1091 attendees at the Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit 2022

Source: Kathimerini Cyprus

The fifth Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit was a resounding success. On Monday, October 17, 1091 delegates attended the conference, filling the Nicosia Municipal Theatre to capacity despite the continuous rain. Twenty-one speakers from various countries presented and discussed a wide range of topics including technology, energy, the new workplace, cryptocurrencies, personal data security, and the country's digitalization.

Kyriakos Kokkinos, Deputy Minister of Innovation, kicked off the conference by outlining the government's digital transformation actions and plans.

Commission Vice-President Margrethe Verstager praised the country for its progress in digitizing the state and encouraging innovation in a message to the conference.

The CEO of Cyta, Andreas Neocleous, addressed the necessary connection between the physical world and the digital one as well as how people interact with it in a very fascinating presentation. To cheers from the audience, he also declared that Cyta had been named the fastest mobile network in Europe for the second year in a row.

Jeremy White discussed the origins of the digital revolution and its evolution to date, as well as what we can expect from the use of AI in daily life and business in the near future.

Ken Segall, one of the most influential advertising figures of the twenty-first century, welcomed attendees into the inner sanctum of one of the world's most secretive and successful companies, Apple. He shared his experiences working with Steve Jobs' genius and revealed the naming processes of the iMac, iPhone, and iPad while delving into the complexities of corporate and communication simplicity.

Elena Meli walked us through the inspiration behind the Bank of Cyprus's digital platform J!nius, as well as its implications and benefits for the digitization of our country's economic and business life.

In her speech, EU Innovation Commissioner Mariya Gabriel outlined new EU programs to encourage innovation and invited young Cypriots to participate.

Marjan Van Aubel, a designer and innovator, presented the great innovations her company is bringing to the market with stylish solar energy absorption cells made of sustainable materials. The presentation of one-millimeter-thick cells that can be applied to windows, tables, and even coffee cups made an impression. Priority should be given, she said, to the development of highly aesthetic cells made of sustainable materials that can be incorporated into the building materials of homes and offices.

The "mysterious" @punk6529, who has half a million followers on Twitter, appeared as an Avatar on the conference screens and explained to the attendees what NFTs and the metaverse are in a cryptic voice.

Maria Terzi, of the successful and Silicon Valley VC-funded Cypriot startup "Malloc," exposed the security flaws in our mobile phones in front of the audience, citing specific examples and data and proposing solutions beyond GDPR.

Joao Adao brought his experiences from his time as General Manager South America at Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp). He shared the company's management secrets and suggested modern business success codes.

Antonis Polemitis and Kyriakos Kokkinos discussed Cyprus's growth prospects as a base for technology companies, highlighting the country's progress and the role of TechIsland in this effort.

Finally, the three main candidates for the presidency of the republic had a fruitful discussion with Dimitris Lottidis, the founder of the conference and CEO of the organizer Sppmedia Ltd, about the country's digitization, the timeframes that must be set, the opportunity of solar energy, and the modernization of our education.

It should be noted that, in addition to business executives, students, and professors from Cyprus, the conference this year drew attendees from Greece and Israel.

The Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit became a reality thanks to the long-standing support of Cyta and J!NIUS, the new platform of the Bank of Cyprus.

Also supported by Deloitte, Tech Island, and BMW Char. Pilakoutas, LLPO Law Firm.

Aegean is the official carrier.

The conference's institutional partners are: the University of Nicosia, European University, the Cyprus Institute of Neurology And Genetics, Frederick University, CYENS, Libertex, and Bet on Alpha. 

[This article was translated from its Greek original]