Hundreds of students attending post-secondary and tertiary educational institutions visited the science and technology Research EXPO 2008 organised last week by the Malta Council for Science and Technology at Villa Bighi, Kalkara.

The expo was one of the first ever held in Malta promoting research activity in the Maltese Islands which, contrary to popular belief, is thriving but most of it is done without much publicity.

"There is a significant amount of research taking place in Malta, official figures put this at €31 million annually, with two thirds of that being research in industry," Tech Brian Warrington, CEO of the Malta Council for Science and Technology told i-Tech. "However, few are aware of this level of activity and not enough exposure is given in the media. Consequently students are not aware of the opportunities for research careers in science and technology. Our exhibition addresses these two shortcomings, and showcases local research in engineering, in energy technology, in water recycling, in the life sciences and biomedical sector, as well as in ICT."

Forty exhibitors put up stands to explain their research activities in various sectors, including biotechnology, information and communication technology, energy, the environment and transport technology.

"We had an excellent response with around 700 students attending. It was not possible for us to handle a greater number of students since these were only accepted in small groups in order to make it a rewarding experience. Students were guided through the stands and the nature of the research was explained to them. We also organised two talks for each group of students, with the talks being delivered by actual researchers in industry or academia," added Dr Warrington.

He confirmed the Malta Council for Science and Technology will probably hold a similar event early next year. However there could be some changes, such as a more in-depth focus on energy and environment or a different student age-group target audience.


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