Students in the chemistry, physics and systems and control engineering at the University of Malta were given a reason to cheer this week with the opening of a cluster of hi-tech laboratories worth over €2 million.

Separate laboratories for biomedical engineering, analytical chemistry and electromagnetic have been set up. The labs will be used for both teaching and research purposes and are equipped with state-of-the-art test and measurement instruments.

It is hoped the labs will help satisfy the pharmaceutical industry’s demand for skilled analysts, make Malta better placed to take advantage of growth within the health and biotechnology sectors and respond to increased requests for the monitoring and analysis of electromagnetic fields.

The University’s control systems engineering lab has also received a €600,000 upgrade, with a variety of cutting-edge equipment focused on modern automation technology being added to it.

The equipment will serve both teaching and research purposes and enable joint research projects through private industry and research collaborations with overseas universities.

Investment in the labs was one link in the €50 million investment chain under way at the University, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said.

The University is also developing an IT services centre. This week, pharmaceutical firm Actavis signed a three-year agreement with the University’s Pharmacy Department. As part of the agreement, Actavis will offer a number of internships to pharmacy students.

“Malta’s success in attracting high-value investment depends on our ability to provide highly-qualified human resources,” Dr Gonzi said. “The University of Malta has a crucial role in this”. Such investment also meant the University was now able to offer a number of specialised postgraduate courses, which it had previously not been equipped for, the Prime Minister added.