Join us for our upcoming webinar on 5 February 2026 at 17:00 (Cyprus time, EET, UTC+2) on the topic of digital innovation and entrepreneurship. This dynamic panel discussion brings together industry leaders, academics, and entrepreneurs to examine the transformative power of digital innovation in entrepreneurship. Topics include AI-driven business models, blockchain for secure ventures, and strategies for scaling start-ups in immersive digital environments. Panelists will explore emerging opportunities, ethical challenges, and practical pathways to success amid rapid technological change.

Participants will gain practical insights, network with innovators and take part in an interactive Q&A session. The event is ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs, researchers and professionals shaping the future of digital economies.

The webinar will be available via Zoom. Registration is mandatory.

Panelists

Christiana Aristidou is a Transnational Technology Lawyer, Founder and Managing Partner of “The Hybrid LawTech Firm

Christiana Aristidou is a Transnational Technology Lawyer, Founder and Managing Partner of “The Hybrid LawTech Firm,” with over 28 years of experience in business, technology law and regulatory compliance. She specialises in complex, multijurisdictional projects, and advises startups, SMEs, incumbent and governments that integrate advanced technologies, innovative business models, and evolving regulatory frameworks across sectors like fintech, digital assets and sustainable finance, payments and banking, investment funds, energy and sustainable green investments, circular economy, and climate change, property technology and legaltech. Christiana currently serves as the legal advisor to blockchain and AI projects and platforms, including innovative banks, investment firms, EMIs, CASPs, Stablecoin projects, RWA Tokenisation, DAOs, DeFi, the metaverse and WEB3.

As a certified trainer, Christiana has repeatedly trained executives and public authorities in Cyprus and across the EU, including regulators such as CySEC and the Central Bank of Cyprus, as well as a large number of private and public organisations. These include well-known banks, EMIs, investment firms, funds, CASPs, FOREX companies, and other entities operating across a wide range of sectors and industries.

A funded blockchain expert and Co-Chair of Standardisation for the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA), Christiana actively contributes to global and EU standardisation bodies such as the ISO, CEN-CENELEC, and ETSI, from a great number of Technical Committees, focusing on blockchain, smart contracts, AI, financial services, and sustainability. Notably, she is the Head of the National Delegation to ISO/TC 307 Blockchain Committee and leads global standards under development and the Director of Legal Research for the Blockchain and Climate Institute.

Christiana is a regular speaker at technology law events and conferences.

Monica Ioannidou Polemitis: Partner TKI, Managing Director EMEA Region

Monica Polemitis is a seasoned leader with 20 years of experience in strategy, financial advisory, technology integration, and business transformation. A Deloitte alumna and former Executive Director in the financial services industry, today Monica is a Partner at TKI and Managing Director of TKI’s EMEA operations.

She is the author of “The Data Edge: How to Compete, Lead and Innovate with Information”, which highlights her passion for empowering businesses through the strategic use of data.

Monica serves on the Board of the Research and Innovation Foundation of Cyprus and is a Founding Member and President of ICC Cyprus Women.

Prof Marinos Themistocleous, Associate Dean of the School of Business, University of Nicosia

Professor Marinos Themistocleous is currently the Associate Dean of the School of Business, Director at the Institute For Future (IFF) at the University of Nicosia. Prior to his tenure at the University of Nicosia, he worked at Brunel University in London and the University of Piraeus in Greece. He has also held visiting positions at Bocconi University in Milan and IE University in Madrid. From 2019 to 2021, he was a member of the Parallel Parliament of Cyprus and served as president of the Digital Economy and Digital Governance Committee. Marinos is a highly regarded advisor and consultant, collaborating with numerous organizations in the EU, UK, USA and UAE in fields like blockchain, Metaverse, digital transformation, information systems integration, e-health, e-business, e-government, and smart cities.

His current work focuses on digital intelligence, virtual worlds applications, blockchain, and NFTs. Prof. Themistocleous is a highly productive writer, he has authored over 175 refereed journal and conference articles, 9 books, and has been recognized with citations and awards of excellence. His research has attracted funding from various sources. Marinos is an active member of the editorial boards of several academic journals and conferences. In the past, he served as the managing editor of the prestigious European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS). He has also co-chaired premium conferences in IS like the European Conference on Information Systems in 2024.

Dr Klitos Christodoulou, CTO at Lumoro SA

Dr Klitos Christodoulou is a computer scientist and scholar with a PhD in Computer Science and over 1,300 scholarly citations in blockchain and Web3 research. He has spent more than a decade bridging theory and practice across distributed ledgers, digital assets, and financial infrastructure. Klitos currently serves as CTO at Lumoro SA, leading the design of tokenization platforms, on-chain financial products, and stablecoin rails for the next generation FinTech stack.

His work focuses on secure blockchain smart contracts, asset-referenced tokens, and compliant digital representations of real-world assets. In parallel, he is building a next-generation NeoBank combining stablecoin rails, tokenized assets, and modern core banking architecture. His mission is to connect academia, finance, and engineering to build trustworthy financial systems for the digital era.

Moderators

Prof Nicholas Nicoli, Communications Department, University of Nicosia

Nicholas Nicoli is Professor of Communication at the University of Nicosia and Associate Head of the Department of Communications. He is also the Coordinator of the Doctoral Programme in Media and Communication and a Member of the University of Nicosia Senate.

Nicholas holds a PhD from City St. George’s University of London’s Department of Sociology. His research focuses on communication policy, digital platforms and the platformisation of the internet. He has conducted studies on the BBC, CYBC, Facebook, Tripadvisor and other similar entities. He is committed to the creation of a deliberative digital democratic landscape that prioritises the public interest. His current research investigates digital platform power and its consequences for news media.

Nicholas is heavily involved in the dissemination of science and ideas worth sharing through events such as TEDx and is or has been a science communicator on various European projects. He is on the editorial board of The Journal of Media Business Studies and The Journal of Digital Media & Policy and is a co-founder of the Centre of Communication Studies and Research in Cyprus.

Prof Soulla Louca, Head – Department of Digital Innovation, University of Nicosia

Prof. Soulla Louca is a pioneering academic in digital innovation and blockchain, serving as Professor and Head of the Department of Digital Innovation at the University of Nicosia, and Director of its Institute For the Future. Honored as “Woman of the Year: Scientist/Academic” (2024 Madame Figaro Awards), Forbes Cyprus’ 20 Women in Tech (2023), and Top 100 Women in Fintech (2019), she holds membership in the Romanian Academy of Scientists. She earned her PhD in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology, MSc from Western Michigan University, and BA from Kalamazoo College, funded by a Fulbright scholarship.

A trailblazer in blockchain education, she led the University of Nicosia’s Blockchain Initiative, launching the world’s first MSc in Digital Currency. From 2007–2014, she chaired the European COST ICT Domain Committee across 36 countries; in 2022–2023, she presided over the bloxberg Association, a global consortium of 55+ universities. Her research focuses on blockchain, metaverse, digital transformation, and women in tech, advancing digital experiences and societal well-being.