Antonis Hadjiantonis reveals how IoT is helping prevent fires and cut down postal service emissions

Antonis Hadjiantonis, CyRIC’s Innovation Director, was part of an expert panel at INSPIRE 2025 discussing ‘The Internet of Things (IoT): How IoT Transforms Our Homes, Cities, and Industries.’

CYRIC offers Research and Innovation Services for its customers in the fields of engineering design and prototyping, electronics and communications and software solutions while also offering a number of specialised consultancy and entrepreneurship services to startups and SMEs.

The discussion, part of the ‘INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY powered by CyRIC/Gravity’ stage, saw Hadjiantonis talk about how IoT was already being used to make the day-to-day operation of Cyprus Post more efficient.

 “We have implemented a project in partnership with the Cyprus Post Office, it’s called OptiBox,” he continued, noting, “This was one of the projects we took from the very concept stage up to the market.”

As Hadjiantonis explained, OptiBox aims at optimising mail collection as specially installed sensors allow the postal service to know if a pillar box contains letters awaiting collection or not.

“We identified that everybody is still using letters, and that’s something that is going to be here for several years yet. So we solved this problem with digital technology, namely LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network),” he said, going on to note, “and this is a very impactful project because it’s saving costs for the customer, the post offices.”

The project also has a positive impact on the environment, Hadjiantonis pointed out, since it prevented postal workers from having to go around the city to check letter boxes that turned out to be empty, “spending time, using fuel and creating emissions.”

“IoT is one of the main sectors CYRIC has been involved in for many years, Hadjiantonis noted, adding that another major IoT project involves early fire detection and was already being implemented in Cyprus and Greece.

The discussion was moderated by  Giorgos Tsapparellas, Senior Pre-Sales IoT Engineer, CYRIC.

Partners & Sponsors

Strategic Partner: Cyta Business

Platinum Sponsor: Bank of Cyprus

Gold Sponsors: ECOMMBX, Zorbas Group, Cyfield

Silver Sponsors: PwC Cyprus, Petrolina, Bioland

Academic Sponsor: University of Nicosia

Stage Sponsors: National Bank of Greece (Cyprus), KPMG Cyprus, Odyssey, CyRIC/Gravity Ventures Incubator, Invest Cyprus

Panel Sponsors: HRDA, OPAP

Podcast Presenter: Payabl.

Sponsors: Hermes Airports, IMR, Libertex

Technology Partner: Kotsovolos

Community Partner: TechIsland, Junior Achievement Cyprus

Innovation Partner: Research & Innovation Foundation (IDEK)

Mobility Partner: Pilakoutas Group

Sustainable Transport Partner: Cyprus Public Transport

Sustainability Partner: Electricity Authority of Cyprus

Coffee Partner: Coffee Berry

Partner: Charalambides Christis

Supporters: ASBIS, CSR Cyprus, Capacitor Partners, HJS Insurance Agents, Mastercard, Robura, Superad, Kapodistrias, Photos Photiades Breweries & Epilogi, Voici La Mode Group of Companies, GrantXpert, Gap Vassilopoulos, Techbiz, Grow Sustainability Consulting, ASBIS, Murex, Drastyc, Bolt

With the support of: Cyprus Computer Society, CITEA, CPMA, Youth Board of Cyprus, OEB, Skills Cyprus, National Betting Authority

Media Sponsors: Alpha Cyprus, CBN, IN Business, Reporter, SuperFM

Organizer: IMH

Under the auspices of: Municipality of Nicosia

•  INSPIRE 2025 – Where passion meets action, and action changes the world.