Through investment in educational institutions, Malta can be at the forefront of research and innovation, said Prime Minister Robert Abela as he inaugurated the research and innovation laboratories which form part of the TRAKE (Transdisciplinary Research and Knowledge Exchange) complex.
These laboratories are aimed for use within the field of engineering and are part of the first building at the University of Malta which is dedicated to research. The laboratories will welcome students who are studying at Masters and Doctorate levels and will carry out research related to artificial intelligence, manufacturing engineering, as well as automation and robotic engineering for land, sea, and aerospace vehicles.
The Prime Minister said that the synergy between Ministries and other entities such as the University of Malta is a clear sign of where the government wants to take the country within the coming years, which he said is to the forefront of the technological advances which are happening around the world. He continued that this investment of €39 million in both public and European funds is a testimony of investment in the country’s education. He remarked that the government’s decision to reform the stipend system, which included an increase, particularly for students studying in fields of the future, forms part of this vision.
During his visit to the laboratories, Abela spoke with the students who are also researching electronics testing where smart technologies are being created and applied in various fields so that efficiency can be improved in cases such as energy use in buildings.
He said that it is the students who bring about the success of a project such as the one inaugurated at the University, as the laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment are given life through the students.
Abela spoke about a visit he had earlier this week to the Trelleborg factory. He said that there are many companies in the country which are thriving with innovation and offer quality products which end up in widespread use on a daily basis, such as cars, mobile phones, medicine, and other products. He said that therefore, such an investment is important because through it students are being prepared for what they will find and experience in the industry, and that these students will then go on and shape where the industry goes.
He added that while investments are being made in top-level laboratories for research and innovation, the government also wants to invest in those students “who do with their hands what they see with their eyes”. He referred to the trade courses which also involve science and technology.
Prime Minister Abela concluded by saying that the initiative at the University of Malta is not an isolated one and that in tandem with the seeds which have been planted in new industrial areas, it gives a clear indication that what is being done is so that the country can continue fostering a relationship with science and technology even in early education, and so that education is aligned with the economy which is being created.