The Malta Chamber of Scientists has expressed its satisfaction at the creation of the ministerial portfolio in Research, Innovation and Coordination of the Post-COVID-19 Strategy.

In a statement, the Chamber said that this “indicates a commitment of the Government of Malta to giving a much-needed boost to Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) in Malta.”

It went on to say that it “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, the Chamber said.

It stressed that Malta also needs more funding for basic and applied sciences, access to research infrastructures, as well as national doctoral and postdoctoral programmes to build its capacity.

The Chamber called on the Government to prioritise and support the engagement of researchers and innovators with stakeholders across society.

The Malta Chamber of Scientists concluded by saying that it 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.

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