Malta Strengthens Its Scientific Footprint As CERN Collaboration Takes Centre Stage At R&I Days 2025
Malta’s ever-growing partnership with CERN, one of the world’s leading research organisations, was showcased during a dedicated CERN Conference held in Malta on the second day of the Research and Innovation Days 2025, hosted by Xjenza Malta.
The Conference brought together CERN representatives, Maltese students, researchers and industry stakeholders to highlight ongoing and future collaborations. Presentations focused on Malta’s involvement in cutting-edge experimental projects, including ALICE and TWOCRYST, as well as opportunities for Maltese industry to engage in CERN’s industrial procurement programmes.
The Conference opened with remarks by the Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Clifton Grima and the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation, Keith Azzopardi Tanti.
Minister Grima emphasised Malta’s commitment to fostering a research-driven economy through international partnerships. “Our collaboration with CERN is a testament to Malta’s commitment to nurturing a research-driven economy. Through partnerships like these, we are not only giving our researchers and students access to world-class scientific environments, but we are also opening new doors for innovation that benefit both society and industry,” he stated.
Parliamentary Secretary Azzopardi Tanti highlighted the importance of inspiring young researchers, noting that “this conference demonstrated how international collaborations can inspire our young researchers and innovators. Malta’s increasing involvement with CERN shows that even a small nation can make significant contributions to global scientific progress,” he said.
Prof. Christoph Schäfer, Senior Advisor for Relations with Associate Member States and Non-Member States at CERN, provided an overview of CERN’s past, present and future projects while noting that “we are pleased to see Malta’s growing involvement with CERN and the impact this collaboration is already having on research, education and innovation. The conference celebrated the shared values of curiosity, cooperation and excellence that drive both CERN and Malta’s scientific community,” he concluded.
The afternoon sessions included presentations by Maltese students conducting research at CERN, along with projects from the University of Malta and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, showcasing tangible outcomes of Malta’s engagement with the global research community.
The CERN Conference in Malta formed part of Malta’s Research and Innovation Days 2025, organised by Xjenza Malta in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation and the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, marking an important step in strengthening Malta’s role in research, innovation and international technological advancement.