English Version :
Over €1,250,000 invested in research and innovation projects in energy and water
With an investment of more than €1,250,000 in 11 research and innovation projects in the fields of energy and water, solutions are being found to the challenges our country is facing. The Energy and Water Agency, through its research and innovation scheme, awarded an average of €110,000 per project in the first and second call.
This was announced at a press conference by Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli, together with Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti. During this press conference, the third call for such projects was launched. Unlike previous calls, this year applicants are required to be in a partnership consisting of a combination of academic, public or private sector entities, thus creating synergy between different parties.
Applicants can benefit up to €200,000 for each project focusing on increasing sustainability such as projects on photovoltaic panels and battery storage, and water efficient agricultural systems.
A grant agreement was also presented to the researchers of the six awarded projects through the second call. These projects will be tackling different challenges within water and energy areas, including better mapping of offshore groundwater resources or improving the efficiency of renewable energy systems.
Research and innovation are tools that can address situations that our country is facing such as systems for greater energy efficiency, improved water quality or renewable energy systems, to make Malta more sustainable.
Minister Miriam Dalli highlighted that, “Through this investment, we are assisting researchers to develop their ideas towards changes in sustainability. Through the second call other projects have benefited and made this scheme a success, therefore I look forward in seeing more collaboration to enhance efficiency and support research and innovation.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation, Keith Azzopardi Tanti explained how the fields of energy and water are given importance through research and innovation. “I encourage both private and public sectors to participate in this scheme, to develop projects to enhance the efficient use of energy and water. The third call of this scheme proves the government’s determination in continuing investing in research and innovation,” remarked the Parliamentary Secretary.
Maltese Version :
Iktar minn €1,250,000 investiti fi proġetti ta’ riċerka u innovazzjoni fl-oqsma tal-ilma u tal-enerġija
B’investiment ta’ iktar minn €1,250,000 fi 11-il proġett ta’ riċerka u innovazzjoni fl-oqsma tal-enerġija u tal- ilma, qed jinstabu soluzzjonijiet għal problemi u sitwazzjonijiet li jiffaċċja pajjiżna. L-Aġenzija għall-Enerġija u l-Ilma permezz tal-iskema tagħha għar-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni tat medja ta’ €110,000 lil kull proġett fl-ewwel u fit-tieni sejħa għal proġetti.
Dan tħabbar waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet mill-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli, flimkien mas-Segretarju Parlamentari għaż-Żgħażagħ, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni Keith Azzopardi Tanti. Matul din il-konferenza tħabbar ukoll il-ftuħ tat-tielet sejħa għal dawn it-tip ta’ proġetti. B’differenza għal sejħiet preċedenti, din is-sena l-applikanti huma mitluba li jkunu f’partnership li tikkonsisti minn taħlita ta’ entitajiet akkademiċi, entitajiet pubbliċi jew mis-settur privat, u b’hekk tinħoloq sinerġija bejn partijiet differenti.
L-applikanti jistgħu japplikaw għal massimu ta’ €200,000 għal kull proġett u għandhom jiffukaw fuq oqsma li jgħinu biex iwasslu għal sostenibbiltà akbar, fosthom: proġetti fuq pannelli fotovoltajiċi u ħażna tal-batteriji, u sistemi ta’ konservazzjoni tal-ilma fl-agrikoltura.
Ingħata wkoll grant agreement lir-riċerkaturi tas-sitt proġetti li ntgħażlu mit-tieni sejħa. Dawn il-proġetti se jkunu qed jaħdmu fuq titjib f’diversi oqsma tal-ilma u tal-enerġija, fosthom titjib fuq it-tiftix tal-ilma tal-pjan jew titjib fl-effiċjenza tas-sistemi ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli.
Ir-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni huma għodda li jistgħu jindirizzaw sitwazzjonijiet li jħabbat wiċċu magħhom pajjiżna bħal sistemi għal iktar effiċjenza fl-enerġija, titjib fil-kwalità tal-ilma jew anke sistemi ta’ enerġiji rinnovabbli, u dan kollu biex Malta ssir pajjiż aktar sostenibbli.
Il-Ministru Dalli sostniet, “Huwa ta’ sodisfazzjon għalina li ngħinu riċerkaturi li qed jaħdmu favur bidliet sostenibbli. B’dan l-investiment qed ngħinu lill-applikanti jiżviluppaw l-ideat tagħhom. Bħalma rajna proġetti li bbenefikaw b’suċċess minn dawn is-sejħiet, inħares ’il quddiem biex naraw aktar kollaborazzjonijet ta’ dan it-tip biex insaħħu l-effiċjenza u nappoġġaw ir-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni.”
Is-Segretarju Parlamentari għaż-Żgħażagħ, ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni Keith Azzopardi Tanti qal li permezz ta’ inizjattivi bħal dawn, ir-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni qed tingħata pjattaforma akbar fil-qasam tal-enerġija u l-ilma. “Inħeġġu lis-setturi pubbliċi u privati biex jieħdu sehem f’din is-sejħa biex jiġu żviluppati proġetti li jtejbu l-
effiċjenza fl-użu tal-ilma u tal-enerġija. Il-fatt li s-sejħa qed tinfetaħ għat-tielet darba turi d-determinazzjoni tal- gvern li jkompli jinvesti fir-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni,” tenna s-segretarju parlamentari.
Din it-tielet sejħa se tkun qed tinvesti nofs miljun ewro f’proġetti ta’ riċerka u innovazzjoni. L-applikazzjonijiet għal din is-sejħa se jkunu qed jiftħu fil-bidu ta’ Ġunju wara li ssir sessjoni ta’ informazzjoni għal dawk kollha interessati.