The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics (CING) has established itself in the country and beyond, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday.
Laying the foundation stone of the new CING building, he said that the project is financed by the European Investment Bank with the support of the Republic.
Christodoulides praised the high-level research and innovation accomplished by the institute, saying its actions upgrade the health services provided to the public.
“The institute is investing to establish itself as an international centre of excellence and a regional reference hub,” the president said.
“CING plays an essential role in providing high-level research, specialised medical services and post-graduate education, and possesses unique laboratory facilities, and therefore has been evaluated and accepted as a player in European reference networks,” Christodoulides added.
The president noted that in 2022 the deputy ministry of research allocated €6.8 mln to the institute and the ministry of health €4.3 mln, saying that funding will continue in the coming years. According to the finance ministry, the total cost projected for CING is €23 mln.
“The new building will serve all citizens and will offer new perspectives in research and health,” European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides, who also attended the event, wrote in a post on Twitter.
President of the institute’s board of directors Yiannis Matsis said that the new extension will host a state-of-the-art centre, covering an area of 11,651 square meters, which includes research and diagnostic laboratories, teaching areas, offices, as well as an outdoor amphitheatre with a capacity of 600 seats.
Meanwhile, Leonidas Phylactou, the institute’s chief executive medical director, said the latest investment will create jobs, significantly increase research output, and contribute to securing new partnerships and attracting graduate students.