Paris, France. Cyprus’ participation at Eurosatory 2026 in Paris highlighted the country’s effort to develop its defence industry from a small research-led sector into a more outward-looking part of the economy, officials said. Representatives said Cypriot companies showcased defence and technology products that compared strongly with similar products from abroad.
Cyprus pavilion at major defence event
The exhibition, held in Paris last week, is one of the world’s largest defence and security events, bringing together companies, governments, armed forces and industry bodies from across the sector.
Cyprus’ national pavilion brought together companies active in defence, security, space, telecommunications, energy and related technologies, as the government seeks to strengthen the sector’s international reach.
Officials outline significance of participation
Speaking on CyBC’s daytime show ‘Apo Mera se Mera’, deputy secretary general of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) Andreas Andreou said Cypriot companies had presented defence and technology products that “have nothing to envy” from similar products abroad.
Andreou said the participation was important for three reasons. First, he said Cypriot companies made a strong impression with products that demonstrated the sector’s progress. Second, he referred to close cooperation between the private sector, the Ministry of Defence, Keve and industry associations.
Cooperation agreements signed
Third, Andreou said the exhibition gave Cyprus the opportunity to sign two institutional memoranda of cooperation with foreign associations, one in France and one in the United Kingdom, covering defence, aerospace and related sectors.
He said these agreements could help Cyprus move “to the next level of cooperation and extroversion”.
Sector development and foreign interest
The comments come as Cyprus is seeking to build a more structured defence industry, moving beyond research projects and into products that can be tested, certified and sold abroad.
Andreou said the sector had changed significantly from its early days, when only a few companies were active around research, defence, space and security. He said the cluster now includes around 30 to 35 companies, covering areas from energy and telecommunications to armaments.
He also said several foreign delegations visited the Cyprus pavilion in Paris and showed strong interest in Cypriot products.
