NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The European Commission will propose setting up a regional firefighting hub based in Cyprus that could also assist Middle East countries in battling major wildfires, the head of the bloc's executive arm said Wednesday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual address to the European Parliament that it was necessary to “give ourselves the tools” to combat wildfires made worse by climate change as summers become “hotter, harsher and more dangerous.”
“This summer, we all saw the pictures of Europe’s forests and villages on fire,” Von der Leyen said. “More than a million hectares were burned. ... The scale of the damage is enormous. And we know it is not a one-off.”
The announcement comes as reports have suggested that climate change worsened wildfires in southern Europe this summer, with the likelihood of similar wildfire outbreaks rising sharply.
Von der Leyen did not provide specifics on how the Cyprus-based hub will operate or what resources it will have.
Cypriot officials proposed setting up such a hub on the Mediterranean island nation as early as 2022, with additional firefighting aircraft that could quickly respond to wildfires, particularly in Mideast countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Israel.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides hailed the announcement on social media as “hugely important” for the region. His government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said the creation of such a hub would bolster the EU’s operational capabilities along its southern axis and also benefit the bloc’s Mideast neighbors.
In July, Cyprus suffered one of its worst wildfires in recent memory that killed two elderly people trying to flee the fast-moving flames in their car. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and more than 40 square miles of land in the southern foothills of the Troodos mountain range were scorched.
A few weeks before the wildfire’s outbreak, Cyprus’ Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou said the country was in the process of bolstering its fleet of firefighting aircraft. She said tenders were out for three fixed-wing aircraft with a water-carrying capacity of 3,000 liters (800 gallons), each in line with EU guidelines, as part of a five-year plan for the island nation to build a state-owned fleet with 10 such planes.
As in previous years, Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon dispatched helicopters and other fixed-wing aircraft to help Cypriot authorities put out July’s wildfire. Cyprus — the closest EU member country to the Middle East — often reciprocates when it receives calls for help.
FILE - Residents try to extinguish the blazes in Omodos village, Cyprus, during a massive wildfire on the southern side of the east Mediterranean island nation's Troodos mountain range, July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File)
HANOI, Vietnam--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 11, 2026--
FPT Software, the global IT services subsidiary of FPT Corporation (FPT), is positioned as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Asia/Pacific AI-Enabled Front Office Conversational AI Software 2025 Vendor Assessment (doc # AP52998625e, November 2025).
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260111528290/en/
The IDC MarketScape evaluates 17 vendors in the Asia/Pacific region based on two major criteria: capability and strategy. Key factors include functionality, innovation in conversational AI, long-term vision, infrastructure scalability, and customer experience.
According to the report, “FPT Software offers IvyHub for front office conversational AI, a one-stop shop and unified platform for agentic AI that features a low-code/no-code interface to create custom AI models and manage multiagent processes. IvyChat, a key product within IvyHub, provides comprehensive AI-powered conversational solutions for enterprises, including chatbots, virtual assistants, and voice agents. FPT Software is headquartered in Hanoi, Vietnam.”
The IDC MarketScape recognized FPT Software for the following strengths:
“As a global AI system integrator, we are committed to driving next-level business transformation through our AI-first approach. From IvyChat to our comprehensive FleziPT platform, we are empowering enterprises worldwide with the speed, flexibility, and scalability they need,” said Dr. Phong Nguyen, FPT Software VP and Chief AI Officer, FPT Corporation. “In today's highly competitive landscape, we will leverage our strengths in end-to-end offerings and continuous improvement to expand our partner ecosystem and enable our clients to unlock new levels of productivity and customer experience.”
FPT's AI Factories in Vietnam and Japan, powered by NVIDIA GPUs, are recognized among the world's top 40 fastest supercomputers according to the latest TOP500 Global supercomputer ranking. These facilities provide the backbone for FPT’s AI research, development, and large-scale deployments. To further accelerate AI innovation and adoption, FPT aims to train 500,000 people in AI skills, bring AI services to at least half of Vietnam’s population, and deliver AI solutions to 300 million people worldwide by 2030.
About IDC MarketScape
IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers.
About FPT Corporation
FPT Corporation (FPT) is a globally leading technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam and operates in three core sectors: Technology, Telecommunications, and Education. Over more than three decades, FPT has consistently delivered impactful solutions to millions of individuals and tens of thousands of organizations worldwide. As an AI-first company, FPT is committed to elevating Vietnam’s position on the global tech map and delivering world-class AI-enabled solutions for global enterprises. FPT focuses on three critical transformations: Digital Transformation, Intelligence Transformation, and Green Transformation. In 2024, FPT reported a total revenue of USD 2.47 billion and a workforce of over 54,000 employees across its core businesses. For more information about FPT's global IT services, please visit https://fptsoftware.com.
FPT Software Positioned as a Leader in IDC MarketScape Report for AI-Enabled Front Office Conversational AI Software in Asia-Pacific
