Scientists from NASA GeneLab will help Malta in the space industry and signed an agreement for Maltese academics to carry out research at a renowned University
Malta has strengthened its relationship with NASA to increase space experiments by Maltese scientists and to identify particular niches in the space industry in which Malta can succeed.
This was confirmed through discussions that the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti held at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California. Parliamentary Secretary Azzopardi Tanti was accompanied by University of Malta Professor Joseph Borg, who was responsible for Malta’s first space experiment, the Maleth programme.
During their visit to the GeneLab of the NASA Ames Research Center, the Maltese delegation was invited to show the work of the Maleth program. In the Maleth program cells from the foot ulcers of people with diabetes were sent to the International Space Station. For the last two years, Professor Joseph Borg has represented Malta in the NASA section that focuses on space biology. At the GeneLab, discussions continued regarding the strengthening of an existing partnership between this institution and academics based in Malta. The discussions, led by the parliamentary secretary, led to an agreement to send Maltese researchers on a six-month apprenticeship with NASA Gene Lab in California, to organize a bootcamp on science subjects (STEM) from the same institution. in Malta as well as for NASA to organize a conference in our country.
In other engagements, the Maltese delegation met with Illumina and visited their offices as well as the startup accelerator it has in Foster City which focuses on the fields of Life Sciences. Illumina is known globally for the best genome sequencing devices. The work that our country is doing under the StartInMalta umbrella was also discussed with Illumina Accelerator to give help to local startups as well as to attract international startups to Malta.
During the two meetings Parliamentary Secretary Azzopardi Tanti presented Malta’s Smart Specialization strategy and the National Spatial Strategy which should lead to the first Maltese Spatial Act.
“We believe that the space industry can become a new contributor to the Maltese economy and we are determined to take all the strategic steps to contribute in a field that is evolving at such a fast pace. This was the main objective of the two meetings we were involved in at NASA and Illumina. As parliamentary secretary responsible for the youth sector I am also satisfied that we have opened new opportunities for apprentices and scholarships within prestigious entities such as NASA GeneLab and Stanford”, said Keith Azzopardi Tanti.
The Maltese delegation also had meetings at Stanford University, specifically with Professor Joseph Wu who heads the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. Here another agreement was reached which will translate into a program of long-term study opportunities for young Maltese professionals to carry out post-doctoral research at Stanford University, one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
The Maltese delegation also included Anthony David Gatt from Malta Enterprise, the governmental entity for economic development and investment promotion and which is leading the national initiative StartInMalta.
Photos: MEYR_PS
