Continuing on with our series exploring innovative tech hubs globally, we take a look at what the tech scene in Nicosia, Cyprus has to offer

Cyprus is famous for a lot of different things: its excellent wines, beautiful beaches, impressive scuba diving, a lively nightlife, and of course, delicious halloumi cheese, which was first made on the island during the Mediaeval Byzantine period.

That spirit of innovation lives on. Cyprus is far more than just a (very popular) tourist hotspot in the Mediterranean. Right now, the island is slowly transforming into a powerful tech force thanks to favourable government policies, a highly educated workforce, and cost-effective services.

Right at the heart of this tech revolution is the capital city of Nicosia. The last divided capital city in Europe, the city split in December 1967 following a constitutional crisis. Nicosia was divided into Turkish and Greek quarters and ever since then, Turkish Cypriots have been living in the north of the island, with Greek Cypriots residing to the south.

Nicosia is landlocked right in the centre of Cyprus, but what it lacks in beaches, it more than makes up for in beautiful architecture, lively cafes and a thriving tech scene.

Cutting edge

Since 2015, the Municipality of Nicosia has aimed to transform the city centre into a cutting-edge district of knowledge, research, and innovation. As a result, various projects such as the Creative Industry Quarter and CYENS — an ICT Centre of Excellence in Research and Innovation have thrived. Now, companies including Amdocs, Wargaming, Bolt, Thomson Reuters and Etoro all have presences here.

It’s not really surprising that tech workers are flocking to Nicosia and Cyprus in their droves, with its warm season lasting around eight months, and its annual average temperature being approximately 24°C on the coast. According to reports, Cyprus received 119 per cent more workers from outside the country from January-April 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.

Mobile internet quality here is high, and the island has established a digital nomad visa scheme too, allowing nationals from non-EU and non-EEA countries to temporarily live and work in Cyprus.

So, if you’re thinking about making a move to sunnier climes, read on to see the most prosperous areas of tech for talent.

ICT

Cyprus, and Nicosia specifically, has seen an increasing number of ICT companies setting up regional headquarters in the area. A lot of this is down to the strong local talent pool, and of course, access to the wider EU workforce.

The Cypriot government also has a comprehensive incentives package for ICT companies relocating to Cyprus, which includes tax incentives, intellectual Property Box Regime, and the adoption of Business Facilitation Unit.

A key employer here is Microsoft, with the company boasting offices all over the world. Naturally, one of those locations is right in the heart of Nicosia. Working at Microsoft comes with a whole host of perks including flexible working options, education assistance, healthcare benefits, and generous annual leave. You can find out more about career progression at Microsoft here.

Professional services

Professional services isn’t solely a tech sector, but as the world changes and evolves, tech is essentially becoming part of every single career and business. In a nutshell, professional services refers to any business who provides a service rather than creating a manufactured product. Many professional services companies such as Accenture are now creating domain expertise in areas such as AI and cyber security, for example.

Another big name in the sector is Grant Thornton. One of the world’s leading organisations of independent audit, tax, and advisory firms, this huge multinational has two offices in Nicosia. One of the best things about a career with Grant Thornton is the opportunity to work on cross-border projects internationally. Employees also get the chance to experience another country and culture through global secondments. You can check out its available roles worldwide here.

Software

Computer software is a rapidly growing sector in Cyprus. There are many reasons why top international software companies are setting up bases in Nicosia in particular and one is the abundance of top developers.

The universities in Cyprus provide excellent Bachelor and Master’s programmes in computer sciences. The location is also the perfect geographic base for many software companies from the USA, Europe, Russia and Australia because of its proximity to Europe and the Middle East. The business-friendly environment of Cyprus is attractive for international software companies and there are certain visa incentives for non-EU software specialists also on offer.

Fortune 500 company Oracle, for example, has a location here. Oracle makes a multi-model relational database management system as well as cloud applications, analytics and AI products, and has an office right in the centre of Nicosia.

Since 2008, the company’s total employee number has grown substantially, increasing from 84,000 to 138,000. If you would like to join its growing team, keep an eye out for job opportunities.

Explore jobs across Europe and beyond on the Information Age Job Board today.

Pippa Hardy is a content creator and writer for Amply by Jobbio. She’s a work-from-home enthusiast who loves all things travel and tech. When she’s not writing up her next article, she’s usually hiking or spending a whole afternoon on Pinterest.

Related:

A guide to working in the Eindhoven tech scene — Exploring what the tech scene in Eindhoven, The Netherlands has to offer.

A guide to working in the Copenhagen tech scene — Taking a look at what the tech scene in Denmark’s capital city brings to the tech recruitment table.