Background
The Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth is executing one of the most significant upgrades to school laboratory infrastructure in the country's recent history. Under Reform C5.1R1 of the EU-funded Recovery and Resilience Plan, more than 300 secondary school laboratories across all districts of Cyprus are receiving new scientific and technological equipment in 2026. The programme targets Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Design and Technology laboratories in Gymnasiums, Lyceums, and Six-year schools.
The deployment
The rollout is structured in two phases. The first phase, covering more than 200 laboratories, is due to be completed by end of April 2026. A second phase, launched through a new open tender by the Secondary General Education Directorate, targets approximately 100 additional laboratories, with delivery starting in April and expected to conclude by end of May. The full programme is scheduled for completion by June 2026.
XR components
Giorgos Koutsidis, Deputy Director of Secondary General Education, confirmed that the equipment reflects the priorities of modern education. Within the XR scope, biology classrooms in the second phase are receiving augmented and virtual reality applications — specifically smartphone-based VR glasses and augmented reality T-shirts — enabling students to engage immersively with biological concepts. Design and Technology laboratories are also receiving laser engravers, cutters, and 3D printers, while chemistry and physics labs receive specialist scientific apparatus.
Funding
The programme is funded under Reform C5.1R1 of Cyprus's Recovery and Resilience Plan, which targets the skills mismatch between secondary education and the labour market. The RRP has an overall budget of approximately €1.2 billion, with implementation required to be completed by August 2026.
