The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) is an Initiative launched to build research and innovation capacities and to develop knowledge and common innovative solutions for agro-food systems, to make them sustainable, and for integrated water provision and management in the Mediterranean area, to make those systems and that provision and management more climate resilient, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally and socially sustainable, and to contribute to solving water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems upstream”.

Through a collaborative, cross-boundary approach among the 19 PRIMA Participating States consisting of European Union Member States, Associated Countries and Mediterranean Partner Countries on an equal footing basis (co-ownership, co-management and co-funding), the PRIMA programme focuses on common problems, aligning national programmes and increasing the required scale and scope by pooling financial and intellectual resources.

With this aim, PRIMA Participant States have developed a long-term Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), representing the cornerstone in strengthening research and innovation efforts. The joint efforts will improve Mediterranean citizens' health and livelihoods, encouraging economic growth, inducing more sustainable Mediterranean societies and stability. PRIMA SRIA is the reference document for all the actors involved in PRIMA towards implementing the initiative.

The main themes of PRIMA include:

• Water Management
• Sustainable Farming Systems
• Agri-food value chain
• WEFE Nexus

Through its programme, PRIMA will contribute to solving water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems contributing significantly to the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Mediterranean Region.

For more information on the PRIMA Programme click here. Find your National Contact Point here.

Funded projects

Please click here to access the list of projects funded in 2018

Please click here to access the list of projects funded in 2019

Please click here to access the list of projects funded in 2020

Please click here to access the list of projects funded in 2021

Projects funded by MCST that involve Maltese participation can be found listed here.

Success stories 

Participating States’ Initiated Activities and Other Activities undertaken by MCST

• MCST-TUBITAK Joint Call for R&I Proposals
• PRIMA Training and Mobility Award
• PRIMA Proposal Writing Assistance Scheme
• PRIMA Proposal Writing Workshop

More detailed information about these activities can be found in the latest Annual Work Plan.

PRIMA Observatory on Innovation

The Observatory is a digital platform collecting and sharing best practices in Agri-Food research, innovation and education in the MED area. It promotes new concrete solutions for our communities and enterprises and stimulates new partnerships among Euro Mediterranean researchers, innovators, businesses and stakeholders. The Observatory was developed within the PRIMA Programme. For more information, please click here.