Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542822
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JANUARY 2026 COMMERCIAL Xjenza Malta launches first joint research funding call with Poland ON Wednesday 21 January, the senior management team of MCAST, made up of the insti- tute directors and the Deputy Principal for Vocational and Professional education, were very kindly hosted by Maypole Caterers at their Bakery in Tal- Ħandaq, Ħal Qormi. They were received by owners Mario and James Debono, CEO Rueben Debono and Market- ing Manager Roderick Vella. They were given a presentation about the way this family-run business has evolved from a tra- ditional bakery owned by the Debono family in Ħal Qormi to a fully-fledged company em- ploying around 900 employees. While well rooted in tradition- al Maltese bread making, the company is always on the look- out for new business opportu- nities with community-based food retail at its core. Later, the MCAST team were given a very interesting tour of the factory, going around kitchens, ovens and packaging stations. This visit was one of sever- al outreach initiatives that the College organises in order to keep in touch with the econom- ic operators where our students will be taking up research, work placements or eventual employ- ment. MCAST hosted by Maypole Caterers XJENZA Malta, in collabora- tion with Poland's National Centre for Research and Devel- opment (NCBR) has officially launched the first-ever Mal- ta-Poland Call for Research and Innovation (R&I) Propos- als. This inaugural Call marks another significant milestone in Xjenza Malta's expanding internationalisation portfolio, further strengthening oppor- tunities for Malta-based re- searchers and innovators to en- gage in international research collaboration. The Joint Call is a direct out- come of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in Research and Innovation, signed between the Maltese and Polish governments in November 2024, and the first high-level Joint Committee Meeting held in September 2025 at Villa Bighi, Kalkara. During this meeting, Xjenza Malta and NCBR committed to concrete cooperative actions aimed at strengthening bilat- eral scientific ties between the two countries. The Malta–Poland Joint Call for R&I Proposals will support collaborative projects joint- ly undertaken by Maltese and Polish research-performing entities across six strategic thematic areas aligned with Malta's Smart Specialisation Strategy. These include Smart Man- ufacturing, Digital Technol- ogies, Health & Well-being, Sustainable Use of Resources, Marine & Maritime Technol- ogies, Aerospace, Aviation & Space and Cultural Heritage. Malta-based research entities are invited to apply for finan- cial support of up to €150,000 per project through Xjenza Malta's newly launched Ac- cess2GlobalResearch (A2GR) Scheme, with applications due by 30 March 2026. Following Xjenza Malta's endorsement of the Maltese partner, Polish col- laborators will be required to submit a scientific proposal to NCBR under its INNOGLOBO Scheme by 30 April 2026. To support prospective appli- cants, Xjenza Malta will be or- ganising an online information session on 6 February 2026 at 10:30 AM CET. The session will provide guid- ance on research entity eligibil- ity, eligible costs, submission procedures and partner-search tools including Plumtri and NCBR's PartFinder. Registra- tion for the session is open un- til 4 February 2026. For more information, pro- spective applicants are en- couraged to visit the Xjenza Malta website or contact the Internationalisation Unit at international.xjenzamalta@ gov.mt. The Joint Call is a direct outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in Research and Innovation, signed between the Maltese and Polish governments in November 2024, and the first high-level Joint Committee Meeting held in September 2025 at Villa Bighi Kalkara