MCST launches the First Co-funded Joint Call for R&I proposals in the Blue Economy

The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) within the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Research and Innovation launched today the first Co-funded Joint Call for R&I proposals entitled “The way forward: a thriving sustainable blue economy for a brighter future”.

MCST is participating in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), under the Horizon Europe Programme, along with 59 other entities from 25 countries. This partnership is aligned to the thematic area of ‘Marine and Maritime Technology’ which is one of the 6 priority areas listed in Malta’s Smart Specialisation Strategy for the period 2021-2027.

The vision of the SBEP is to enable a just and inclusive transition to a regenerative and circular blue economy that contributes to restoring the ocean’s health, resilience and the service it provides to people, by being climate neutral, sustainable and productive.

Through this Call, MCST will support local stakeholders from the private and public sector to collaborate with international partners on joint research project proposals with a local budget of €500,000.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation, Keith Azzopardi Tanti explained the government’s efforts in improving particular sectors, such as the Blue Economy, as part of the Smart Specialisation Strategy. “Thanks to a planned and thorough research we were able to choose the main sectors to focus on for the years to come,” said Azzopardi Tanti, adding that these will contribute to a more sustained and sustainable economy. He concluded by saying that the projects which will be chosen involving the Blue Economy are a perfect fit in this government’s strategy.

The Chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, Dr. Tonio Portughese said that “the Blue Economy is definitely not a new concept for Malta, a concept that has developed with our history, adapting to the circumstances of the day, but always playing a vital role for the economic and environmental well-being of our islands and their people. Our participation in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, which is an EU ‘Horizon Europe’ co-funded partnership, was a logical and natural step forward.” He added that this partnership enables an unprecedented effort to pool research and innovation investments and align national programmes at pan-European scale, taking into consideration all the European seas and oceans, including the Mediterranean.

This first Joint Call aims to support transnational research and innovation projects addressing one of the five (5) priority areas below, namely:

• Ocean Digital Twin at sub-sea-basin scale
• Blue Generation Marine Structures
• Planning and Managing Sea-Uses
• Healthy ‘Blue Food’ under a ‘One Health’ approach
• Enabling the transition of blue food production

These five priority areas were selected to maximise participation while reinforcing the European blue economy through innovative solutions and improved resilience of marine ecosystems. Projects in this co-funded call must be developed at a pan-European level and in different European sea basins to ensure that projects provide impact-driven contributions to the transformation into a blue economy for a more resilient future and towards carbon neutrality targets, following an impact pathway approach.

Looking beyond just the direct economic dimension, the partnership will contribute to the goals of the Mission Ocean & Waters, in particular by boosting the transformation towards a climate-neutral, sustainable, productive and competitive blue economy by 2030.  The Partnership has often been described as Horizon Europe’s blue arm of the Green Deal, which will bring about the transition of Europe to climate-neutrality by 2050. SBEP will support the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14: “Life Below Water”. The planned investments over seven years, for the whole partnership are expected to reach €450 Million.”

The Council will be organising further informative sessions. Interested applicants can obtain more information by accessing the SBEP and MCST webpages or sending an email at: eusubmissions.mcst@gov.mt.

L-MCST tniedi l-ewwel sejħa konġunta ta’ fondi għal proposti ta’ Riċerka u Innovazzjoni fl-Ekonomija Blu

Il-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija (l-MCST) fi ħdan is-Segretarjat Parlamentari għaż-Żgħażagħ, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni, nieda llum l-ewwel sejħa konġunta ta’ fondi għal proposti ta’ riċerka u innovazzjoni bit-titlu: “The way forward: a thriving sustainable blue economy for a brighter future”.

L-MCST qed tipparteċipa fis-Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP) taħt il-programm Horizon Europe, flimkien ma’ 59 entitajiet oħra minn 25 pajjiż. Din is-sħubija timxi mal-qasam tematiku tat-Teknoloġija tal-Baħar u Marittima li hija waħda mis-6 prijoritajiet imniżżlin fl-iSmart Specialisation Strategy għall-perjodu 2021-2027.

Il-viżjoni tal-SBEP hija li tippermetti tranżizzjoni li twassal għal ekonomija blu riġenerattiva u ċirkulari sabiex tikkontribwixxi għar-restawr tas-saħħa tal-oċean, reżiljenza u s-servizz li tipprovdi lin-nies, billi tkun newtrali għall-klima, sostenibbli u produttiva.

Permezz ta’ din is-sejħa konġunta, l-MCST se tkun qed tgħin stakeholders lokali, kemm mis-settur privat kif ukoll mis-settur pubbliku, sabiex jikkollaboraw ma’ msieħba internazzjonali fuq proposti konġunti ta’ proġetti ta’ riċerka b’budget lokali li jlaħħaq il-€500,000.

Is-Segretarju Parlamentari għaż-Żgħażagħ, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni, Keith Azzopardi Tanti, spjega l-isforzi tal-gvern fit-titjib ta’ setturi speċifiċi, bħal dak tal-Ekonomija Blu, bħala parti mill-iSmart Specialisation Strategy.  “Grazzi għal riċerka ppjanata u bir-reqqa stajna nagħżlu s-setturi ewlenin li fuqhom sejrin niffukaw fis-snin li ġejjin.” Żied jgħid li dawn se jikkontribwixxu għal ekonomija aktar sostnuta u sostenibbli. Ikkonkluda billi qal li l-proġetti li se jintgħażlu u li se jinvolvu l-Ekonomija Blu jsegwu l-istrateġija ta’ dan il-gvern.

Iċ-Chairman tal-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija, Dr. Tonio Portughese qal li “l-Ekonomija Blu żgur li mhux kunċett ġdid għal Malta. Hu kunċett li żviluppa mal-istorja tagħna u li addatta maċ-ċirkustanzi taż-żminijiet, għalkemm dejjem qeda’ rwol essenzjali għall-ġid ekonomiku u ambjentali tal-gżejjer Maltin u ta’ niesna. Il-parteċipazzjoni fis-Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, li jagħmel parti mill-programm tal-Unjoni Ewropea, Horizon Europe, kien pass loġiku u naturali għall-progress.” Huwa żied jgħid li din is-sħubija tippermetti biex għall-ewwel darba jsiru investimenti fl-oqsma tar-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni sabiex jimxu fuq l-istess livell ta’ pajjiżi oħra Ewropej. Dan jinkludi wkoll l-ibħra Ewropej, inkluż il-Baħar Mediterran.

L-għan tal-ewwel sejħa konġunta hu li jappoġġja proġetti ta’ riċerka u innovazzjoni magħmula b’ħidma konġunta minn diversi pajjiżi li jindirizzaw wieħed mill-ħames (5) oqsma ta’ prijorità:

• Ocean Digital Twin at sub-sea-basin scale
• Blue Generation Marine Structures
• Planning and Managing Sea-Uses
• Healthy ‘Blue Food’ under a ‘One Health’ approach
• Enabling the transition of blue food production

Dawn il-ħames oqsma ġew magħżula sabiex il-parteċipazzjoni tkun milħuqa kemm jista’ jkun, filwaqt li jkun hemm infurzar fl-ekonomija blu Ewropea permezz ta’ soluzzjonijiet aktar innovattivi u riġenerabbli tal-ekosistemi tal-baħar. Il-proġetti li se jkunu kofinanzjati minn din is-sejħa għandhom jiġu żviluppati fuq livell pan-Ewropew u f’baċiri differenti tal-ibħra Ewropej sabiex jiġi żgurat li l-proġetti jkollhom impatt fil-bidla fl-ekonomija blu, għal futur aktar riġenerabbli b’nuqqas ta’ użu ta’ karbonju, .

Jekk wieħed iħares lil hinn mid-direzzjoni ekonomika diretta, din is-sħubija se tikkontribwixxi lejn il-miri tal-Missjoni Oceans and Waters, partikolarment billi tingħata spinta lejn ekonomija blu bi klima iktar nadifa, sostenibbli, produttiva u kompetittiva sal-2030.

Din is-sħubija spiss ġiet deskritta bħala l-id il-blu tal-Grean Deal ta’ Horizon Europe, li se jġib miegħu t-tranżizzjoni tal-Ewropa għall-klima nadifa sal-2050. L-SBEP se jkun qed jappoġġja l-implimentazzjoni tal-Għanijiet tal-Iżvilupp Sostenibbli tal-Ġnus Magħquda, partikolarment l-Għan 14: “ Ħajja Taħt l-Ilma”. L-investiment tas-sħubija fuq firxa ta’ seba’ snin huwa ppjanat li jlaħħaq l-€450 M.

Il-Kunsill se jorganizza aktar sezzjonijiet informattivi ‘l quddiem. Dawk interessati li japplikaw jistgħu jiksbu aktar informazzjoni billi jżuru l-paġni tal-SBEP u l-MCST jew jibgħatu email fuq: eusubmissions.mcst@gov.mt.