The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) and the Malta Institute of Management (MIM) have identified main areas on which the two organisations will collaborate.

The two organisations agree that research and innovation management is fundamental for Malta’s economic growth. Companies, businesses and enterprises must be open to innovation and to research in their widest sense.

The organisations agree that, among others, research and innovation, and science and technology need continuous investment in Malta; and that there is a lack of awareness on the importance of investment in this area. The organisations feel there is a lack of educational programmes addressing various issues, particularly innovation management, and that there is a need for a change in culture towards structures that promote innovation.

The MCST is responsible for the national strategy for innovation in Malta while MIM is the leading organisation in training in management theories, skills and practices. In fact, the MIM group during the last year had over 1,500 participants in its training and educational activities.

The organisations said Malta had succeeded in managing culture change in the past. The shift towards an IT society was in itself a culture change, and it was a successful strategy that had worked over the years. Research and innovation should be no different.