Demetris Skourides is the Chief Scientist of the Republic of Cyprus and Chairman of Research Innovation Foundation Cyprus, appointed in 2023 to lead the country’s strategy in research, innovation, technology, and artificial intelligence.

He chairs both the National AI Taskforce and the Board of the Research and Innovation Foundation and represents Cyprus in leading European and global networks on technology policy. Since taking office, Skourides has prioritized industry engagement, holding over 1,100 meetings to map Cyprus’s AI adoption landscape.

He actively connects research centres and startups with industry, facilitating proof-of-concept collaborations and guiding policy around digital infrastructure, AI, and emerging technologies.

He has accelerated Cyprus’s internationalization, playing a key role in securing MoUs with Japan, Israel, and the UAE, and initiating strategic partnerships with Singapore, the USA, and India. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from Arizona State University and an MBA from Henley Management College, with additional executive training at Columbia, Stanford, MIT, and Harvard. With over 17 years at Oracle and later AWS, he led multi-partner cloud transformation programmes and industry-specific AI strategies across EMEA and APAC.

Skourides is committed to positioning Cyprus as a regional hub for AI innovation, startup growth, and technology leadership.