Cyprus-Forum.com

[Paphitis]

Progress for Cyprus on EU scoreboard

Cyprus fared well on the European Innovation Scoreboard

FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE 19.JUN.09

President Demetris Christofias said yesterday that Cyprus, along with Finland, Ireland and Bulgaria, has recorded the highest progress among the EU member states.

Christofias cited "initiatives the government has been taking over the past years" as the reason for the island's increased success on the European Innovation Scoreboard for 2008,

He added that Cyprus' performance reached 0.471, slightly below the EU27 average of 0.475, and the country is now ranking 12th.

In a speech at a ceremony for the Cyprus Innovation Award, which was read out by Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides, the president said that innovation has proven to be a decisive factor for business competitiveness, economic growth and social welfare in countries promoting research, creativity and technological advancement.

He added that the government has planned a series of initiatives and measures with an aim to upgrade the institutional framework for the promotion of research and innovation, and has also decided to maintain the increased funds for research, as well as the utilisation of EU structural funds. - (KYPE)

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It looks like our little nation is fast becoming a good example for innovation within the EU...

In the midst of economic doom and gloom some nations such as Cyprus have been setting new benchmarks in innovation, and showing many other EU nations exactly how it is done.

So what are some of the island's more recent innovations?

[JimB]

Being able to flush toilet paper????

Got to hand it to the President's PR department - very impressive how you can turn a relative negative into a positive.

'Cyprus's performance reached 0.471, below the average of 0.475'

As Cyprus 'has recorded the highest progress' to reach this slightly below average ranking it would be safe to assume that these figures just prove that Cyprus was substantially behind in the initiatives scores in previous years?

What has the government been doing all this time ???

[Piratis]

Jim, some others countries have been exploiting foreign people and lands for centuries, something which allowed them to develop long time ago. This also allowed them to create the infrastructure for research and development. UK for example has Universities that are many centuries old.

Cyprus was a poor colony and only gained independence 50 years ago. That was followed by an invasion that made 1/3rd of the population refugees and took from Cypriots 1/3rd of their land and over 50% of their natural resources.

Therefore the progress we make is indeed the important issue here. The fact that Cyprus is 12th out of the 27 EU countries is good enough already, and the fact that we have the highest progress means that we will do even better in the future.

[JimB]

Jim, some others countries have been exploiting foreign people and lands for centuries, something which allowed them to develop long time ago. This also allowed them to create the infrastructure for research and development. UK for example has Universities that are many centuries old.

Cyprus was a poor colony and only gained independence 50 years ago. That was followed by an invasion that made 1/3rd of the population refugees and took from Cypriots 1/3rd of their land and over 50% of their natural resources.

Therefore the progress we make is indeed the important issue here. The fact that Cyprus is 12th out of the 27 EU countries is good enough already, and the fact that we have the highest progress means that we will do even better in the future.

Agreed - always worth questioning the official 'take' on things though and reading between the lines. Lies, damn lies and statistics etc. etc.

Whilst some may settle for mediocrity I'm sure the estimated 10,000+ Cypriot students currently studying at those ill gotten English Universities will persist in their pursuit of excellence and innovation.

Just have to hope that they don't exploit the situation and decide to stay off the island.