JOURNEY
Our Story
In 2021, our organization CyprusInno moved into a historic 4-unit container located within the UN-controlled Buffer Zone on the border between both sides of the island, which it transformed from a military unit into The Base by CyprusInno, the world’s first Social Impact Generator™.
The Base by CyprusInno, the world’s first Social Impact Generator™, combines the elements of a coworking center, meeting/office space, accelerator/incubator, innovation center, and multimedia studio located on the grounds of the historic Ledra Palace in Cyprus’ UN Buffer Zone in the city of Nicosia, the last divided capital in the world, and is the first space of its kind in a demilitarized zone, positioning Cyprus as a potential model for other countries and regions.
A Social Impact Generator™ is an ever-evolving, multi-purpose space that enables the co-creation of social and economic impact in various fields of focus by bringing together both the private and public sectors, as well as civil society, via a hybrid platform of digital and physical tools.
The Base by CyprusInno was built by hand by CyprusInno cofounders and a few gracious helpers, using local producers and upcycling methods, and the MVP was self-funded by the organization’s limited savings.
Our Guiding Principles
- Establish a peaceful, stable, engaging, and interactive space in the Buffer Zone that maximizes dialogue and cooperation via entrepreneurship and innovation
- Facilitate the formation, launch, and scale of inter-communal startups and ideation for products and/or services that create social impact and contribute positively to the Cypriot reality and/or the peace process of the divided island
- Align with global strategies (i.e., YOUTH2030) and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by accelerating businesses with social impact embedded into their models and/or who tackle one or more of the SDGs
The Base is operated by CyprusInno, a social venture founded by a mixed Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot team who have overcome decades of social and geographical division to create the first and largest platform connecting entrepreneurs on the divided island of Cyprus. Founded in late-2016, the organization operates a platform of digital tools and live events that utilizes a novel method of entrepreneurship as a mechanism for peacebuilding. Visit https://cyprusinno.com/ to learn more!