Giorgos Mouzouras, the Head of Information Technology, Charalambides Christis Ltd., was part of an expert panel at INSPIRE 2025 discussing ‘The Internet of Things (IoT): How IoT Transforms Our Homes, Cities, and Industries.’
Part of the ‘INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY powered by CyRIC/Gravity’ stage moderated by Giorgos Tsapparellas, Senior Pre-Sales IoT Engineer, CYRIC, the discussion, among other things, saw Mouzouras explain IoT’s impact on Charalambides Christis’ day-to-day operations.
Asked to comment on IoT’s role in modernising operations from production to delivery, Mouzouras said, “At Charalambides Christis our digital transformation initiatives are closely aligned with ESG and our greater sustainability goals. We aim at improving efficiency, reducing waste, and lowering environmental impact, all while maintaining high-quality, healthy, and fresh products.”
He continued, “IoT devices play a critical role in our digital transformation by turning our operations into a connected, data-driven ecosystem. From the production floor to the supply chain, real-time actionable data is key. It's crucial to mention that we did not just implement IoT devices, but we implemented IoT devices using LoRaWAN as a backbone, and that enabled us to harvest all the benefits. So, better planning, cost management, and waste elimination.”
LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is an open, low-power wireless protocol for connecting battery-operated devices to the Internet in a wide area and was designed for IoT.
On the commercial side of IoT, Mouzouras noted that, “ In a traditional industry like dairy, we actually measure the business value of IoT by directly connecting each sensor data to operational and financial KPIs. For example, we deployed the LoRaWAN-based IoT devices to monitor electricity consumption across our processing lines.”
This, he explained, provided insight on where energy was being wasted, “ So that allowed us to optimise operation and reduce energy costs.”
“Beyond cost savings, IoT also enables predictive maintenance,” Mouzouras continued, “For example, it has helped us in reducing equipment failures. We know that equipment is going to fail, so we add a pump and avoid costly downtime.”
There's also a sustainability angle, he went on to note, elaborating, “IoT helps us track and report on carbon footprint, which is becoming more important to all of us. So, ultimately, we see value in three key areas. That's operational efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability. All supported by real-time data.”
The expert also shared the opinion that, “The future of food and beverage in Cyprus, but globally as well, especially in dairy, lies in the continued integration of IoT devices. That leads to smarter IoT devices and to more sustainable operations.”
“With IoT, we see a world where quality, traceability and sustainability are seamlessly interconnected,” Mouzouras said, explained that with IoT devices powered by LoRaWAN networks more granular insights into every part of the production can be provided, not just on the production floor but also the supply chain.
“A good example that is being used abroad, but which we can use it internally as well, is smart packaging. Smart IoT devices embedded on smart packaging where anyone can then track and monitor the freshness of a product. From the production line to the supply chain to the shelf of the end consumer, that will ensure the quality of our products in real time, so we can ensure that only the fresh and the best quality of products are available to the market,” he elaborated.
Mouzouras said that Charalambides Christis was currently using the technologyfor shipping abroad in containers, “so that we know the shipment arrived at the port or destination with a specific temperature and so on.” It could however, also be used internally, he noted, “for the smallest, the shortest trips, let's say, from our production, from our manufacturing warehouses to the end consumer. The consumer can scan the QR and see exactly when it was produced, how long it stayed in the warehouse, and how long it was on the shelf.”
Mouzouras also discussed what type of collaboration and partnerships the company would consider most important to accelerate IoT adoption in Cyprus, saying “The most impactful partnerships that I've been seeing are public-private collaborations, that bring industry expertise and academic innovation.”
“But,” he continued, “the baseline has to be the government support, the legislation part. Partnerships with research institutions such as CYRIC are critical. They're bringing the cutting-edge ideas, the validation of IoT ideas and devices and use cases in sectors like ours. For example, working with research innovation centres, we have optimised LoRaWAN deployments, and that has helped us fine-tune our energy monitoring and that had the maximum impact on the factory with minimal infrastructure, something which we couldn't do on our own.”
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
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