15/05/2026

PHAETHON CoE and ESG Perform Global Announce Strategic Research & Education Partnership

ESGperform_PHAETHON_MainImage_2000x1550px

The PHAETHON Centre of Excellence (CoE) is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ESG Perform Global Ltd (ESGPG), establishing a strategic research and education partnership focused on ESG performance, sustainability data, and digital infrastructure innovation within a European context.

The agreement was formally signed on 7 May 2026 during the course of the 2026 Cyprus Diaspora Forum, bringing together representatives from PHAETHON CoE, ESG Perform Global, and the Office of the Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Cyprus. The signing also took place in the presence of Mr. Marios Tannousis, CEO of Invest Cyprus.

The full media release follows below.

FORGING THE DIGITAL GATEWAY: ESG PERFORM GLOBAL AND PHAETHON CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP TO SECURE EU SUSTAINABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE

NICOSIA, CYPRUS – 14 May 2026 – ESG Perform Global Ltd (ESGPG) and the PHAETHON Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the University of Cyprus officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 7 May 2026, establishing a high-level strategic research and education partnership to explore and develop research-driven approaches to ESG performance and sustainability data within a European context. The agreement marks a critical step in positioning Cyprus as an emerging technological hub supporting the development of a European ‘Gateway’ for sustainability and digital infrastructure initiatives.

The Memorandum of Understanding establishes a framework for collaborative research, knowledge exchange, and potential pathways for applied research and innovation between the two organisations. This initiative forms part of broader national efforts led by the Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology of Cyprus, Mr. Demetris Skourides, whose office played a catalytic role in convening the partnership and connecting Cyprus-based research excellence with international industry, thereby advancing Cyprus’ position as a regional and European hub for digital, sustainability, and innovation partnerships.

Mr. Demetris Skourides, Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Cyprus, noted:

“In less than 8 months since my visit to the Cypriot Diaspora and the Australian ecosystem, we have shown that Cyprus is not only large in Innovation and Research, but also passionate to partner in ways that Create and Capture value. The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding between PHAETHON Centre of Excellence and ESG Perform Australia is more than an institutional agreement. It is a signal of where Cyprus is heading: outward-looking, innovation-driven, and ready to turn global partnerships into economic value. This MoU creates a bridge of minds between Cyprus and Australia connecting our researchers, our innovators, our workforce, our diaspora, and our international partners around one shared purpose: to transform knowledge into opportunity.

“It opens new pathways for Cyprus in ESG, climate technologies, energy transition, applied research, and digital innovation. It can support new pilots, commercialisation opportunities, skills development, workforce engagement, and international market access for Cypriot talent and companies. It also creates a meaningful platform for Cypriots of the diaspora to contribute not only with pride, but with expertise, networks, investment, and real economic impact.

“I would like to warmly thank Mr. James Demetriou, a distinguished Greek Cypriot of the Australian diaspora and holder of the Order of Australia Medal, and Prof. George Georghiou, a distinguished Greek Cypriot academic, for their leadership and commitment to strengthening the Cyprus–Australia innovation bridge, with focus on bringing together the two research ecosystems and focusing in commercialisation.

“Nations that are smaller can compete by building on their strengths to make up for their smaller size. Agility, Adaptability, Partnership and Excellence can become game-changers as smaller nations get stronger. This MoU confirms that Cyprus is not only a place where Great Minds Reunite, it is a place where Great Minds can develop and grow together preparing for a more dynamic technologically driven future.”

The collaboration reflects this vision, bringing together academic research excellence and applied ESG infrastructure development. The partnership fuses the “Samson Logic”—35 years of validated academic research—with PHAETHON CoE’s world-class expertise in distributed systems and advanced data analytics. Together, the parties will engage in joint research projects to address ESG practices within Cyprus and the broader EU market. One of the initial research projects will identify ‘best practices’ in the uptake of efficient and sustainable energy solutions across commerce, government and industry, with the aim of improving environmental performance.

Professor Danny Samson, Co-Founder of ESG Perform Global, commented:

“Our mission is to provide the research that evaluates and measures the ESG practices to the ‘Gateways’ for EU institutions, bankers, and insurers to validate and de-risk their economic ecosystems. Fusing 35 years of strategic research with PHAETHON’s engineering excellence allows us to create research on an ‘Audit-Grade’ digital platform for the 50,000+ EU firms facing the 2026 CSRD/CSDDD mandates. This partnership ensures that our ESG platform is not just a reporting tool, but a high-speed engine of institutional intelligence. This will explicitly include analysis of best practices in moving forward with the efficient and sustainable energy solutions developed within and around the PHAETHON Centre of Excellence. Acceleration of sustainable technologies will result.”

Professor George E. Georghiou, CEO of the PHAETHON Centre of Excellence, added:

“As a leading research institution and Centre of Excellence across the EU, PHAETHON is committed to delivering efficient and sustainable energy and environmental outcomes. This collaboration with ESG Perform Global enables us to apply PHAETHON’s expertise in distributed systems and advanced data analytics to ESG practices and sustainable energy systems, supporting evidence-based approaches to the energy transition in Cyprus and across Europe.”

About ESG Perform Global (ESGPG)

ESG Perform Global is a PolicyTech infrastructure provider specialized in ESG solutions, including evaluation and performance improvement of environmental practices and outcomes. Built on a Salesforce OEM platform, ESGPG utilizes a proprietary 1,000-point algorithm to provide institutional-level ESG validation and strategic roadmaps for government agencies, corporations, bankers, and insurers.

About PHAETHON Centre of Excellence (CoE)

Based at the University of Cyprus, PHAETHON is a premier research institution and Centre of Excellence specialising in intelligent, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions, distributed systems, and advanced data analytics. PHAETHON CoE serves as a hub for scientific, educational, and industrial collaboration across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA region).