Building Bridges Across the Med
New Cyprus Office x New Collaboration with Aristotle University
Set against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East, several of our Pontem team arrived in the Eastern Med for two big milestones:
Cyprus Open House at our new office
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) Collaboration
Cyprus Open House [Limassol]
While not new to Limassol, Pontem expanded into our new office in June, playing host to our staff, interns, academic collaborators, and other industry partners.
The Cyprus office has been instrumental in our overall company growth, fuelled by our outstanding legacy collaboration with University of Nicosia over the last two years. We have an incredibly diverse team across experience, background, culture, and nationality.
More recently, we are kicking off a new collaboration with Cyprus University of Technology, welcoming our 1st intern from the Chemical Engineering department under the guidance of Dr. Nikola Evripidou. We look to continue to be the Employer of Choice in the region for all things engineering and data science.
It was great catching up in person with so many people who, each in their own way, have contributed to Pontem’s journey. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual—just the way we like it. Having Conor Sherrard and Tommy Golczynski fly in from Australia (via Norway) and the US, and getting to sit around a table with our Cyprus colleagues, brought an entirely different spirit compared to the usual Teams calls. Meetings like this have such a positive impact on the people who work together across time zones, and we’re already thinking about making it an annual tradition. In fact, something bigger might be coming soon—a worldwide teams gathering (maybe in Cyprus?), though that’s still under discussion.
To our Cyprus team, we’re excited to welcome some new (and familiar) faces: Grace Allam, returning for her second internship; George Vasey joining us as a summer intern; and Tamanda Mdyanyama, our first intern from the University of Nicosia’s Data Science department. Each of them brings fresh perspective and energy to the office, and we look forward to what we’ll accomplish together. Having people coming for a second time, tells a lot!
MoU with Aristotle University (AUTH) [Thessaloniki]
After the success of our collaboration with the University of Nicosia—which over two years has brought six talented new people into Pontem—we felt it was time to expand our academic partnerships further afield. This led us to Greece’s largest university: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH). AUTH is renowned not only for its academic excellence and research output but also for its vibrant engineering and geoscience community that plays a pivotal role in shaping the future energy landscape of the Eastern Mediterranean. A lot of credit goes to Dr. Ernestos Sarris, who, having witnessed firsthand our work with UNIC, was eager to build a bridge between his new affiliation AUTH and Pontem Analytics.
Standing in the halls of AUTH, you can’t help but feel the depth of knowledge these walls have accumulated over the decades. During our visit, we had some truly engaging conversations on topics ranging from drilling fluid ageing to CO₂ propagation at the seal. We also did some early brainstorming on where our collaboration could go beyond student training.
Potential areas include:
IPM (Integrated Production Modelling)
Fluid rheology testing for drilling fluids
CFD thesis projects
Various CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) initiatives
We were particularly glad to hear that the Prinos CCS project is moving forward again, with AUTH looking to play a large role. Pontem has contributed to aspects of this project in the past, and it’s a development close to our hearts. It represents one of the most significant CCS efforts in Greece, aiming to decarbonise the region while preserving critical energy infrastructure, and we are keen to support it further.
After our tour of the facilities, it was time to formalise the partnership and sign the MoU with AUTH. We received a very warm welcome from the current and former Rectors, Kyriakos Anastasiadis and Haralambos Feidas—it was a pleasure meeting them both in person. Following some inspiring and ambitious discussions about our shared vision, the MoU was officially signed.
“We do not just sign MoUs, we put MoUs into action.”
These milestones in Cyprus and Greece reflect what Pontem has always stood for: building genuine partnerships, investing in talent, and bridging continents to advance the future of energy and data. Whether it’s welcoming new interns in Limassol, sitting down for dinner with future collaborators in Thessaloniki, or signing agreements that turn ideas into action, we believe that real progress comes from collaboration rooted in trust and ambition. As we look ahead, we’re excited about the projects, discoveries, and relationships that will grow from these foundations—proof that when diverse minds come together with purpose, there’s no limit to what we can achieve.
