Malta obtains observer status at European Space Agency

Malta has signed a collaboration agreement with the European Space Agency getting observer status on the ESA Council and its related committees.

The agreement provides for new training and research opportunities for Maltese students and researchers, the access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities as well as the possibility of networking with ESA researchers to access European funds for research projects.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this was an important milestone in Malta’s efforts as a small island state to gain access to international research centre’s and facilities.

“It represents yet another opportunity for our students, researchers and enterprises to work on projects that are on the cutting edge of scientific research.”

The agreement, he said, signified the government's commitment towards research and innovation.

Space represented an important research area for Europe as well as an industrial sector and a key factor in its competitiveness. 

Through its space programmes that include Galileo - an accurate navigation and positioning system and the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme, Europe is considered to be a world leader in this sector.

“Space has the capacity of becoming a niche economic sector for Europe and its member states providing investment, value added and jobs. “

Besides its €50 million investment programme at the university to upgrade its infrastructure, work also started on a €120 million new campus at MCAST.

“We are investing in sophisticated equipment enabling us to partner with institutions such as CERN and France’s CNRS making us a regional research hub.

“We are also investing in our students through a comprehensive scholarship programme through which already over 1,550 students have benefitted to pursue their post-graduate studies,” Dr Gonzi said.

The government was also focusing efforts to ensure there were the right conditions for the research base to grow alongside manufacturing and other economic sectors.