In this section please find guidelines and policies related to Research and Innovation. You can also find presentations delivered during past events MCST was invovled in. 

The European Charter & Code for Researchers

In 2005, the European Commission adopted a European Charter for Researchers and a Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers. These two documents, addressed to researchers as well as research employers and funders in both the public and private sectors, are key elements in the EU's policy to boost researchers' careers.

Guidelines for Collecting and Reporting Data in Research and Experimental Development

Click here for more information

Frascati Manual 2015

University of Malta Information Session - 03/02/2020

UoM presentation 030220 - Internationalisation Initiatives by Corinne Muscat Terribile.pdf

Research & Innovation Day - Gozo Edition - 31.01.2020

• 1. FUSION Web Version.pdf
• 2. Horizon 2020_0.pdf
• 3. IPAS+.pdf
• 4. Internationalisation.pdf
• 5. Strategy consultation.pdf

IPAS+ Calls

The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) is receiving proposals under the Internationalisation Partnership Awards Scheme Plus (IPAS+). The Scheme is divided into two options. Applicants are to fill in the appropriate sections of the form; they may select either Option A or Option B, or both:

Option A: opportunities for collaborative initiatives between Maltese entities and at least one foreign entity of proven track record of excellence. Proposals should describe the nature of the joint activities that would be funded through the Award. Applicants are to demonstrate how the proposed activities contribute towards and align with achieving the goals of the National R&I Strategy, and to describe the potential of any activities to become self-sustaining or generate longer-term outcomes.

Option B: opportunities for Maltese entities intending to submit a Horizon Europe proposal as the coordinator of the consortium to engage a service provider (local or foreign) who will be supporting the applicant through proposal writing and submission

Additional information can be found on website: http://mcst.gov.mt/ri-ipas-open-calls/ . Alternatively, interested parties may contact Mr. Mark Farrugia on 23602178 or 23602000.

The R&I FUSION Programme

FUSION, a National Funding Programme, is supported through Malta Government funds and managed by the Malta Council for Science and Technology. The programme will run from 2014 to 2020. The main objectives of FUSION are: to raise the level and profile of locally funded research; to ingrain research and innovation at the heart of the Maltese economy; to spur knowledge-driven and value-added growth and to sustain improvements in the quality of life. This, by translating research results into commercial activities that generate a multiplier effect on the economy at large.   This vision also enables projects to increase Malta’s competitiveness in priority industries by enabling additional high-value, knowledge-intensive employment in Malta’s priority industries. In addition, research and innovation will create further opportunities for highly qualified graduates within the industry which will, in turn, generate other graduate opportunities in the long term.

FUSION also provides the form in which public and private enterprises invest in more innovative, eco-efficient products and services. This, in turn, enables the Maltese economy to become more resource-efficient, competitive and attractive to foreign investors.

Please click here for more information

Find Contact Information here.

National Research & Innovation Strategies & Policies

National Research and Innovation Strategy 2020

MCST launched the National Research and Innovation Strategy 2020 with the following aims:

• To embed research and innovation at the heart of the Maltese economy in an effort to spur knlowedge driven and value-added growth
• To sustain improvements in citizen's quality of life  

Three fundamental pillars were outlined in the Strategy in order to strengthen and enhance research and innovation activities in Malta across all sectors. The first two pillars seek to bolster the research and innovation ecosystem and improve the knowledge base. The third pillar is a strategy in itself - the Smart Specialisation Strategy - which identified a limited number of economic niches in Malta that demonstrated a potential for growth through innovation. Smart Specialisation is linked to the Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 as an ex-ante conditionality. Further information on the strategy can be accessed here

National R&I Monitoring Report 2018

The main aim of this report is to monitor the implementation of the actions in the National Research and Innovation Strategy 2020 and the R&I Action Plan 2015-2020. A comprehensive set of indicators covering

the three Pillars and Action Lines were established with the support of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Policy Support Facility (PSF). Data was collected from NSO, Eurostat and directly from stakeholders.For more information please click here. 

Peer Review Design of the Maltese Research and Innovation System 

The objective of the Peer Review of the Maltese Research and Innovation (R&I) System is to provide recommendations to inform the design of the next National R&I Strategy Plan 2020. The review will assess to what extent Malta has adequate and appropriate policies, structures, resources, measures and instruments in place to achieve the country's goals. In contrast to reviews of the Maltese R&I system carried out in the past, which have been partial in scope, the present exercise tackles the entire R&I system. Please click here for more information.

National Research and Innovation Strategy Post 2020

A consultation has been held where the objective was to provide an outline of the potential RIS3 areas for 2021-2027 and is being put forward for public consultation to confirm, or otherwise, whether the outcomes of the EDP truly reflect the R&I potential and the economic strengths of Malta, ensuring that investments are made to support Malta’s competitiveness in the coming seven years. This consultation might also reveal gaps in the analysis carried out, and hence, the final RIS3 Strategy could indeed look very different. To learn more click here

National Space Policy

This very first National Space Policy published in 2017, asserts a national drive to encourage established and already developed economic sectors utilising satellite technologies and related data, whilst also incentivise start-ups and small and medium enterprise (SME) investment in new economic areas, particularly those encompassing synergies with existing Maltese competencies. It is recognized that despite the importance of awareness-raising measures, such as conferences, workshops and related events, a more focused capacity-building approach is often necessary. This is particularly important since the local sector is somewhat considered at its inception stage. It is well recognised that training, collaborative and funding opportunities for research and innovation projects, as well as internationalisation efforts where possible, provide the means for developing critical mass. Capacity-building measures should be focussed on national needs, yet with due consideration given to European initiatives and programmes. Such consideration ensures European-calibre development to help reduce disparities between established players and emerging ones like Malta. This approach would enable Malta to be in a better position in terms of accessing European Union funds and markets on satellite data and the eventual provision of new products and services. This aids shaping a relatively new economic activity that is complementary to Malta’s efforts in modernising the industry by transforming it into a knowledge based one. For more information please click here. 

National Strategy for Research and Innovation in Energy and Water 2021-2030

The Energy and Water Agency has been entrusted with the development of Malta’s National Strategy for Research and Innovation in Energy and Water. The Strategy document is intended to provide a high level framework for research activity in these two sectors for the period 2021-2030.  The development of the National Strategy for R&I in Energy and Water is closely linked to the European drive to expand and further R&I activities, as this is increasingly viewed as a cross-cutting measure necessary to enable Member States realise their national ambitions and the EU, as a whole, to deliver on its overarching objectives. In line with this perspective, the Strategy seeks to further support research and innovation work in energy and water, two areas deemed to be of national importance.The National Strategy is expected to build on existing strengths and seek to address current gaps. It also identifies high level priority areas for R&I activities for the next decade, aligned with the country’s long-term vision of national and EU energy and water policy, with a view towards the wider goals of decarbonisation, sustainability, and affordability. For more information, please click here