PRESS RELEASE BY THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR YOUTH, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
R & I projects with an investment of €2.7M from local funds showcased by MCST
The Malta Council for Science and Technology has launched Engage: Science and Enterprise; the first edition of the R&I Days intended as an event to engage science and enterprise. The series of events over two days on the 23rd and 24th of November have brought together different researchers to showcase their successful research and innovative projects within various sectors.
In front of the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti, a total of 15 projects spanning across various sectors were showcased, ranging from Health, including Cancer research, Resource Efficiency, High-Value-Added Manufacturing, Aviation, and Sustainable Use of Maritime Resources, were presented. The projects coming from different thematic areas obtained up to €2.7M in local funding, from the national FUSION programme as well as the Internationalisation Programmes such as the SINO-Malta Fund, the MCST-TUBITAK and the BLUEBIO ERA-NET Co-Fund.
The programme included a thorough explanation of the research process, an exhibition of prototypes, and panels of speakers which were composed of project coordinators, representatives of different projects, as well as members from the private sector, the academia, and public sector. They addressed several areas identified in Malta’s Smart Specialisation Strategy 2021-2027 which lays out the government’s clear priorities for investment in innovation and identifies areas of potential growth.
The Parliamentary Secretary Azzopardi Tanti opened the event by thanking all the stakeholders who benefitted from the national funding under the guidance of MCST. “You, as stakeholders, are all part of the expansion process in the R & I industry in Malta. The government, as you saw in the budget a few weeks ago, is constantly increasing its investment in R & I, ultimately in you, because we believe that you can be the change we need for economic growth and a better quality of life,” said Azzopardi Tanti.
He concluded by saying that the next step is to further the internationalisation cooperation with other countries to continue the growth in this industry, having a better capability of using more resources with other countries in line with our R & I Strategy which will be launched in the beggining of next year.
The Chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, Dr. Tonio Portughese said that “MCST has administered around €27M, funnelling these funds towards projects that, besides being fundamental in supporting economic activity, also have positive effects that directly influence and improve the quality of life for our citizens.”
He had words of praise for the brilliant and dedicated individuals, who developed 15 innovative research projects and said that these contribute towards the advancement of knowledge and technology.
For further information and registration one can follow: https://www.engagemalta.com
STQARRIJA MIS-SEGRETARJAT PARLAMENTARI GĦAŻ-ŻGĦAŻAGĦ, IR-RIĊERKA U L-INNOVAZZJONI
Proġetti fir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni b’investiment ta’ €2.7M minn fondi lokali mħabbra taħt l-MCST
Il-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija nieda l-programm Engage: Science and Enterprise; l-ewwel edizzjoni tal-R&I days li jgħaqqad ix-xjenza u l-intrapriża. Dan l-avveniment imqassam fuq jumejn bejn it-23 u l-24 ta’ Novembru laqqa’ flimkien diversi riċerkaturi li kellhom iċ-ċans juru l-proġetti tagħhom ta’ riċerka u innovazzjoni f’setturi varji.
Quddiem il-preżenza tas-Segretarju Parlamentari għaż-Żgħażagħ, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni Keith Azzopardi Tanti, total ta’ 15-il proġett li jvarjaw minn setturi bħas-Saħħa, inkluża r-riċerka fuq il-Kanċer, Riżorsi Effiċjenti, Manifattura Sostenibbli, Avjazzjoni, u Użu Sostenibbli ta’ Riżorsi Marittimi, ġew esebiti. Dawn il-proġetti rnexxielhom jibbenefikaw minn fondi lokali li jammontaw għal €2.7M, mill-programm nazzjonali FUSION, kif ukoll minn programmi ta’ kollaborazzjoni internazzjonali fosthom SINO-MALTA, MCST-TUBITAK, u l-BLUEBIO ERA-NET.
Il-programm inkluda spjegazzjoni dettaljata tal-proċess ta’ riċerka, esebizzjoni ta’ prototipi, u panel ta’ kelliema kompost mill-koordinaturi tal-proġetti, rappreżentanti oħra tal-proġetti, u anki membri li ġejjin mis-settur privat, mill-akkademja, u mis-settur pubbliku. Dawn indirizzaw diversi fatturi msemmija fl-iSmart Specialisation Strategy 2021-2027 f’Malta li juru l-prijoritajiet tal-gvern għal investiment fl-innovazzjoni, filwaqt li jidentifika żoni oħra ta’ potenzjal għal tkabbir ekonomiku.
Is-Segretarju Parlamentari Azzopardi Tanti fetaħ l-avveniment billi rringrazzja lill-istakeholders kollha li bbenefikaw minn dawn il-fondi nazzjonali taħt is-superviżjoni tal-MCST. “Intom, bħala stakeholders, kollha tiffurmaw parti mill-proċess ta’ espansjoni fl-industrija tar-R&I f’Malta. Il-gvern, kif rajtu fil-budget ta’ ftit ġimgħat ilu, qiegħed kostantement ikabbar l-investiment fir-R&I, fl-aħħar mill-aħħar fikom, għaliex nemmnu li intom tistgħu tkunu l-bidla li għandna bżonn għal tkabbir ekonomiku u kwalità ta’ ħajja aħjar,” qal Azzopardi Tanti.
Huwa kkonkluda billi qal li l-pass li jmiss huwa li nkomplu bil-ħidma li ninternazzjonalizzaw il-kollaborazzjoni ma’ pajjiżi oħra sabiex inkomplu nkabbru din l-industrija, b’hekk ikollna aktar faċilità li nużaw aktar riżorsi ma’ pajjiżi oħra skont l-istrateġija fir-R&I li se tiġi varata fil-bidu tas-sena li ġejja.
Iċ-Chairman tal-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija Tonio Portughese qal li “l-MCST amministra madwar €29M f’fondi mqassma għal diversi proġetti li, minbarra li huma fundamentali għall-attivitajiet eknomiċi, għandhom effett pożittiv li jinfluwenza direttament u jtejjeb il-kwalità ta’ ħajja taċ-ċittadini tagħna.”
Huwa faħħar ix-xogħol brillanti u b’dedikazzjoni tal-persuni li żviluppaw dawn il-15-il proġett ta’ riċerka u innovazzjoni, b’kontribuzzjoni għal avvanz edukattiv u teknoloġiku.
Għal aktar informazzjoni u reġistrazzjoni wieħed jista’ jidħol fuq: https://www.engagemalta.com
This article was last updated on: November 24, 2023