Transport Research and Innovation Portal

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Background


In October 2010, the Innovation Union Flagship Initiative was launched in the EU to promote European approach to innovation. In line with the principles of this flagship initiative, Maltese Authorities decided to dedicate efforts to support knowledge generation and the transfer of ideas and research results to innovative products and services.

Intermediate targets, trajectories and monitoring mechanisms are defined through the new National Strategic Research and Innovation Plan 2011–2020. The new draft of this document was launched for public consultation in January 2012 by the Malta Council for Science & Technology. The Plan incorporates policy developments in other thematic areas and policy developments at national, European and international level. It emphasises innovation, framework conditions, societal challenges and the involvement of all actors. This strategy has identified four priority areas, which were designated to be platforms of strategic importance. These include:

  • Environment and energy recourses
  • Information and communication technologies
  • Value-added manufacturing and services
  • Health-Biotechnology.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology is responsible for research policy, promoting scientific research, and managing local research funding programme. The Council is the national contact point for the EU Research Framework Programme (FP).

Transport research is addressed in these multidisciplinary areas and also in the bottom-up research programmes and policy priorities established by the national authorities responsible for transport.


Institutional framework of transport research


Transport Malta is responsible for developing the transport system but has not as yet compiled a full transport strategy. Current policies in public transport, maritime transport and aviation are provided by the relevant previous authorities. For instance, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Communications prepared the document Public transport in Malta - A vision for Public Transport which fulfils the public interest in the context of environmental sustainability’ on October 2008.

In 2009, Transport Malta took over from the Malta Maritime Authority, the Malta Transport Authority and the Department of Civil Aviation to bring waterborne, urban and maritime transport under one public body. The organisation is responsible for developing integrated transport policies, developing an efficient transport system for the islands of Malta, and providing an effective regulatory framework for land transport. Transport Malta is financially independent of the Government.

The research funding, including transport research, is provided by two national funding bodies and their most relevant programmes:

  • National R&I Programme run by Malta Council for Science and Technology, and
  • Industrial ERDF Innovation and R&D grants run by Malta Enterprise.

National funding presently focused on funding research projects between € 50,000 and € 200,000 concentrating on technology transfer between university and industry focusing on the four priority sectors identified in the National R&I Strategy.

Malta Enterprise is responsible for promoting foreign investment and industrial development in Malta. It is entrusted by the Managing Authority for Structural Funds for administering six European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Grant Schemes, two of which are directly related to research and innovation.

Organisations responsible for the institutional framework and funding:


Funding Sources and Support Initiatives


There are several thematic programmes, which are funding research on transport related topics. For more detailed descriptions, please follow the links below.


Last update: 17/05/2013 | Top
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