A newly published National Audit Office report has once again exposed the serious and long-standing failure of successive governments to adequately invest in research and development in Malta, Momentum said Wednesday.

Despite years of sustained economic growth and steadily rising GDP, Malta remains among the lowest spenders in the European Union on research and development as a percentage of GDP.

Malta's total spending on research and development stood at just 0.6% of GDP remains dramatically below the EU's 3% target. In relative terms, Malta continues to at the bottom of EU member states for research investment. This persistent underinvestment is particularly concerning given Malta's consistent economic growth, making the government's failure to prioritise research increasingly difficult to justify.

The NAO report also highlights serious structural weaknesses in Malta's national research and innovation framework. These include the lack of a detailed implementation roadmap, limited and weak performance indicators, and a lack of transparent, traceable financial mechanisms. 

Momentum is especially concerned about the lack of sustainable funding for doctoral and early-career postdoctoral research. Government research grants rarely extend beyond one or two years, making it practically impossible to fund PhD programmes in Malta. 

Matthew Agius, executive member of Momentum, said: "Young Maltese scientists are forced to pursue doctoral studies abroad, often at their own personal expense. When they return, they frequently find no research posts available, not due to a lack of talent or ambition, but because the government has failed to build a properly funded research ecosystem."

Momentum believes that Malta urgently needs a change in direction. As a first concrete step, the government should immediately double public investment in research and development from 0.6% to at least 1.2% of GDP. While this would still fall well short of the EU's 3% target, it would represent a meaningful commitment and a necessary foundation for future growth.

Agius added, "Malta also lacks permanent research-focused positions, with most government academic posts primarily dedicated to teaching. This is a tragic waste of human potential and a clear failure of long-term national planning."

Momentum calls on the government to treat this NAO report as a clear wake-up call and to finally place research and innovation at the centre of Malta's long-term national priorities.