The Malta Chamber of Scientists expresses its satisfaction at the creation of the ministerial portfolio in Research, Innovation and Coordination of the Post-COVID-19 Strategy, which indicates a commitment of the Government of Malta to giving a much-needed boost to Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) in Malta.
The Chamber fully concurs with a number of ideas raised in Parliament by the new Minister, Owen Bonnici. The creation of a national research institute, the allocation of sufficient funding to carry out world-leading RD&I, and the closer involvement of the private sector in scientific research in Malta would lead to a step-change in the Maltese RD&I landscape. Just as essential is funding for basic and applied sciences, access to research infrastructures, as well as national doctoral and postdoctoral programmes to build capacity. The Chamber also calls upon the Government of Malta to prioritise the engagement of researchers and innovators with stakeholders across society.
The Chamber looks forward to a national discussion involving all stakeholders, leading to policies which truly benefit the national RD&I ecosystem and lead to high-quality economic development for the country.
