Research opportunities

The EU CORDIS news website features an article published in the Sunday Times of Malta by the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potocnik, in which he urges Malta to seize the opportunities for cooperation offered by EU research projects. In his article, the Commissioner called on the Maltese Government to honour its commitment to raise R&D spending from 0.29 to 0.75 per cent of GDP by 2010, "so as to create the favourable conditions that then encourage greater private sector investment". From Cordis News:

..He said: 'public spending is extremely important - it can have a leverage effect on private spending, address market failure, and ensure that R&D is aligned with political priorities such as alternative energy sources, better provision of health services or developing entrepreneurship'..

He cited the European Technology Platforms (ETPs) as an example of a real driver of innovation, where a whole sector is brought together to establish a vision of where it would like to go. They also allow companies, universities, research institutes, financial organisations and consumers to identify the research needed to get there. The success of the European mobile communications industry was held up as a case in point.

As for FP7, the Commissioner highlighted possibilities for the involvement of companies in research projects and how the programme would particularly look into increasing the participation of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in cooperative projects. He said: 'I see great potential for Maltese companies to take advantage of both these aspects of the programme - because for a small country like Malta, European cooperation is vital. It can give Maltese scientists and companies access to facilities and infrastructure that are just not viable at national level.'

Mobility was held up as another advantage of EU membership. Almost 5 billion will be available under the mobility section of the programme to support researchers wishing to carry out their research in another Member State, or for university researchers interested in spending time working in industry. The European Commissioner concluded by saying that 'by engaging with European partners, Maltese companies, your university and your people will benefit directly. I very much hope that Malta will seize the opportunities offered by the new European programme, and get involved.'

Potocnik's article; The Malta Cordis site