The Ministry for Research, Innovation and the Co-ordination, together with Ministry for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development, the Malta Enterprise, and the Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST), announced that four projects were awarded funding for Covid-19 research.
The selected projects, whose funding value amounts to €3.54 million, are TargetID, ACE, SANITAS, CoV-Plex.
‘CoV-Plex’ aims to develop a multiplex assay to determine SARS-COV-2 strains and specific antibody-producing transcripts;
‘TargetID’s' objective is to provide novel drug targets for infectious diseases;
‘ACE’ is focused on the rapid development of an innovative therapeutic approach against SARS-CoV-2’;
and ‘SANITAS’ plans to use plasma-activated solutions to prevent infections.
Minister for Research, Innovation and the Co-ordination of the Post-Covid-19 Owen Bonnici said that he is proud as "never in the story of our country did a Maltese Government provide a multimillion fund for a particular sector studying infective diseases in order to create solutions which will result in a better quality of life," Bonnici said.
"The best way for our country to continue to grow is by investing in the talent of Maltese and Gozitan people, and we are doing just that."
Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli was pleased with this research. Dalli pointed out that it is good that the Malta Enterprise and the MCST are working together as "we are not only seeing research as an academic niche, but also as an opportunity to combine the academic aspect with the entrepreneur one."
Addressing the researchers, Dalli said that she would wish that the research would be taken to the "next stage" by "commercialising what you have worked on".
Dalli said that the Malta Enterprise is taking research, development and innovation seriously, where in 2018 Malta Enterprise invested €220,000 in research and development, in 2019, this investment increased to almost €1 million, and in 2020 this increased to €4 million, which includes the funding of these four projects announced today.