Cyprus Unveils €6 Million PHAROS-CY Initiative to Expand National Supercomputing and Healthcare AI
Cyprus Unveils €6 Million PHAROS-CY Initiative to Expand National Supercomputing and Healthcare AI
Cyprus is set to significantly elevate its national technological capabilities with the launch of the €6 million PHAROS-CY initiative. This strategic investment marks a pivotal moment for the island, establishing Cyprus's national AI Factory Antenna and fundamentally expanding access to advanced supercomputing and artificial intelligence resources, particularly within the crucial domain of healthcare.
The PHAROS-CY initiative is designed to anchor domestic tech research by providing unprecedented access to specialist expertise, critical data, and high-performance computing infrastructure. At its core, this project aims to accelerate the development and adoption of trustworthy and high-impact Artificial Intelligence solutions across the nation, positioning Cyprus as a formidable player in the regional AI landscape.
A key component of this initiative is the central role played by the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING). CING has been designated to lead the extensive work on artificial intelligence within the healthcare sector under the PHAROS-CY umbrella. This leadership will be primarily channeled through CING's Bioinformatics Department, leveraging its specialised knowledge to drive innovation in medical AI applications.
The deployment of high-performance computing resources is crucial for the success of PHAROS-CY. As Cyprus’s national AI Factory Antenna, PHAROS-CY is implemented in direct collaboration with the Greek AI Factory “Pharos”. This collaboration is vital, as it grants Cyprus access to shared advanced computing resources, specifically linking into the "DAEDALUS" supercomputing infrastructure hosted at Greece's National Infrastructures for Research and Technology (GRNET). This connection to a powerful supercomputer infrastructure is a game-changer, providing the computational backbone necessary for complex AI research and development projects locally.
By connecting to Greece's Pharos facility, Cyprus is not only securing advanced computing resources but also forging a regional AI innovation corridor within the wider European network. This integration with the broader EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (JU) and AI Factory ecosystem is expected to foster extensive cross-border collaboration, facilitate the co-development of cutting-edge AI services, and contribute significantly to Common European Data Spaces. Such an ecosystem will enable Cypriot researchers and organisations to engage with a larger pool of knowledge and resources, accelerating discovery and application.
PHAROS-CY operates on a one-stop-shop model, which aims to democratise access to AI tools and services. This approach is instrumental in strengthening national capacity, allowing a wider array of researchers and organisations across various sectors to utilise sophisticated AI technologies. The initiative places a strong emphasis on ethical and trustworthy AI, ensuring that all datasets and services developed and deployed comply with EU laws and sector-specific regulations, thereby fostering responsible innovation.
The approval for the AI Factory Antennas call in late 2025 by Cyprus's Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy and the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking set the stage for this ambitious project. With CING's bioinformatics team at the helm of healthcare AI development and robust supercomputing capabilities now within reach, PHAROS-CY is poised to be a transformative force. It will not only enhance Cyprus's scientific and technological research output but also cement its position as a regional leader in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence, particularly in areas like health, culture, language technologies, and sustainability.