The Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation, Keith Azzopardi Tanti, announced that as part of the MCAST Research Fellowship Scheme, nine R&I projects have been selected for financial support amounting to over €265,000, to ensure that all proposals are financed.

The MCAST Research Fellowship Scheme was launched last year, in 2024, and was designed to strengthen MCAST's role as a leading centre for applied research that connects vocational education with industrial needs.

Last year, four projects were funded through an investment of €106,570. This year, this has more than doubled to nine projects and over a quarter of a million euro. This year's projects cover areas such as environmental science, technology, education, culture, and digital innovation.

PS Azzopardi Tanti stressed the importance of this programme in achieving the national vision for innovation and sustainable development.

"The topping-up that we have made to fund all nine projects is a clear message: we must support research that brings real solutions to the country. This is research that transforms ideas into impact - for our communities, for our economy, and for our future," PS Azzopardi Tanti said.

He concluded by showing appreciation to the work being done by the MCAST Applied Research and Innovation Centre. He thanked the researchers and educators who are leading the projects, each of which combining academic knowledge with practical application to national challenges.

MCAST Principal Stephen Vella praised the collaboration between his institute and the government in order to create concrete spaces and opportunities for young researchers. He said that the fact that nine projects were selected this year shows that MCAST is growing as a centre for applied research. He added that this Fellowship Scheme helps MCAST's staff and researchers to collaborate with industry and create meaningful solutions.

It was observed that all nine projects align with the government's Malta Vision 2050 through their emphasis on sustainability, digitalisation, and skills development - all of which were marked as crucial areas to improve Malta's competitiveness and create new opportunities for future generations.

This was all said during MCAST's Research and Innovation Expo 2025, in which a three-day conference was held on qualitative research earlier this week.