Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1182680
7.11.19 4 THE Malta Council for Science and Technology is leading Mal- ta's Research and Innovation sector with success In its 2018 report, the Malta Council for Science and Tech- nology (MCST) under the Exec- utive Chairmanship of Dr Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, reported an increased number of initiatives related to its continued efforts to put Science and Technology at the forefront of the national agenda. MCST has striven to optimise its national funding programmes for research for the benefit of local researchers, as well as de- veloping internationalisation opportunities through bilateral agreements and participation in EU programmes. e government has shown its commitment to support Malta's growth in the research and inno- vation (R&I) sector. rough the support of Silvio Schembri, Parliamentary Sec- retary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innova- tion, MCST's efforts are being reinforced. Malta's economic growth permitted us to explore new opportunities. 2018 was, in fact, characterised by increased budgets. e Council has launched a €2 million fund exclusively dedicat- ed to the Maltese space sector, which is supported by the Euro- pean Space Agency and will op- erate until 2022. e €2.2 million Technology Development Pro- gramme Fund allocated to local researchers to subsidise R&I projects was another milestone. Malta is set to remain a high-performing country with- in the European Union with a GDP growth of 4.8% anticipat- ed by 2020. With the aim of formulating the new R&I Strat- egy, which will highlight Malta's priorities in the sector beyond 2020, the Council kicked off a series of consultations with var- ious key stakeholders to ensure that we foster the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. Investments in R&I are cru- cial in guaranteeing that the country can compete globally with a knowledge-based econ- omy. Esplora is inspiring our younger generations to pursue scientific careers. Statistics produced by the Europe- an Centre for the Develop- ment of Vocational Training (Cedefop) indicate that by 2025 most job opportunities in Malta (around 26%) will be in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Our Interactive Science Centre has been a catalyst in engaging the public in STEM. rough the different educational programmes offered to the schools and public, various areas in STEM were highlighted and pack- aged into relevant, engag- ing, entertaining and every- day terms for awareness raising and upskilling. e latter has been done with the ultimate aim of fostering the personal growth, active citi- zenship and employability of our workforce. With our government aim- ing to put R&I at the heart of the country's economy, MCST will continue to have a vital role in championing the sector. NEWS MIDI PLC IS INVITING THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR AN OPEN DAY OF FORT MANOEL ON SUNDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 2019 BETWEEN 0900HRS – 1600HRS With the participation of Show of Arms Re-Enactment Group (Medieval & Knights period); Battlefield Living History Re-Enactment Group (British/German/American military); and the Marsa Scout Group Pipes & Drums (1430hrs-1530hrs) Guided Tours will be available at 1000hrs and 1130hrs (English) and 1430hrs (Maltese) Mass will be celebrated at 1130hrs at the Fort's Chapel Free Entrance (Parking will be available inside Manoel Island) Malta Council for Science and Technology spearheading research and innovation sector Annual Report and Financial Statements 2018 1 ANNUAL REPORT and Financial Statements 2018 OKEX, the world's largest futures cryptocurrency ex- change, today announced it will list Tezos, an open-source platform for assets and applica- tions backed by a global com- munity of validators, research- ers, and builders. According to Cryptocompare, Tezos is the 21st most popular crypto- currency with a market cap of over USD$695 million and a 24-hour trade volume of over USD$206k. e depositing of XTZ is available as of 9amNyester- day. XTZ spot trading against USDT and BTC opens 9am to- day. "Tezos is a highly respected project with a robust commu- nity, and we're happy to be able to add the value of the XTZ network to the OKEx ecosys- tem, where we strive to deliver a one-stop-shop for profes- sional and retail traders," said Andy Cheung, Head of Opera- tions of OKEx. Created by former Morgan Stanley analyst Arthur Breit- man and Kathleen Breitman, Tezos is a multi-purpose plat- form for decentralized appli- cations and smart contracts. Stakeholders govern upgrades to the core protocol, including upgrades to the amendment process itself without having to fork the network into two different blockchains. e pro- ject aims to promote long-term upgradability and open partic- ipation to support mainstream adoption of blockchain tech- nology. "We are looking forward to a thriving relationship with OKEx, a global leader in the blockchain space, in further- ing the Tezos ecosystem to- gether in Asia and throughout the world," said Corey Soreff, Board of Directors of Tezos Commons Foundation. OKEx's listing review pro- cess sets a high standard in many aspects, including im- portant pillars ranging from project quality (i.e. (legal) qual- ifications, business model and structure, promotion etc.) to project community (i.e. eco- system-wise capacity and pro- motion opportunity). By taking every possible measure, OKEx strives to ensure every listed project delivers practical use cases and brings in market li- quidity. e addition of Tezos accom- panies the November launch of OKEx's USDT Futures Trading, a linear futures contract. With USDT Futures, OKEx traders can long a position to profit from the increase of a crypto- currency's price, or short a po- sition to profit from the decline of a cryptocurrency's price. USDT pairs on OKEx include BTC, ETH, BCH, EOS, XRP, BSV, and TRX with a lever- age level of 0.01–100x, both in fixed and cross-margin mode. Tezos trades open on top crypto exchange OKEx