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French
model has attracted thousands of jobs and transformed theregion.
CYPRUS could
well be on its way to building the first Technology Park on the island by
next year, Commerce Minister George Lillikas said yesterday.
Speaking at a seminar on the creation of a technology park in Cyprus,
Lillikas said the next step was to prepare the necessary studies before
giving the final go-ahead within 2005. The results would be huge for the
region, the economy and employment, said the minister.
The seminar was attended by the French Riviera Chamber of Commerce and
Industry and representatives of the Sofia Antipolis Technology Park in Nice.
The government hopes to attract interest from the Middle East and
Mediterranean Europe so the park could play an important role for the whole
region and not just Cyprus, said Lillikas.
“Cyprus has no other choice but to follow the path of research and new
technology, since traditional industry is facing serious problems of
competition, especially with Asian prices,” he said.
Yesterday’s seminar was attended by representatives of the public and
private sector and was the first of three phases for the creation of a
Technology Park on the island.
The aim is to identify the characteristics of the park, the type of
technology, its location, and the players involved in its creation and
administration.
The next phase is the completion of a feasibility study by early 2005, after
which the Cabinet would give the go-ahead for the final phase of finding
investment, designing and building the park.
The minister said research and development was a top government priority,
including the creation of infrastructure to attract research centres.
As a result, the government is collaborating with the Chamber of Nice and
the Technology Park Sofia Antipolis, which is to be considered the most
successful model in Europe.
Infrastructure costs (roads, telecommunications, electricity) will be borne
by the public sector while the remainder will be covered by the private
sector or local authorities.
The benefits to the economy would be enormous, added Lillikas. “Take an
area like Nice, which depended mainly on tourism. Today, 60 per cent of its
development and economic revenue comes from the technology park there,” he
noted.
“Within the park, 27,000 jobs were created and many more outside the park
to service its needs.”
Who will run the park will depend on the discussion held after the
feasibility study, the minister said.
He highlighted the government’s aim to spend one per cent of GDP on
research within the next few years, to contribute towards the minimum EU
requirement of three per cent. The remainder is expected to be covered by
the private sector.
President of the French Riviera Chamber, Francis Perugini, said Cyprus had a
bright future with the creation of a technology park.
The Nice park is the biggest in Europe and the first in technology in
France, he said, adding that it had contributed greatly to the economic and
social life of the region.
The French Riviera is today “the most dynamic and upgraded” region in
Europe, he noted.
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