TechIsland unveils €2m wildfire defence programme

TechIsland has presented the first-year results of its €2 million Wildfire Initiative, showing how an emergency appeal launched after the devastating fires of 2025 has developed into a long-term programme spanning prevention, preparedness, early detection and recovery. According to figures included in the presentation, the fires burned more than 100 square kilometres of forest, destroyed 191 homes across 15 villages and claimed two lives, making them among the most destructive in Cyprus’ history. The scale of the disaster prompted an immediate response from the technology community. Within just a few days, more than 60 companies and individuals answered TechIsland’s call, raising approximately €2 million to support affected residents and communities. However, as the immediate needs began to change, so did the initiative. What started with emergency assistance gradually expanded into a wider social impact programme, bringing together the private sector, the state, scientists, local authorities and volunteers. Reflecting on that transition, TechIsland chairman Valentinos Polykarpou explained that “the TechIsland Wildfire Initiative is an example of what can be achieved when we join forces”, adding that “what started as an immediate response at a critical moment has evolved into a long-term programme with practical solutions and meaningful impact”. The programme is built around four closely connected priorities. Recovery and restoration cover the clearing and replanting of fire-damaged areas, while prevention focuses on equipping communities and improving their readiness at a local level. At the same time, early detection involves the use of artificial intelligence, satellite monitoring and drones to identify fires during their first critical minutes. The fourth priority, community involvement, brings residents, volunteers, scientists and technology professionals into the same coordinated effort. These priorities have so far been translated into six projects developed with government departments, scientific institutions, local authorities and private organisations. At the centre of the programme is TechIsland’s €450,000 contribution towards small firefighting vehicles for 45 community councils, carried out in cooperation with the Interior Ministry and the Union of Cyprus Communities. The funding covers 20 per cent of the cost of the vehicles under a government subsidy scheme, allowing local authorities to strengthen their operational readiness and respond more quickly when a fire breaks out. Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, who addressed the presentation, emphasised the importance of cooperation between the state, local communities and the private sector in improving wildfire prevention and communities’ immediate response capacity. Alongside longer-term preparedness, the initiative also continued to address the practical consequences of the 2025 fires. In total, 615 air purifiers were distributed to households in Ayios Georgios, Malia, Lofou, Monagri, Souni, Ayios Therapon, Vouni and Silikou. Generators and waste skips were also provided, helping residents manage the aftermath of the fires and supporting the wider clearing of damaged areas. From immediate relief, the programme then moved towards technology-based prevention, with SafeIsland CY forming a central part of its community preparedness work. The free iOS and Android application, presented by Brickworks Games chief marketing officer Vladimir Polianskii, allows users to report signs of smoke or fire, upload photographs and short updates from the ground, and receive alerts when reports are made nearby. Through its interactive map, users can also find fire stations, water points and other fire-safety facilities, while accessing practical information on prevention and preparedness. Importantly, the app is not intended to replace emergency services. Instead, it has been designed to strengthen local awareness and help communities share potentially useful information more quickly during periods of increased wildfire risk. While SafeIsland CY focuses on information from the ground, the Geosfire Project looks to satellites and the sky. Presented by Cyprus Institute graduate research fellow and PhD candidate Anna Zenonos, the project combines satellite data with unmanned aerial vehicles to detect possible outbreaks during their first critical minutes. Once satellite monitoring identifies a possible fire, a drone can be launched vertically to provide aerial images from within a 54-kilometre radius. This can improve the flow of information and help the relevant authorities assess the situation and mobilise more quickly. Technology, however, represents only one part of the programme. Recovery work has continued in Souni, where the initiative has sought to restore damaged land while creating greater protection against future fires. The Green Souni project, initiated and facilitated by TechIsland Wildfire Committee member Natalya Bolshakova, founder of Belle Air Villas, began with emergency watering to save surviving trees and the removal of burned vegetation. This was followed by the planting of 130 mature cypress trees and 200 shrubs, creating a new green corridor for the local community that is also intended to help slow the spread of future fires. Moreover, the work has been designed as a broader methodology for post-fire recovery and protection that could be replicated in other affected villages across Cyprus. Separate restoration work carried out with the Souni local administration included land clearing, debris removal and replanting across individual fire-damaged plots, preparing the area for longer-term rehabilitation. Behind the projects is an 11-member TechIsland Wildfire Committee combining experience from technology, business, community initiatives and forestry. Alongside Polykarpou, the committee includes TechIsland general manager Tanya Romanyukha, board members Angelos Gregoriades and Arthur Mamedov, former Department of Forests director Charalambos Alexandrou, and technology and business figures Georgy Beloglazov, Martin Thorvaldsson, Nataly Bolshakova, Constantinos Loizou, Dmitry Bersenev and Fabio Zuccaro. The wider network also includes the Interior Ministry, the Fire Service, Civil Defence, the Cyprus Institute, the Union of Cyprus Communities, local administrations, Brickworks Games, Belle Air Niche Villas and Kitas Weather, together with citizens, volunteers and technology professionals. Meanwhile, the donor community extended across Cyprus’ technology sector, with Wargaming, Exness, payabl., GDEV, RoboMarkets, Embria, BrainRocket, Easybrain, Parimatch, SayGames, inDrive and TheSoul Publishing among the companies featured in the presentation. TechIsland board member and initiative donor Alexey Gubarev noted that “once again, the tech community showed that it is ready to step forward when Cyprus needs support”, adding that he was proud of “the practical value it has created: helping communities strengthen their readiness, supporting prevention efforts and enabling the development of technology-led solutions”. As he concluded, “this is the kind of systemic, collective action that can make a real difference”. Polykarpou also thanked the committee members, donors, partners and volunteers who supported the programme, while stressing that the technology sector’s contribution to Cyprus extended beyond its economic importance. “The technology sector is today one of the most important pillars of the Cyprus economy, but its presence in Cyprus is not limited to its economic contribution. It also has a role in society,” he noted, before adding that “this initiative shows exactly that: through collaboration, we can achieve more for Cyprus”.