Wednesday was our first company visit of the trip, in which we visited the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institution in Larnaca. They are a non-profit that opened in 2019, with a focus on research and technological development. Their mission statement was “To be driven by the needs of the industry and society”, and the vision statement was to “Drive sustainable Blue Growth”.

The business is done through nine centers which are split into three divisions. The first division is focused on the marine technology produced and used by the institution, including the robotics and engineering that goes into their production. The next division included biology, oceanography, and other related sciences they incorporate. Finally, they have a few centers that are based on social sciences and cultural heritage. The overall employee base is 44 people, with 13 being administrators and 31 scientists. Right now, it seemed as if the company was still in early stages of production, as many of their projects focused on maritime safety were still in a prototype phase. Most of the money they were bringing in came from the funding they have received from the European Union and Republic of Cyprus since they opened or project proposals being accepted. Much of the presentation was centered around the research they conduct and future plans. The three main areas of research include reducing carbon footprint in the ocean, protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, and building a digital knowledge system of the sea. With the last focus, they have survey boats in the works that they hope give more insight of the sea through film. This would lead to saving sea animals and giving more knowledge to wind and wave patterns for humans. Furthermore, the institution plans on opening a school through a nearby university that offers and education and training of maritime sciences. Overall, the CMMI is still a young organization, making it difficult to truly asses how well the business may succeed.

After the company visit, we spent a few hours exploring Larnaca and eating lunch before getting tours of two nearby churches. We learned of how Lazarus, a former friend of Jesus who fled to Cyprus, was buried under one of the cathedrals. We also were informed of the importance of gold as a decoration in the Christian Church. On the ride in between the two churches, we passed by Larnaca’s Salt Lake and the Hala Sultan Tekke, which is one of the Islam religion’s most holy places. Both churches were very beautiful and full of history. Tomorrow we go to Wargaming in Nicosia, which I think will be my favorite visit of the trip!