It was with a great pleasure and honour for the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute to participate at the RINA Future Direction, Reception and Networking Event, and for Mr. Siokouros, CEO of the Institute, to present the first Pyrgotelis Zoitos award sponsored by CMMI.  It is an award that acknowledges outstanding contribution towards the advancement of Marine Technology and its very name denotes its association to this field. Pyrgotelis Zoitos was a naval architect, known to us through a 3^rd century BC inscription preserved at the Temple of Paphian Aphrodite at Kouklia in Cyprus. The inscription reads ‘King Ptolemy honoured Pyrgotelis, the son of Zoitos, for he designed the thirtireme and the twentireme and also surveyed their construction’. In this way, Ptolemy II Philadelphos (King of Egypt, 284-246 BC) expressed his appreciation and respect to Pyrgotelis Zoitos for designing and surveying the construction of naval ships with 30 and 20 oars.

Recipient of this year’s award is Mr. Ashok Kumar and the award is a celebration of Mr. Kumar’s contribution to the Marine Technology illustrated eloquently in his article co-authored with Mr. Vijayakumar and Mr. Subramanian ‘Numerical Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis for a Flexible Marine Propeller Using Co-Simulation Method ’published at RINA’s International Journal of Maritime Engineering in 2021.

RINA was founded in 1860 in London to ” advance the art and science of ship design ” today the Royal Institution of Naval Architects is a world renowned and highly respected international professional institution and learned society whose members are involved at all levels in the design, construction, maintenance and operation of all marine vessels and structures. The Institution has members in over ninety countries, and is widely represented in industry, universities and colleges, and maritime organizations worldwide.

The award is a replica of a Cypriot copper ingot. Copper ingots were produced in Cyprus and exported during the Late Bronze Age (1650-1050 BC), securing the island a dominant position in the long-distance metal trade of the East Mediterranean, as testified by archaeological finds located both, on land and underwater, in the region. The gift also bears the Pyrgotelis Zoitos inscription a trademark of the long history of shipbuilding.

CMMI’s aspiration is to establish the Pyrgotelis Zoitos award a biennial tradition that will encourage involvement and celebrate exceptional achievements in the field.

This falls and is perfectly aligned with the Institute’s mission which is “to attract, develop and retain the workforce of the Blue Economy” and the remarkable story of the Cypriot Naval Architect Pyrgotelis Zoitos can inspire young Cypriots to follow professions linked to the Sea; and at the same time promote worldwide the rich Maritime Heritage of Cyprus.