Cyprus government approves national artificial intelligence strategy for 2026-2032

The Cypriot Council of Ministers officially approved a new National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI) for 2026-2032, aiming to establish the country as a leading AI hub in the Eastern Mediterranean. Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Nicodemos Damianou, announced that the strategy includes 12 flagship programs designed to increase AI adoption among businesses from 9.3% in 2025 to 75% by 2032. The government targets the development of at least 3,000 specialized AI professionals and projects potential gains of up to 15% in national productivity and 12% in GDP by 2032, provided that necessary investments are implemented.

Key pillars of the initiative include an AI Literacy Framework for schools, a National AI Skills Observatory, and the 'FutureAI CY' initiative for worker retraining. While the government promotes this strategy as a social-liberal approach to competitiveness, the opposition party DISY, led by Annita Demetriou, has criticized the administration for lacking sufficient funding, energy planning, and concrete measures for the digital transition, noting that despite high citizen usage, local businesses currently lag in AI integration. Meanwhile, the Ministers of Education of Cyprus and Greece, Athena Michaelidou and Sofia Zacharaki, emphasized the need to align educational curricula with these technological shifts by fostering critical thinking and labor market relevance.