Sci-Fi, a group of Maltese students, were the winners of this year’s ICT Students Association‘s Million Dollar Idea, and their proposition is amazing for anyone who loves strawberries. 

Between April and June, half a million kilograms of strawberries are produced. For the next two quarters, that amount drastically drops to less than 50,000 kilos. The problem, as Sci-Fi’s presentation started, is seasonality. Malta’s climate only allows very specific seasons during which strawberries can be produced, and successfully finding fresh strawberries during any other part of the year is close to impossible. 

And while importing is always an option, Maltese produce is preferred, because the perception is that local food is healthier and fresher.  Beyond that, research has proven that 90% of the Vitamin C in strawberries is lost during transportation. 

Small villages like Mġarr and its Festa Frawli are solid proof of how much of an important place Maltese strawberries have in the hearts of thousands of people around the island, but last year, Malta suffered the longest drought in half a century.

Sci-Fi’s suggestion to solve all of this sounds devilishly simply; aeroponics. This process has any plant’s roots literally suspended in air, completely eliminating the need for soil. Controlling exactly what the plant root requires (that is, the perfect mix of water, oxygen and nutrients), aeroponics also drastically reduces the amount of water that is otherwise required… and we’re talking 90% drastically. 

“For a single strawberry to go from the ground to your table, 1.5 litres of water is needed in the traditional system,” Sci-Fi member Benji Fenech Salerno explained. “That’s a single strawberry. A large box of strawberries of approximately 1 kilogram requires about 60 litres of water. The same box, made through the process of aeroponics, requires only six litres.” Clearly, Sci-Fi’s system is not only cost-efficient, but also extremely sustainable in a country like Malta which doesn’t have a huge water supply for its demand.

Benji also went on to explain that this system allows for new measures such as vertical farming, which would help relieve the current problem of a lack of space due to over-development.

ICTSA is the student organisation representing all the University of Malta and MCAST University students reading any degree associated with ICT, but ICTSA’s events are open to everyone. The Million Dollar Idea is a free, three-day annual event open to anyone looking into exploring the world of business and entrepreneurship. Competitors are required to pitch their idea and presentation along with a basic business plan, market research and an overall strategy to a panel of expert judges after a weekend of workshops. 

This year’s event was held at the Microsoft Innovation Centre at Skyparks, and the prizes on offer definitely made the whole incentive extremely attractive. A free one-year mentorship from James Cassar, 50 hours software Development from Agilist IT Solutions & Training Limited and three months free mentorship at TAKEOFF (the University’s business incubator) were on offer, not to mention a €500 cash prize for the winning startup. 

Featured Photos by Daniel Mifsud 

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).