The KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence (KIOS CoE) at the University of Cyprus was awarded the “Cyprus Innovation Award 2019” in the Public Sector category, for its novel software platform “Swifttag”, from the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB).
For 13th consecutive years, OEB recognizes and rewards the most innovative and successfully-implemented products, services, ideas, and practices within Cypriot businesses, organizations and services. Within this framework, the KIOS CoE participated in the OEB competition by presenting the “Swifttag” software platform.
“Swifttag” is an innovative software platform developed at the KIOS CoE to automate the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (i.e., drones) in emergency response missions. Specifically, researchers designed, developed, and implemented efficient and robust search and rescue algorithms in order to enhance the situational awareness capabilities of the first responders in the field. The “Swifttag” platform was tested in emergency response exercises both in Cyprus and abroad, and was used in real emergency incidents by the Cyprus Civil Defense.
The KIOS CoE aspires to the use of this software platform by first response operators at a national and international level, as it will bring multiple operational as well as strategic safety and socio-economic benefits. These include the reduction of the risk of loss of life, as well as the decrease of the cost of damage to property and critical infrastructures.
The award ceremony for the “Cyprus Innovation Awards 2019” took place on Thursday, December 12th 2019, at the Hilton Park Hotel, during which the awards were presented by the President of the House of Representatives, Mr. Demetris Syllouris. The event was co-organized by the Cyprus Employers & Industrialists Federation and by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, with the support of the Cyprus Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry, and Tourism. During the ceremony, a video describing the innovative technologies developed at the KIOS CoE was presented (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61vhFT1IzOs).
On behalf of the KIOS CoE, Research Assistant Professor Dr. Panayiotis Kolios received the award, underlining that the “Swifttag” software platform is the outcome of the excellent research activity undertaken at the Center on the specific topic for the last several years. He concluded by thanking all members of the research team for their efforts and teamwork and acknowledged the emphasis placed by the KIOS CoE on transforming the excellent research conducted at the Center to innovative tools for the benefit of established organizations and the society as a whole.
The “Cyprus Innovation Award 2019” provides additional motivation to the KIOS CoE to further promote innovation and to contribute to the evolution of Cyprus towards a regional research and innovation hub.
