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FORT Binġemma, a historic former military site has offi- cially been transferred to Xjen- za Malta for conversion into a science centre, the government announced. A family that had lived in the fort long after their lease ex- pired were finally evicted from the building by the government last August. On Tuesday, the Lands Au- thority formally carried out the transfer of property to Xjenza Malta, the government science agency, to transform the site in- to a national centre for science, education, and innovation. The fort is situated on a hill in Bingemma, a hamlet on the outskirts of Rabat. It was built between 1875 and 1878 by the British as part of the defenc- es along the Victoria Lines. Its military use had long been abandoned when the fort was leased in the early 1980s to a family for use as a pig farm. Government took steps to evict the family in 2009, a process that was aborted multiple times until the action was completed this year. Lands and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said at the sign- ing ceremony that the transfor- mation will become a symbol of how heritage can be turned into a driver for scientific growth. "With this step, we are show- ing how Malta can place its his- torical identity as the founda- tion for a future of innovation and learning," Bonnici said. Xjenza Malta CEO Silvio Scerri said the initiative to transform the historic fort into what he called Space Park Mal- ta, was intended to create a "fu- ture founded on knowledge and opportunity". Space Park Malta will be de- veloped, Scerri said, with full respect for the historical char- acter of the fort, while offering modern infrastructure such as an earth observation centre, which will use satellite data for maritime security, environ- mental monitoring, and land use. The park will also include a research observatory as well as a public observatory, giving students and families access to the skies through guided learn- ing. The project will also feature a public library and collaborative spaces for learning and innova- tion. It will provide a dedicated environment for start-ups in the space sector, with the aim of nurturing a new economic ecosystem that connects entre- preneurship and science, Scerri added. He promised that sustaina- bility will be an integral part of the design, with the use of solar energy, intelligent energy man- agement systems, rainwater harvesting, public gardens and open spaces with indigenous planting, and lighting that pre- serves Malta's night skies. "The transformation of Fort Binġemma into Space Park Malta symbolises a national commitment to honour the past, enrich the present, and prepare for a future built on science, education, and innova- tion," Scerri said. Xjenza Malta CEO Silvio Scerri (left) shaking hands with Lands Authority CEO Robert Vella after the formal transfer of Fort Bingemma was completed in the presence of Culture Minister Owen Bonnici 12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 24 SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWS Fort Bingemma transferred to Xjenza Malta for space observatory KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt