Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/321747
39 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 1 JUNE 2014 Events MSC Cruises and Fincantieri announce two new builds Today MSC Cruises signed a con- tract with Fincantieri for the con- struction of two new cruise ships, with an option for one more. The two ships will join MSC Cruises' f leet, currently counting 12 ships. The signature took place at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome between MSC Cruises and Fincantieri in the presence of the Executive Chair- man of MSC Cruises Pierfrances- co Vago, the CEO of MSC Cruises, Gianni Onorato, and the CEO of Fincantieri, Giuseppe Bono. The new prototype will be named "Seaside" and will be the largest cruise ship ever built by Fincan- tieri. Its innovative features will make it unique in the shipbuilding industry. The two ships will lead the way for a new generation of cruise ships that will be complete- ly different from an architectural point of view. "From the moment we started talking with Fincantieri, we had in mind to design and build two com- pletely new ships, revolutionary in their structure, unlike anything that exists on the market today" said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises. "Seaside is a futuristic prototype because of its structure, shape and versatility. Working closely with Fincantieri we are getting ready for the new and compelling challenge that the construction of these ships represents. It will be a real revolution in the world's cruise market, an excellent prod- uct for its unique and innovative architectural features and cutting- edge technology." The two new ships will cost €700 million each, and will be funded with the support of the insurance and financial company SACE. The two ships will be delivered to Gi- anluigi Aponte's company at dif- ferent times: the first in November 2017, the second in May 2018. With a length of 323 metres, a width of 41 metres and a height of 70 me- tres, the new ships will have a gross tonnage of 154,000 tons and will accommodate up to 5,300 pas- sengers plus 1,413 crewmembers. The ships will boast 2,070 guest cabins, 759 for crewmembers, and 43,500 square metres of public ar- eas available. Innovative in design and versatility, the new ships will be able to dock in any port around the world. Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincan- tieri declared "This is a special day for us. Today is the start of an ambitious and new adventure with our friends from MSC, a group that prides itself on its quality and Mediterranean style. These ships, which represent a genuine design challenge, will be developed en- tirely by Fincantieri, confirming our technological supremacy over other shipbuilders globally. "Our commitment to innovation covers all high value-added sec- tors, thanks to the involvement of more than 2,000 technicians and 160 employees dedicated to basic research, as well as a partner net- work of Italian and European cen- tres of excellence. This core asset is what makes our group unique in its kind in the world, and allows us not only to reaffirm our leader- ship in a sector as complex as the cruise one, but also to count on a substantial order backlog that bodes well for a full recovery in our business." MSC Cruises are exclusively rep- resented in the Maltese Islands by Hamilton Travel Co. Ltd of 4, St.Publius Street, Floriana. They have been their General Sales Agents since 1999. During the Summer of 2014 the MSC Cruise Liner "Lirica" will be calling at Malta every Wednesday and em- barking Maltese and Gozitan pas- sengers for 8 day/7 nights Western Mediterranean Cruises. Alfred Farrugia, Anthony Miceli Say- don, Joseph Pisani, George Schembri and Joseph Meli are the five winners of a GO Sports competition who, this week, will be travelling to Lisbon to watch the UEFA Champions League Final. Kurt Camilleri, Head of Marketing at GO, said, "GO is the home of Pre- mium Sports, with exclusive rights to broadcast the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1 and, of course, the UEFA Champions League. "In addition, many other leading sports events are broadcast on GO Sports including tennis, golf, rugby and Formula 1. Through our ongoing investment in Premium Sports, we are able to delight some of our Sports customers with tickets to watch the world's best sports events live." The five winners of the SMS com- petition, which took place between 30 March and 27 April, will fly to Lisbon where they will stay for two nights and attend the UEFA Cham- pions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. The final will take place in the city's Está- dio da Luz, on the 24 May. The standard GO Sports serv- ice is available to all those who are subscribed to the Silver or Gold TV packages for an extra €7.99 per month. GO Sports Premium, which gives digital terrestrial subscribers access to six channels and interac- tive customers access to 8 channels, also includes a number of Football Club channels including Manchester United, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Inter and Liverpool. GO Sports Pre- mium is available as an optional add- on to Silver or Gold TV subscribers for €14.99 a month. GO interactive TV customers who also subscribe to the HD package will also enjoy GO Sports 1 and GO Sports 2 in HD. More information on GO's TV service and the various packages available can be obtained from all GO retail outlets and exclusive resel- lers, by calling Freephone 80072121 or visiting www.go.com.mt Allcare Insurance opens branch in Mosta Young research chemist is the new face of science in Malta Allcare Insurance Limited is continuing to expand its branch network and has opened its third branch of- fice since the company's launch last year. The new branch, in Con- stitution Street Mosta, is centrally and strategically located to ensure clients have easy access to the in- surance company and the range of non- life insurance products being offered by the Company. "Following the great feed- back we received and the high footfall in our branch- es in Naxxar and Birkirkara last year, we are continuing to expand our reach across the island. We want to be as accessible as we possibly can and want to facilitate mat- ters for our clients wherever possible." said Nadia Pace, Chief Commercial Officer at Allcare Insurance Ltd. This premises also serves as a branch office of Crys- tal Finance Investments, a leading Investment Services provider that is the exclusive local representative for UBS Investment Funds. The Allcare Mosta branch will be open from 8.00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday and every last Satur- day of the month. Allcare policyholders will be able to avail themselves of the full array of services from this branch office from policy enquiries due to claim sub- mission. Allcare Insurance Ltd is authorized by the Malta Financial Services Author- ity to transact all classes of Non-Life Insurance busi- ness. Crystal Finance Invest- ments Limited is licensed by the MFSA to provide Invest- ment Services. For more information, visit www.allcare.com.mt or w w w.facebook.com/A llca- reInsuranceLimited Maria Stella Portelli was named the national winner of the FameLab com- petition and will represent Malta at the International Final at the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK. Supported by the British Council, FameLab is pro- viding this young research chemist with the skills to share her research with a wider audience. The winning presentation illustrated how most people have a well-defined image of what scientists should look like which does not conform to the reality. Scientific data that proves how the pub- lic perceives scientists was presented while highlighting the need to rebrand science. Maria Stella Portelli, a Biology and Chemistry graduate from the Univer- isty of Malta, is currently working as a Research Chemist at Medichem Manu- facturing Ltd. where she works on the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Communicating science accessibly and attractively is an ever-growing priority for researchers worldwide. Organised by British Council (Malta) in partner- ship with the National Student Travel Foundation (NSTF) and the University Research Trust (RIDT), and with the support of the Parliamentary Secretar- iat for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport, Microsoft, APS Bank, Vodafone, and Stage Malta, FameLab helps young scientists acquire valuable skills to com- municate their work to a non-scientific audience. By doing so, researchers not only change the common stereotype of the scientist as "the geek in the white lab coat busy doing strange things", but also justify public funding for their research. The FameLab Malta initiative is in line with RIDT, highlighting the value and usefulness of science and research. RIDT actively seeks additional funds to further the advancement of research in all areas of study in Malta. "FameLab aims to discover charismat- ic, up-and-coming scientists who in- spire people to see the world from a new perspective...in just three minutes. This is directly linked to the British Council's aim to offer young people learning op- portunities, help improve the quality of education and bring together current and future leaders to tackle issues fac- ing society," said Ingrid Eomois from the British Council. The three-minute presentations were judged by a panel of scientists and communication experts according to FameLab's golden rule – the 3C's: Con- tent, Clarity and Charisma. The judging panel consisted of Ecologist Dr Sandro Lanfranco, lecturer Dr Kenneth Scerri and last year's FameLab Malta winner and lecturer Dr Owen Falzon. One of the biggest prizes for all finalists was the opportunity to attend a science com- munication master class led by Quentin Cooper. The FameLab winners from all par- ticipating countries will compete in June at the International Final at the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK. FameLab is an initiative of the Chelten- ham Festivals started in 2005 in part- nership with NESTA and has quickly grown into arguably the world's leading science communication competition. A partnership with the British Coun- cil since 2007 has seen the competition go global with more than 5,000 young scientists and engineers participating in over 23 different countries. NASA has license to deliver the competition in the USA. For more information about FameLab, please visit: http://www. famelab.org/ (from left) GO Sports winners Joseph Meli, Joseph Pisani, Anthony Miceli Saydon, George Schembri, Alfred Farrugia flanked by Laurie Pace, Brand Marketing Co-ordinator and Kurt Camilleri, Head of Marketing at GO Five GO Sports customers head to Lisbon for the UEFA Champions League final Maria Stella Portelli