The 23rd edition of the Malta Engineering Excellence Awards (MEEA) were successfully held on the 29th of November 2024 at Verdala Palace, the official summer residence of the President of Malta. The MEEA 2024 was co-organised with The Energy & Water Agency and held under the distinguished patronage of Her Excellency, Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta. The event was kindly sponsored by APC by Schneider Electric, ESS & Elektra.
This year's edition received one of the most enthusiastic turnouts for MEEA, showcasing the growing recognition and appreciation for the exceptional engineering achievements in Malta. Following a welcome note by the ceremony's host Inġ. Nicole Vassallo, the President of the Chamber of Engineers Inġ. Malcolm Zammit gave an opening address and highlighted the importance to recognise the incredible contributions of local engineers and engineering organisations and the importance of recognising their efforts. The opening segment also featured remarks by Mr Athanasios Tsikogias, representing APC by Schneider Electric, who further highlighted the important roles engineers play in society.
The awards ceremony started with the Best Final Year Project Awards 2024 sponsored by Bank of Valletta. The Best Final Year Project Awards honoured outstanding engineering projects by fresh graduates from the University of Malta (UM) and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST).
The nominated students from the University of Malta were Carsten Karl Grech, Samuel Baldacchino, Samuel Tabone for the Electrical & Electronic Engineering stream, Sean De Marco, Luca Andrea Mifsud and Justin Zammit for the Mechanical Engineering Stream, whilst Dylan Gatt, Mark Zammit and Luke Zerafa were the nominees for the Computer Engineering (ICT) stream. The award winners were Carsten Karl Grech, Luca Andrea Mifsud and Mark Zammit. The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Inġ. Andrew Sammut and the Dean of the Faculty of ICT Prof. Inġ. Carl Debono joined the CoE representatives to present the awards.
The nominated students from MCAST were Aleksander Tancic for the Electrical & Electronic Engineering stream and Nicole Bugeja, Glenn Schembri and Nicholas Vella for the Mechanical Engineering Stream. The Director of the Institute of Engineering and Transport, Dr Inġ. Stephen Sammut joined the CoE representatives to present the awards.
This Industrial Excellence Award 2024 received three nominations, from Delta Malta Ltd, Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Faculty of Engineering, University of Malta.
The CoE Executive Council noted that the nominations received for this year's Industrial Excellence Awards were of two distinct types: one showcasing engineering excellence with a national impact and two showcasing engineering excellence in product or process development.
The CoE partnered up with Xjenza Malta to recognise a project of significant impact on Malta's research and innovation ecosystem, acting as a catalyst for innovation. This project exhibits a national impact on the promotion of engineering innovation and acts as an enabler of developments in engineering excellence in Malta. The winner of the first edition of the Industrial Excellence Award for engineering excellence in projects of a National Impact is the Faculty of Engineering, University of Malta with the project Setting up a Transdisciplinary Research And Knowledge Exchange (TRAKE) Complex at University of Malta.
The winner of the 2024 Industrial Excellence Award in product or process development was Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd with the project Augmented Reality (AR) technology in Teva Bulebel's Packaging Department.
The Maurice Debono Lifetime Achievement Award 2024, awarded to individuals committed throughout their career to the advancement of engineering and the profession in Malta, was awarded to Inġ. Oliver De Giorgio, a warranted mechanical engineer with a remarkable legacy of technical expertise and leadership in various industries, including infrastructure, energy, and telecommunications. He was celebrated for his mentorship and contributions to innovation and sustainability in engineering.
The Energy and Water Sustainability Award 2024, sponsored by The Energy and Water Agency, recognizes projects having a significant impact for the reduction of energy and water usage, was awarded to STMicroelectronics (Malta) Ltd for the project Implementation of Advanced Water & Wastewater Treatment Systems. The nominees were Eden Leisure Group (1st runner up) and Crane Currency Malta Ltd and Busy Bee Ltd (joint 2nd runner up).
In the keynote address of the ceremony, Her Excellency, Myriam Spiteri Debono congratulated the awardees and participants, emphasising the vital role of engineers in shaping the future of Malta and the world.
Prior to the conclusion, the Chamber of Engineers' Council presented a posthumous award to the late Inġ. Robert Schembri during a poignant moment in the ceremony, acknowledging his significant contributions to the engineering profession in Malta, and highlighting his eight-year tenure as an appointed board member on the Board tal- Inġiniera. This recognition celebrated his career achievements and legacy as an inspiration to current and future generations of engineers.
The Chamber of Engineers extends its gratitude to all participants, judges, sponsors, and volunteers for making this event a resounding success. Special thanks go to the event's sponsors; APC by Schneider Electric, ESS & Elektra, The Energy & Water Agency as co-organisers, and the Office of the President of the Republic (OPR) for the professional support throughout the event.