Cyprus, revered by the world as the “Playground of the Gods”, is undeniably beautiful. Situated in the midst of three continents, Cyprus has an inescapable charm from its humble waves, unbroken sunshine, and pleasant winds. Where some may see Cyprus as paradise on Earth, I see it as the perfect environment to experiment with and develop integrated green technology.
We started the day by traveling to the Limassol port, where we had presentations and tours with P&O, DP World, and Eurogate. These three companies have all received concessions from the Cyprus government to invest in and develop the new port to boost Cyprus’s economy. During DP World’s presentation is when I first was introduced to the concept of public-private partnership. This was an interesting concept to me because it represented an avenue for governments to collaborate with industry to address the citizen’s needs when they lacked the resources to do so themselves. As such, the commercialization of the ports in Cyprus under strict regulations has the potential to revolutionize the shipping and maritime industry. What I found the most interesting about the assignment of concessions was that it limited any overlap between the companies because each one focuses on a different aspect. On the surface level, this may seem beneficial because the companies will not try to undermine each other’s efforts and not duplicate the same processes. However, it forces me to consider whether heathy competition could be beneficial for pushing innovative thinking.
After the tours and presentations, we went to lunch on a ship docked in the Old Port area in Limassol. The lunch was sponsored by the government, so after everyone ate, we received a presentation from them on their efforts to make the shipping and port industry more green and sustainable. Their plan is to harness Cyprus’s natural resources to meet the EU’s recommendation for reducing 55% of net carbon emissions by 2030 . Their biggest plan to accomplish this goal is to construct a new “green” port in Western Cyprus. Although we did not get the chance to delve into this deeper, I am interested in learning more about how they plan on upgrading their preexisting ports, especially those under concessions. From a socio-political perspective it would be interesting if they mandated the companies to develop certain green infrastructure prior to the end of their leasing period.
On a side note, I was really impressed by Cyprus’s efforts to help in humanitarian crisis with hosting and transporting refugees from Ukraine, Lebanon, and other countries requiring military aid. This is evidence of how developing industry can simultaneously help a country develop a more prominent role in the international sphere of influence.