State of Play of Research and Innovation in Malta

Dr Jeffrey Pullicino OrlandoExecutive Chairman

Malta Council for Science and Technology

Background to Malta

• Smallest EU Member State • Southern-most tip of Europe • Open economy, heavy reliance on international

trade.• Estimated GDP in 2012 - €6,755.9 million

The National R&I Framework

Priorities for MCST 2013-2018

1. Encouraging an increase in funding available for R&D

2. Incentivising the participation of the private sector

3. Increasing the Human Capital base

We will also aim at encouraging further participation of women in the sector and reducing bureaucracy.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology

• Government advisory body established in 1988.

• Responsible for National Strategy and Policy in the field of Research and Innovation (R&I)

• The management and administration of the National Research and Innovation Funding Programme and the Commercialisation Programme.

• National Contact organisation for the EU’s Research and Development Framework Programme (FP7).

• Science Communication

Statistics on Malta’s R&I framework

• Gross Expenditure on R&D in 2011 was 0.73% of GDP, out of which:

- 0.49% from business- 0.02% from government- 0.22% from higher education• Number of researchers: 755

FTE in 2011• Target for R and D

expenditure 2020 raised to 2% GDP (2013)

The National R&I Policy Framework• The National Strategic Plan for Research and

Innovation 2007-2010 .

- Defined vision for R&I in Malta (“Research and Innovation at the heart of the Maltese economy to spur knowledge-driven and value-added growth and wealth”).

- Established a mission to be achieved over this time period (“Building and sustaining a R&I enabling framework”)

- Identified 66 measures to implement seven strategic principles.

- Highly business-driven.

• The draft National R&I Strategic Plan 2020- Retains mission and vision, and business focus- Retains Increased focus on innovation support

measures including non-technological innovation

• Smart specialisation framework

Overview of Malta’s Smart Specialisation Strategy

• Ex-ante conditionality linked to the unlocking of EU funding for the 2014-2020 programming period

• Aims to focus investment on key areas of competitive advantage.

• Seeks to reduce fragmentation and build critical mass• Aims to draw up policies and measures which

adequately address the needs of the private sector towards economic development

• Backed by the highest level of political endorsement , to ensure a coherent, common vision across the board

• Work undertaken to date include economic analysis, consultations with the public and private sector (including one-to-one meetings and focus groups) and continuous liaison with our assigned expert.

• The final strategy is expected to be ready by October 2013.

Emerging issues in smart specialisation

• The importance of retaining a good degree of flexibility and calling for a prudent balance between economic diversification and smart specialisation .

• The need to strengthen the local R&I ecosystem , which is very young, and which still requires some important building blocks to be put in place, such as support for IP protection and post-doctoral support schemes. A lot of emphasis is being made on such horizontal enablers.

• Capacity building in infrastructures

• Access to finance.

The Health R&I Strategy

- launched in early 2013.

- Steering group involving medical experts, policy experts and economists.

- Methodology – bottom-up and inclusive public consultation.

- 10 Recommendations, out of which:

1) Set up a national governance framework and support system for Health R&I2) Increase funding for Health R&I

Manufacturing Research Strategy

• Value-added manufacturing identified as a priority research area for Malta.

• Malta has an active manufacturing sector with products ranging from microelectronics, to pharmaceuticals, medical devices and several other sectors, including international firms.

• The aims of the strategy are to put together a plan on how to encourage the manufacturing sector to further embrace research and innovation in order to migrate up the value chain and remainsustainable for longer.

• The strategy proposes the setting up of Technology Platforms in order to strengthen and focus on particular niches within the manufacturing sector.

COST- European Cooperation in Science and Technology • MCST is the National Contact

Organisation for COST.

• 35 member countries.

• One of the longest-running collaboration initiatives in Europe.

• Promotes transnational coordination of nationally-funded research.

• There are currently over 150 persons based in Malta participating in a variety of COST Actions.

The European Institute for Innovation and Technology

• Agency of the European Union set up in 2008. • Aims at addressing Europe's innovation gap • Is the EU's flagship education institute designed to

assist innovation, research and growth in the EU. • Provides grants to "Knowledge and Innovation

Communities“.• The first three KICs were selected in 2009.

The Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) proposal

• Malta is preparing to submit an application to participate in a KIC initiative in 2014. The initiative will have an investment volume of up to €1.6 billion, and selection of the successful applicant depends on a competitive call for proposals.

• The lead institution for this application is Leuphana University of Lüneburg , Germany. Other partners include ICHOM (International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement) with its shareholders Karolinska Institute , Harvard University and Boston Consulting Group , Sclavo Vaccines Association of Italy with the Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health, the Medical University of Göttingen , and the University of Zurich .

• The proposal addresses the societal challenge of a progressively ageing population in Europe and beyond. The aim of this project would be to unlock the economic growth potential of this demographic change , primarily through ‘Big Data ’ and allow people to lead an active life well into old age.

The 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development

• Main financial instrument for funding RTD.• €54 billion for the period 2007-2013, allocated

competitively.• Four pillars in FP7 - Cooperation, People, Ideas and

Capacities.• Most S&T areas covered, including environment, ICT,

health and social sciences, and areas which aim to improve the career prospects of researchers.

• MCST is the National Contact Organisation for FP7 which involves managing a network of Programme Committee delegates and National Contact Points who liaise with Maltese researchers, the EU Commission and their counterparts abroad to foster collaboration in FP7 projects.

Malta’s participation in FP7 and future prospects for Horizon 2020

•To date, around 150 Maltese participants have sought to tap into FP7 funds of which around 130 have been successful.•Malta participates in projects mainly focusing on ICT and Aviation . •Strongest participants are SMEs and the University of Malta . •Malta has tapped into just over approximately €13 million in funds and is ranked 6th amongst the EU 27 member states in terms of number of FP7 participants per capita. •Horizon 2020 is the follow up programme to FP7 for the period 2014-2020 (envisaged budget of approximately €80 billion).•Through Horizon 2020, MCST aims to increase Malta’s success in terms of funds per capita - focus on health, demographic change and well being, food security, marine research, secure, clean and efficient energy.

The National R&I Fund

• Composed of the National R&I Programme (since 2004) and the Commercialisation Programme (since 2012).

• Over 50 applied research projects financed through collaborations between industry and academia.

• Focused on Health/ Biotech; Advanced Manufacturing; Energy and Environment; and ICT.

• The Commercialisation Programme seeks to support the commercialisation of technologies through funding for patent checks, IP registration, market research and business plans.

• Funding has quadrupled over the years

Overview of some funded projects

• Desalination of Sea/Brackish Water by Decentralized Solar Energy Units

• Cleaner Flight Operations in Departure and Approach in Maltese Airspace

• Investigation of Chaperone Modulators as Regulators of Diabetes, Cancer and Stem cell Expansion

• Auxetic Materials which exhibit the unusual properties of becoming wider when stretched and thinner when compressed whilst materials with negative thermal expansion coefficient expand when cooled and get smaller when heated.

Competence Tandems

• Recent initiative of the Council.

• Focused on establishing pure academic research groups.

• Encourages partnering between local and international leading academics.

• Undertakes research on a full time basis on Malta’s priority areas.

• Programme aims at addressing brain-drain

Hybrid Venture Capital Fund

• Looking into establishing a local hybrid Venture Capital fund.

• Fund would include a Government investment fund as well as private funding.

• Targets investors who wish to move beyond the property market - new technology opportunities promise a better return.

“Dragon’s Den” Initiative

• Seeks at addressing insufficient awareness of Maltese technological developments by the public; much stronger awareness of developments abroad.

• Aims to popularise local technology R&I with the local community by generating and broadcasting local content alongside imported programmes.

• TV programme where local business angels would evaluate local entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas with the intention of financing them.

• MCST would ensure that the process is totally open and transparent.

Science Communication

• Science popularisation Unit set up in 2010

• ESF Funded Project “Science Popularisation Campaign”involving:

- Two large-scale Science & Technology Festivals (2009 and 2010)

- Six Science-in-the-Community events.

- Media campaign (TV mini series and radio spots)

- Training course in science animation

- Mobile science fair

The National Interactive Science Centre

• ERDF funded project with a total budget of €26 million.

• Project aims towards attracting more students to take up science and technology subjects as their main study areas.

• Will provide the consolidated environment and setting where students and the general public immerse themselves in a unique interactive science experience.

• Project intends to promote better communication of science in Malta especially at primary and secondary school levels by making it more relevant, hands-on and fun.

• Works should commence last quarter of 2013.

• The NISC will be opening its doors in 2015.

The National Interactive Science Centre

Thank you