The Energy and Water Agency has launched its fifth call for research and innovation projects in water and energy. Since 2020, 13 water and energy research projects have benefitted from this initiative with an investment of more than €1.6 million.
Applications for the fifth call will be received online between 24th June and 23rd September 2024, and an information session for interested parties will be organised on 28th June 2024.
This was announced by Minister for the Environment, Energy, and Regeneration of the Grand Harbour Miriam Dalli and Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research, and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti during a presentation of the conclusions by researchers of four projects that benefited from this initiative through the second call in 2021.
In recent years, interest in this initiative has continued to grow, not only from the academic sector but also from the industry, due to the Agency’s requirement for applicants to be part of a consortium. This leads to several enterprises becoming more interested in submitting projects in partnership with academic entities, allowing research to take on a more trend of commercial potential. The winning projects are given funding to work on their ideas and come to build prototypes in preparation for broader research, leading to progress in commercial implementation.
Minister Miriam Dalli said that Research and Innovation are essential pillars in the energy and water policy plan. “I believe that when we invest in research and innovation, we invest in local researchers to offer solutions that help the country reach its sustainable targets. Since the start of this initiative in 2020, €1.6 million has been invested in 13 different projects dealing with various areas in the water and energy sector. I look forward to more such initiatives so that we can lead to more positive results, which directly impact the lives of each of us,” said the minister.
Parliamentary Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti praised this initiative because of the importance of this sector and the necessity of continuous progress in it. “I encourage further collaboration between entities, such as this collaboration between the Energy and Water Agency and MCST, as together we can advance our country’s future and develop a holistic system that addresses the evolving challenges.”
Among the 13 projects that have already benefited, some are working on tangible concepts found in residential homes, such as solar panels, batteries for electric cars, and potable water. Several projects also focus on an industrial scale, such as offshore renewables, energy grid, and groundwater systems. The current list of beneficiaries is wide-ranging, including academics, the public sector, and private institutions.
Prospective applicants should focus on energy and water research this year, particularly in greywater systems that improve water efficiency and more efficient agricultural irrigation systems. In the energy sector, areas should focus on the increased potential of solar or wind energy systems, grid integration, energy storage with energy sources, and demand-side management.
For more information about this scheme, visit www.energywateragency.gov.mt.
