In a news conference in Villa Bighi the project ‘Connecting marine data to serve society’ was launched which will be collecting essential data about the sea around the Maltese Islands so that this information can be utilised. This was announced by the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti together with Professor Aldo Drago and the Center for Maritime Studies of MCAST.
The CONNECT project will be addressing aspects related to the marine sector, as the maritime sector is constantly growing and major changes are being made in the way products are delivered and services are delivered. It will also address the demand on marine resources which is expected to continue to grow on a world level, especially in the Mediterranean. All this will be addressed in the context of the blue economy where the economic activities in the seas must be carried out in a sustainable way.
Parliamentary Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti explained that research and innovation are the basis on which the future of every country’s economy is built. “A country that does not invest in research and innovation does not manage to change with the times, especially in the digital age. We continue to overcome the challenges by using research and innovation and thus create added value that continues to strengthen the economy, and through this project we will continue to strengthen the sectors linked to the sea,” repeated s -Parliamentary Secretary Azzopardi Tanti.
Professor Aldo Drago explained that this project will bring together several Maltese entities in order to implement a single national data collection system to safeguard the sea around us. “The data that will be collected can be used to give innovative trends to our economy by exploiting new niches of technological products and service with added value that reaches the citizen,” said Prof. Drago.
The Principal and CEO of MCAST, Professor Joachim James Calleja, explained that MCAST continues to advance in research and innovation work, driving forward progress in various fields , including in the areas of the sea and the environment.
“Through projects like CONNECT, the College is tackling real world challenges with creativity and expertise. The Applied Research and Innovation Center (ARIC) of MCAST implements projects that are not only about academic activities. These are projects where we will offer practical solutions for our society and the collection of data about the seas is relevant and important. The aim is that these research platforms lead to educational programs and new jobs in the blue and green economy”, reiterated Prof. Calleja.
