PHAETHON CoE’s Stakeholder Advisory Group Holds First Meeting and lays the groundwork for its critical role going forward
The first meeting of PHAETHON CoE’s Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) took place on 2 May 2025 at the University of Cyprus, chaired by Dr. Venizelos Efthymiou.
The meeting welcomed invited representatives from the public/broader public sector, academia, private sector and civil society, all with a special interest in and activity towards the critical Energy Transition underway, and a unique perspective into serving as part of the Stakeholder Advisory Group.
After welcoming the attendees, Dr. Efthymiou presented the Agenda of what he aptly termed the ‘preparatory’ meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Group and outlined the overall objectives of the Group, which, among others, include:
- Developing a productive dialogue between stakeholders with a special interest in Green Energy issues, as well as identifying areas where cooperation and mutual support could be further developed.
- Ensuring that the Research and Innovation (R&I) portfolio of the Centre reflects the needs, expectations, and interests of local stakeholders, who could be supported by the Center’s activities. This is envisioned as a co-creation process with all stakeholders, to assist in mapping the Centre’s annual R&I programme that will reflect the research and/or technical needs of the state, the economy, industry, and society of Cyprus.
Dr. Kalypso Sepou briefly presented the PHAETHON Centre of Excellence, which represents an upgrade and evolution of the UCY FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy. Dr. Sepou also outlined the objectives and main activities of the Centre, which include research, innovation, education & training, infrastructure upgrade, and services to industry.
The Chair then gave the opportunity to go round the room, with each attendee/ representative from the various bodies introducing themselves and touching upon the unique role they could play both individually and as part of the newly formed SAG.
The overarching aim is for the Group to become a dynamic and creative entity through the active participation of all stakeholders, characterised by a robust exchange of views on pertinent issues that could potentially be addressed and advanced through the activities of PHAETHON CoE.
