Manufacturing Research Platform meets firms, establishes strategy

The Manufacturing Research Platform has established communication with firms andprovided a research strategy, which takes a holistic view ofthe legal and financial instruments required to promote research and innovation in local manufacturing.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology has been awarded €710,000 under the European Regional Development Fund to proceed with the Manufacturing Research Platform project. The project seeks to highlight the importance of research and innovation in manufacturing and aims to speed up its move into higher value-added activity.

The project strategy’s aim is to establish a direction for growth and a roadmap of Malta’s goals in the sector. It identifies current research and innovation activities, and potential for increased levels of research and innovation to identify weaknesses and make recommendations.

The strategy was devised following feedback from selected stakeholders from four different areas within manufacturing: finance, human resources, infrastructures and partnerships.

The 16 meetings sought open debate to analyse each category, highlighting Malta’s manufacturing strengths and weaknesses in different areas.

A strategy was then set into short-term (to 2013), medium-term (2013-2020) and long-term (2020-2030) objectives.

During this process, Malta’s preparedness for innovation was benchmarked to rate the country’s capabilities and potential in comparison with other EU states.

The results indicated that Malta’s preparedness for telecommunications innovation was high compared to other EU countries, while the number of Ph.D. graduates was comparatively low.

Engineering and quality management consultant Joseph Micallef said: “We went through a very thorough analysis to arrive to the strategy. Different criticisms from various entities have come to light, which is precisely what is needed, since it makes for a stronger strategy. The first and probably hardest step was to accurately identify the different areas where Malta needs to improve.

The strategy will now be passed on for review by Parliament and in November there a public consultation meeting will be held to encourage further public discussion.

Managed by MCST, the Manufacturing Research Platform project will run until August.

The council is responsible for research policy, promoting scientific research, management of the local research funding programme and is the nationalcontact point organisation forthe EU Research FrameworkProgramme.

More information is available at www.manufacturingresearch.eu.