RESEARCH: UCy to host innovation forum on commercialisation and start-ups

The University of Cyprus is organising the 3rd Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (IEF2017) ‘Research Commercialisation and Innovative start-ups’ which will be held in November and the deadline for applications is Monday, October 9.

This year the C4E/UCY forum is being co-organised in collaboration with The Hellenic Initiative (THI), the MIT Enterprise Forum Greece (MITEF Greece) and PwC Cyprus, in the context of its wider cooperation with the University of Cyprus. The Forum is also supported by the US Embassy in Cyprus.

The purpose of IEF2017 is to showcase promising innovative research and startups incubating in Cyprus or by Cypriots abroad. To this effect, it will bring together Cypriot researchers with world experts and internationally recognised leading minds in innovation, and will provide the opportunity for pitching innovative ideas in front of successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists from the USA and Europe. The forum is a necessary and important step to help us make a case in order to establish a Grant Programme, with financial contribution from members of THI, with the aim to support the commercialisation of innovative research in Cyprus.

Keynote speakers at the forum include Leon Sandler, Executive Director of MIT’s Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, USA; and, Herbert Chen, COO of Tusholdings (TusPark) Co. and Vice Dean of TusPark Research Institute for Innovation, Tsinghua University, China.

The forum will feature panelists and judges from abroad and include successful entrepreneurs investors in startups and innovation leaders such as Marina Hatsopoulos, Director, Levitronix Technologies, USA; Aristos Doxiadis, General Partner, Openfund, Greece; Alexis Pantazis, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Hellas Direct, Greece; Jeremy Downward, Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of Aristeus Asset Management, Cyprus; Vassilis Papakonstantinou, Chairman of MIT Enterprise Forum Greece and Anna Protopapa, CEO, Mersana Therapeutics.
The forum will host three different tracks in order to give the opportunity to startups, university researchers, post docs and students to network and capitalise on the presence of the ‘friendly’ investors from America and Europe.

For information visit www.c4e.org.cy/ief2017