Last week I tried to provide a snapshot of the main challenges in so far as Research and Innovation in our country are concerned. I focused on the European Research Area to highlight in, I hope, a better manner the key issues.

Like any major challenge there are also silver linings. 

This is why I believe that it time to engage in a frank and sound discussion as to how Malta can improve its overall spend on R&I, by expanding on its success stories, and opening up other sectors for R&I activities.
The prioritisation of R&I investments should be focused on continuing, and wherever possible local competitive funding for the benefit of the research community.

Improving our R&I performance requires taking decisive decisions in order to ensure that R&I policy truly acts an investment enabler across the widest possible range of policy areas

This means having the commitment to address structural bottlenecks in inter-ministerial cooperation – the vision is to have the new Ministry (MRIC) acting as a central coordinating body for all public R&I endeavours, in an inclusive process, in close collaboration with all institutional and private stakeholders.

Our vision complements the EU policy by equally attributing the necessary attention towards improving our researchers’ ability to achieve scientific excellence. At the local level, this clearly requires greater capacity-building, investments in research infrastructures and the adequate skilling of researchers, especially young researchers to access the opportunities of the EU’s Framework Programme.

Converting research into innovation, is a prerequisite for future-proofing our economy in a post-COVID scenario. This means engaging with the private sector, and mapping out the latent potential of our wider business community, in particular the larger industrial set ups to step up a gear and start considering by way of a change in mindset, the rationale of engaging in innovation. 

First steps need to be taken slowly and this will require as is the case with the public sector, the necessary capacity building, and the ability and knowhow to establish collaborative networks beyond the national scale.
The ERA is a highly relevant framework of policy reference for the future evolution of Malta’s R&I strategy. It provides a robust European framework which should help guide the convergence of our future policy orientations on R&I. We need to nurture the right investment climate for R&I in the local ecosystem and the best way to do so, besides improving financial resources, is by converging the national strategy with evolving European policy thinking on research policy.

Next steps include i) seeking greater capitalisation of opportunities through Horizon Europe (the future Framework Programme);  ii) addressing the fragmentation in our approach towards R&I, starting off with the public sector, which should lead by way of example; iii) supporting the networking of the local research community ; iv) investing in the future generation of excellent Maltese researchers, equipping them with the right skillset beyond their areas of scientific competence (such as project management), including through (foreign) mentoring; vi) providing incentives where possible for researchers who successfully participate in European/international projects; vii) embedding a culture of innovation in educational curricula; viii) seeking benchmarks with comparative but competitive jurisdictions; ix) improving the visibility of R&I activities and x) developing low-scale public-private partnerships in areas of nascent/relative strength. 

All this, in my view, can be achieved with reinvigorated governance – and this is where I believe we can deliver the most, by ensuring that there is political ownership and understanding at the highest level of what needs to be done in both the short and medium term.

This should go a long way in ensuring that local R&I endeavours act as enablers of growth, investment and job creation across different economic sectors.

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I like to think of myself as a sort of 100% grassroot politician.  Of course being a member of Cabinet limits to a very great deal the liberty to speak your mind in public but gives you a tremendous opportunity to voice the concern of the people where it matters the most.

I have been watching closely the career of the one and only Alexandria Ocasio Cortez who prides herself in being a Socialist American from New York who is “completely grassroot”.  She is one of a number of politicians closely associated with Senator Bernie Sanders.

With all honesty, I truly believe that the Labour Party since being elected in 2013 has done everything that AOC stands for – introduced free child care, bolstered free education, free healthcare, boosted employment opportunities, strengthened social equality (LGBT rights and other civil rights) etc - with the marked difference that Labour has not "taxed the rich" as AOC proposes.  

Rather, we have implemented the major social reforms while actually decreasing taxes, particularly on the middle classes.

Granted, in so far as “Green Deals” are involved we have a long way to go and this Cabinet is working overtime to deliver the much needed change in green issues. Yet, it is amazing to see, from the middle of the Mediterranean, how we managed to be a step ahead and a better step than this popular movement which Bernie Sanders and his collaborators are creating in no less than the US.

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It seems that “Project Big Picture” is really going to be something big in the world of English football, and change is inevitable.

This project spells out more Europe and more power to big teams.

Interestingly enough, it seems that the breaking point was registered in our own Malta back in June 2019.  I might have missed the event but it was reported in BBC that back then European Clubs’ Association members from 48 countries had met here to discuss their issues with the continent’s competition structures.

Amongst them were Tottenham's Daniel Levy, Chelsea's Bruce Buck, Manchester City's Ferran Soriano, Ed Woodward of Manchester United and Arsenal's Vinai Venkatesham who arrived en masse on private flights. Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore was reported to have travelled independently on Ryanair.

As a common supporter of tiny Southampton FC, I can only hope that things are not taken to extreme and that common sense prevails.  I hope that they do not miss the bigger picture.