The Fourth Industrial Revolution has been discussed and debated extensively over the last decade. Last year the Cyprus Parliament organized an event to address the impact the fourth Industrial Revolution would bring to education, health, labor, and the quality of life of citizens around the globe. In a follow-up event held on June 14, 2018, a similar event was held addressing practical recommendations and actions that need to be taken with regards to the challenges and opportunities arising as a result of the revolution.

Round-table discussion with the Chair of the Cyprus Parliament, experts, policy-makers and academics.

In both events, the international think tank CARDET was asked to present its views, related projects, and participate in round-table discussions on the impact of new technologies on education and the labor market. Members of the parliament, policy-makers, experts, academics, NGOS, and other stakeholders participated in the conversations.

Ms. Anna Diamantopoulou, President of the Network for Reform in Greece and Europe (http://todiktio.eu) stated at the opening remarks that Cyprus could set a new vision (Megali Idea) to be a leader in the region on digital technologies and related services.  She cited as an example Estonia, which can serve as a good case study of a small EU country which achieved remarkable things in the area. Through strong political will, Estonians managed to become an exemplar of e-governance and digital citizenship.

The discussions highlighted several opportunities and challenges of using digital technologies across several sectors including education, health, culture, business and industry. Cyprus has made some progress the last decades. However, strong political will and real investment is needed to lead the country to new levels of digital transformation.