Research is often seen as a luxury in the Maltese Islands. Road infrastructure, cost of living adjustments, investing in our educational system, upgrading healthcare, are all seen as much more pressing needs. These are all worthy causes. An investment in research is often needed to help address these issues, and for the growth and development of our culture, society and economy.
Singapore, Finland and Taiwan are all relatively small countries that invest a lot in research and development (R&D). They boast very healthy start-up enterprise ecosystems, great educational systems and high-tech industries. A long-term steady investment in research has reaped its gains.
The link between research and economic growth is clear. Innovations create new products and services, cut production costs, create jobs, and more. Some studies indicate that research could be one of the most important factors for consistent economic growth.
Innovations create new products and services, cut production costs, create jobs, and more
Research can help our educational system. Research is always needed to show how to improve existing educational structures. Having active researchers mentoring students and providing novel opportunities for them to learn is incredibly powerful and can help promote concepts such as learning by doing, project-based learning and other effective ways to learn. As an exceptional example, UK researchers and teachers worked together with eight-year-old children to publish a study about bees back in 2010.
Social growth is also key to understanding and enriching our society. Malta’s social fabric is dynamic and rapidly changing. Take the thousands increasingly joining the Malta Pride march every year, or the thousands of gig economy workers and expats relocating to Malta. Research is crucial to understand these changes in our society, and can also help us exceed and reinvent our cultural expectations.
The Science in the City festival is putting the spotlight on research with this year’s theme of Taking Root. The idea is that research needs to be part of all aspects of our society, from citizens to policymakers.
The festival will bring stands, experiments, games and artworks to Fort St Elmo, on Friday, September 30, from 6 to 11pm, and performances to Sala San Duminku, on Friday, September 30, from 5 to 11pm, and on Saturday, October 1, from 10am till midnight. To book free tickets see: scienceinthecity.org.mt.
Science in the City, led by the University of Malta, is part of the EU-wide celebration, European Researchers’ Night. It is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, under grant agreement No 101061120, the Arts Council Malta (ACM), Esplora STEM Engagement fund, Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, Trust Stamp Ltd, and a number of corporate sponsors.
Sound Bites
• Brain cells with the same ‘birthdate’ are more likely to wire together into cooperative signalling circuits that carry out many functions, including the storage of memories, finds a new study, led by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Rather than attempting to create each new memory from scratch, the researchers suggest that the brain may match each new experience to a remembered template.
• When you hear the term ‘robot’, you might think of complicated machinery working in factories or roving on other planets. But ‘millirobots’ might change that; these robot are as wide as your finger. Researchers have just developed a soft, biodegradable, magnetic millirobot inspired by the walking and grabbing capabilities of insects.
DID YOU KNOW?
• British science performer John Hinton is coming to Malta with the show Ensonglopedia on Friday, September 30, at 7pm and on Saturday, October 1, at 2pm, 7pm and 9.30pm, at Sala San Duminku.
• By 2019, the Science in the City festival directly engaged over 40 per cent of the Maltese population, according to an MCST-funded survey.
• The Institute of Digital Games at the University of Malta is among the top 10 most active institutions in games research.
• The Science in the City team has dedicated over 15,000 hours, totalling 1,875 working days, over the last 10 years to bring the festival to Malta and Gozo.