i-Days Nicosia 2025 – A Two-Day Celebration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Health Sector
The innovative EIT Health i-Days Nicosia 2025 programme was enthusiastically held at the Cleopatra Hotel, Nicosia, hosting young people with a vision to change the future of health through technology and entrepreneurship. The programme is organised by Junior Achievement Cyprus with the support of EIT Health and the Research and Innovation Foundation, offering unique learning and development opportunities for young participants. The purpose of the two-day event was for students to think about and present their innovative ideas in the field of health.
The first day, dedicated to presentations and discussions, began with introductions by Petros Kallenos, Program Coordinator of JA Cyprus, Antigoni Komodiki, CEO of JA Cyprus and Marilena Paraskeva, Head of Sponsorship Programs of the Research and Innovation Foundation. This was followed by two interesting discussions by experts in the field: on “Challenges in the Health Sector” where Dr. Pavlos Costeas, Director of the Karaiskakio Foundation and Poly Gregora on behalf of the Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations participated. The interesting discussion continued on”How Innovation Can Show the Way to the Future”, with Fabio Sperandei, President of Novartis Cyprus and Malta, Dr. Maria Terzi, Co-founder and CEO of Malloc, Marilena Paraskeva, Head of Sponsorship Programs of the Research and Innovation Foundation and Kyriakos Fialogiannos, Investment Advisor at Gravity Ventures Incubator. The day moved on with workshops where 83 participants developed entrepreneurial and innovation skills.
On the second day, the program culminated with the final presentations of the business proposals in front of a committee of experts and investors, which consisted of, Dr. Styliani Petroudi, Head of Department at the CYENS Center of Excellence, Maria Ioannou, Head of Investor Relations and Business Development at Kinisis Ventures, Elena Georgiou Strouthou, Co-Founder & CTO of Cocoon Creations, Dr. Anastasia Konstantinidou, Medical Oncologist, Dr. Daina Nicolaou, Academic at the Department of Management of the University of Cyprus and Dr. Paul Costeas, Director of the Karaiskakio Foundation. The event culminated in the awarding of the “Best Idea in Healthcare Sector” Award.
The winning team of i-Days Nicosia 2025 “Lumi“, proposes a smart sensor that helps detect leaks postoperatively, after operations on the gastrointestinal system. It is a smart, reusable clip-on sensor that uses LED technology to monitor drain outflow in real time, alerting medical staff at the first sign of danger. What started as the tragedy of one patient grew into an innovation aimed at saving many others.
The Lumi team, consisting of: Abdullah Ayesh, Elyaa Saleh, Jessica AL-Rabadi and Yasmeen Yousef, from the University of Nicosia and they will represent Cyprus at the i-Days 2025 European competition, at the end of November in Paris, France.
All teams are expected to continue their journey in the JA StartUp programme and claim their participation in the Pan-European Gen-E Competition that will take place next Summer in Latvia.
The i-Days programme offers young people a unique opportunity to develop as leaders and innovators in the field of health. Upon completion of the program, participants gain knowledge and skills ranging from data analysis and prevention to psychological support and palliative care, while also having access to guidance from professionals and high-level educational materials.
The CEO of Junior Achievement Cyprus, Antigoni Komodiki, said: “In 2021 we made an effort to connect healthcare with innovation, fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration that will inspire young people to innovate, wherever they work, whatever path they take. Today, 83 young men and women are trying to find solutions to real health challenges. Looking back, I feel proud of what we have achieved: Last year, the 1st place in Europe! In total, within five years, about 300 young people were trained through the program. The change in mentality comes and comes through the new generation. We trust the future to them. A big thank you to all those who are part of this course and of course to our partners who support this vision.”
The program is supported by partner organizations: Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Cocoon Creations, CYENS Centre of Excellence, Cyprus Federation of Patient Associations (OSAK), Cyprus Society of Oncology, Cyprus Seeds, Gravity Ventures, Idea Innovation Centre, Karaiskakio Foundation, Kinisis Ventures and Department of Business Administration and Public Administration – University of Cyprus.
Junior Achievement Cyprus is a member of the global Non-Profit Organization JA Worldwide and specializes in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and labor market education. More information can be found on www.jacyprus.org website
For questions or more information, you can contact us at petros.kallenos@jacyprus.org.
