Kyriacos Themistocleous

External Affairs and Business Development Director, ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence

Areas of Expertise

Earth Observation, Remote Sensing, Geographical Information Systems, Business Development, Business Model Development, Financial Analysis, Support for Start-Ups

Bio

Dr. Kyriacos Themistocleous is a leading expert in Earth observation, remote sensing, and space-based environmental monitoring with more than 20 years of interdisciplinary experience in research, academic teaching, policy advising, and strategic development. He currently serves as the Director of External Affairs and Business Development at the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence, where he also leads the prestigious H2020 EXCELSIOR project—a flagship EU initiative to establish a Centre of Excellence in Cyprus dedicated to Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment.

Dr. Themistocleous has been appointed by the Government of Cyprus as the National Representative to multiple high-level European committees under the Copernicus Programme, including the Copernicus Committee, User Forum, the Cultural Heritage Task Force, and as a representative in the Copernicus Relay Network and Copernicus Academy. His leadership extends further as a member of the Leadership Committee of the EU Framework Partnership Agreement on Copernicus User Uptake. He also serves as the National Contact Point for the Strategic Research Agenda on the evolution of Copernicus Security Services. He is also the appointed expert to the ICIP Committee (Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites) under ICOMOS, reflecting his commitment to integrating technology with heritage preservation.

According to the reputable ScholarGPS platform, Dr. Themistocleous ranks among the top 25 scientists globally in the field of cultural heritage and is included in Stanford University’s list of the world’s top 2% of scientists. He received the ETEK Engineering Award in 2020 for his pioneering research on monitoring marine plastic pollution, underscoring his contributions to both engineering and environmental science. Based on standardized global citation indicators, he was recognized among the top 24 most-cited researchers at the Cyprus University of Technology in both 2021 and 2022.

Dr. Themistocleous has taught at several academic institutions, including the University of Cyprus, Neapolis University, Frederick University, and Cyprus College, sharing his expertise with students across disciplines. As a Senior Researcher and Special Scientist at the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), he has played a key role in numerous European-funded programs, such as HORIZON EUROPE, H2020, FP7, LIFE+, INTERREG, ERASMUS+, and ESA-PECS, as well as various national research initiatives. His research interests include Earth observation, GIS, urban planning, life-cycle cost analysis, sustainable architecture, and environmental monitoring. He has authored more than 350 scientific publications, including peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings, with over 3,400 citations. He regularly serves as an editor, reviewer, and conference chair for international scientific journals and symposia.

Dr. Themistocleous has also held numerous advisory and leadership roles, including:

Member of the General Council and Executive Council of the Technical Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK)
Advisor to the Parallel House of Representatives on Environment, Ecology, and Health
Member of the National Committee for Marine Spatial Planning
Member of the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee of the Department of Environment
Advisor to the Deputy Ministry of Research and Innovation on the Technical Committee for the European Green Deal
Member of the Aesthetic Control Committee for Limassol’s Urban Planning Department
President of the Cyprus Remote Sensing Society
Treasurer of ICOMOS Cyprus

Affiliate organization

Eratosthenes is a new, autonomous, and self-sustained Centre of Excellence of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) and it has been established through the ‘EXCELSIOR’, H2020 Widespread Teaming Phase 2 project. The newly established centre has been created as a result of upgrading the existing Remote Sensing and Geo-Environment Lab, which has been operating within the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics of the Cyprus University of Technology since 2007. The vision of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence is to become a world-class Digital Innovation Hub for Earth Observation, space technology and Geospatial Information and to be the reference Centre in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa. The Digital Innovation Hub will create an ecosystem which combines state-of-the-art remote sensing, data management and processing technologies, cutting – edge research opportunities, targeted education services and promotion of entrepreneurship. In order to be dynamic and innovative, the Digital Innovation Hub will be based on two major infrastructures, which are a Satellite Ground Receiving Station and a Ground-based atmospheric remote sensing station. ERATOSTHENES Centre of excellence is paving the way for Cyprus to enter the space arena.

Kyriacos Themistocleous