From derelict food market to futuristic Centre of Excellence: inside a Cyprus success story

Euronews · Julian GOMEZ · 2026-10-30 14:00 UTC

It is housed in what once was a derelict food market building. It is now a thriving regional hub for immersive technologies. Its urban regeneration project has been shortlisted as one of the EU´s top social cohesion projects. An ongoing metamorphosis… made in Europe.

It is housed in what once was a derelict food market building. It is now a thriving regional hub for immersive technologies. Its urban regeneration project has been shortlisted as one of the EU´s top social cohesion projects. An ongoing metamorphosis… made in Europe.

At the very heart of Nicosia, the capital of the Republic of Cyprus, lies a Centre of Excellence (CYENS) specialising in interactive media, smart systems and emerging technologies.

Partially funded by the EU, CYENS employs around 110 people — mostly researchers, developers and technicians — across multidisciplinary research groups, affiliated start-ups and spin-offs. They work across more than 50 projects, mostly European, but also through local, national and industry grants.

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