This event is important for the Ministry of Communications and Works for three reasons:

Firstly, its focus: Information systems provide certainly an, effective way to overcome the present economic crisis.

Secondly, its scope: the Mediterranean region is quite diverse and Cyprus as the most eastern EU member state seeks to play a regional role in the area.

Thirdly, its purpose: the dissemination of research will boost economic growth and improve the quality of life of our citizens.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Cyprus, is a small country. But it has the full diversity of needs of a large country; may be at a smaller scale but at equal complexity. These needs must be met with fewer resources than those at the disposal of a large country. Information Systems can play a vital role to face this challenge, as they can serve complex and diverse needs at a cost that is proportional to the scale, not to the complexity. At present, we are taking measures to combat the consequences of the worldwide crisis. This requires skill and innovation, if we are going to be successful without lowering our standard of living.

Information and communications technologies (ICT) can help every business, irrespective of whether they are dealing with technology or not, to become more efficient and thus more competitive. ICT is the major driving force for economic and social modernization. Digital technologies, when integrated in the economic and social fabric of our society, will boost economic growth and productivity, promote innovation and create new jobs and enhance the quality of our lives. They provide new tools that help us deal with various challenges such as climate change, more efficient use of energy, reduction of carbon dioxide and the aging of the population.

That is why the Digital Agenda for Europe (which is the EU digital strategy) is one of the seven flagships of the Europe 2020 strategy and has a central role in achieving its goals, which are high employment levels and productivity, social cohesion, elimination of poverty, high literacy and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

Dear friends,

This Conference could not have taken place at a better time. Realizing the enormous economic and social benefits for all citizens and businesses of Cyprus, that can result from the widespread use of Information and Communications technologies, especially during the present economic crisis; we are finalizing a comprehensive digital strategy for Cyprus. I will not elaborate on our plans, as tomorrow you will hear a more detailed presentation by our Director of the Department of Electronic Communications.

However, I would like to highlight that in this Conference, you will be discussing topics of particular interest to us: notably on the economic and business aspects of information systems, online collaboration, the impact of social media, cloud computing, information security, Green ICT, collaborative medical practices; just to highlight a few.

Therefore, this conference will contribute significantly to the development and diffusion of knowledge on these issues in the Mediterranean region and beyond. It will help all of us use Information Systems as tools for transforming data into knowledge, reducing costs and increasing our efficiency.

Closing, I would like to reiterate that the Government of Cyprus aims to play an active role in the region; hosting Mediterranean-wide events like this one certainly contributes towards achieving this goal. Furthermore, this Conference is of particular importance because its subject matter is relevant for ensuring smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Awaiting for the outcomes of the Conference, I would like to welcome all guests and wish you all every success in this very important event. Before leaving the floor, I would like to encourage our friends coming from overseas to take some time to enjoy Cyprus and especially the surroundings.