Silver Award for Cyprus at GEN-E 2025
2nd Place in Europe for the Cyprus Student startup Peellastic
Cyprus was once again dynamically “present” at the European youth entrepreneurship stage. The Junior Achievement Cyprus delegation travelled to Athens and impressed the audience, with two teams that not only dared to dream, but also managed to stand out among hundreds of young entrepreneurs from all over the continent. For this reason, Cyprus returns from GEN-E 2025 with two important European awards, consolidating our position on the European innovation map.
At GEN-E 2025, the largest youth entrepreneurship festival in Europe, thousands of students presented ideas that respond to today’s challenges and pave the way for tomorrow. Among them, the Cypriot teams Peellastic and MedschoolPal, proved that innovation has a Cypriot signature.
The Peellastic team won the 2nd place in Europe in the Innovation of the Year category (Upper Secondary Level) as well as the TITAN Future Horizons Signature Award. With an idea that turns organic waste and potato peels into bioplastic, Peellastic, the student company of Agios Georgios Lyceum Larnaca, proved that the circular economy can start from the classroom and reach the European awards.
MedschoolPal, the student startup from the University of Nicosia, presented an original application that brings education and health closer together, earning praise for its creativity and usability.
This year’s edition of GEN-E 2025 also brought another important distinction for Cyprus: The Junior & Senior School was awarded by JA Europe as one of the ten best entrepreneurial schools in Europe, receiving the honorary title of “Entrepreneurial School of the Year 2025”. For eleven consecutive years, the school has consistently implemented the entrepreneurship and innovation programmes of Junior Achievement Cyprus, inspiring and supporting its students to develop entrepreneurial thinking and creativity.
The students spoke of an experience full of emotions, which they described in three words: experiences, enthusiasm and pride. As they mentioned, they had the opportunity to meet new people, learn a lot and live a unique moment, which they hope other young people will be able to experience in the future.
The Cypriot delegation was supported by people and institutions who believe in the power of the new generation: the Chairwoman of JA Cyprus and Director of the PwC Foundation, Konstantina Logotheti, the Director of the Research and Innovation Foundation, Theodoros Loukaidis, the Inspector of the Ministry of Education, Janet Kalakouti Hadjiiosif, the Deputy Executive Director of Youth Board of Cyprus, Maria Miltiadou, teachers, mentors, students and the JA Cyprus team, who supported the new participants with their presence and knowledge.
Cyprus’ participation in GEN-E 2025 was made possible thanks to the support of the partners: PwC Cyprus, MetLife Cyprus, Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry, Research and Innovation Foundation and Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth.
The journey of the Cypriot teams to GEN-E was an invaluable experience, full of knowledge, new challenges, creative exchanges and friendships that will last forever. You can see more moments from this year’s event through the hashtags #GEN_E.
JA Cyprus is a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the largest global non-profit organization specializing in educating young people in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and employability skills.
For more information visit www.jacyprus.org website or contact info@jacyprus.org
