Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1512265
NEWS 14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 NOVEMBER 2023 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 se- ries of events over two days on the 23rd and 24th of November have brought together different researchers to showcase their successful research and innova- tive projects within various sec- tors. In front of the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopar- di Tanti, a total of 15 projects spanning across various sec- tors were showcased, ranging from Health, including Cancer research, Resource Efficiency, High-Value-Added Manufac- turing, Aviation, and Sustainable Use of Maritime Resources, were presented. The projects coming from different thematic areas ob- tained up to €2.7M in local fund- ing, from the national FUSION programme as well as the Inter- nationalisation Programmes such as the SINO-Malta Fund, the MCST-TUBITAK and the BLUE- BIO ERA-NET Co-Fund. The programme included a thorough explanation of the re- search process, an exhibition of prototypes, and panels of speak- ers which were composed of pro- ject coordinators, representatives of different projects, as well as members from the private sec- tor, 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 nation- al 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 invest- ment in R & I, ultimately in you, because we believe that you can be the change we need for eco- nomic growth and a better quality of life," said Azzopardi Tanti. He concluded by saying that the next step is to further the inter- nationalisation 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 Technol- ogy, Dr. Tonio Portughese said that "MCST has administered around €27M, funnelling these funds towards projects that, be- sides being fundamental in sup- porting 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 individu- als, who developed 15 innovative research projects and said that these contribute towards the ad- vancement of knowledge and technology. For further information and reg- istration one can follow: https:// www.engagemalta.com