job opportunities that may suit them.
At the Minds in Cyprus event, participating businesses will have company booths where interested professionals can meet their representatives and arrange individual discussions.
A dedicated website has also been set up to list vacancies at each company taking part in the mission. This will allow interested candidates to review opportunities beforehand and approach the companies offering positions that interest them.
The role of Cyprus Catalyst
Cyprus Catalyst, an association established in March, will also play an important role in the president’s efforts to connect Cypriots abroad with Cyprus.
The community brings together Cypriot entrepreneurs and scientists working in the U.S. technology sector, connecting professionals across technology, science and innovation.
The same effort includes plans to work with the London-based community, 'Cypriots in the City', strengthening contacts and opportunities for cooperation between Cypriots working abroad and the Cypriot economy.
The initiative is not limited to attracting professionals who wish to return to Cyprus. It also seeks to draw on the international experience, specialist skills and expertise of Cypriots abroad, creating opportunities for knowledge sharing, professional partnerships and new business ventures.
Activities will develop gradually as conditions allow, with the central aim of building lasting channels of communication and cooperation between the Cypriot diaspora and Cyprus.
