A new milestone has been reached in the local research and development community on Thursday 1 July 2021, whereby for the first time ever, a private company is investing in the research and potential of a group of local academics and research students.
Malta-based science company Evolve Ltd, and the Electromagnetic Research Group (EMRG) of the University of Malta entered into a three-year sponsorship agreement that will sponsor the latter to the tune of €75,000 in order to conduct more research across a broad range of topics including antenna and sensor design, dielectric spectroscopy and development of novel theranostic medical devices based on electromagnetic field interactions with human tissues. The significance of this funding is that it is not tied to any specific project but is primarily intended to spawn basic research and subsequent development of novel processes and devices based on electromagnetic fields.
Mr Christopher Busuttil, Managing Director of Evolve Ltd, said this initiative is part of the company’s move to be a thought leader in the international scientific and healthcare laboratory market. He said he is confident that EMRG can assist them in improving the positive impact science and technology have on society.
This agreement was made possible thanks to the Research, Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT) headed by Mr Wilfred Kenely.
Research group leader, Prof. Charles V. Sammut, explained that this investment from the private industry in the sector is still quite limited and thanked Evolve Ltd for being pioneers in placing their trust in EMRG.
The EMRG is an interdisciplinary research group based in the Department of Physics within the Faculty of Science, with contributing members from other departments, that focuses on research that requires the use of computational models to fully analyse and solve interaction mechanisms on high-end PCs and state-of-the-art experimental facilities available in the Electromagnetics Laboratory.
Among the complex issues being dealt with by EMRG are how liquids and biological tissues interact with electromagnetic fields as a function of frequency and temperature, the design and development of broadband antenna arrays for radio astronomy, design and development of novel theranostic medical devices and the measurement and modelling of occupational exposure in the environment as well as MRI static and gradient magnetic fields.
Malta Enterprise is backing Evolve Ltd’s move to encourage even more industrial-academic relations, with CEO Mr Kurt Farrugia saying during the signing that this momentous occasion is just the start of more fruitful collaborations that will keep elevating Malta’s economic and research profile.
Minister for Research, Innovation and the Co-Ordination of the post COVID-19 Strategy, Hon. Owen Bonnici said this is a proud moment for all stakeholders involved. “This 3-year sponsorship from Evolve Ltd is hopefully the first of other similar sponsorships of the many UM research groups aimed at open-ended research, and not tied directly to a specific project. It is hoped that through this initiative, other companies will follow suit to support other R&D activities which could not only lead to significant benefits for research, but also for the growth of the company itself through the potential for commercialisation of innovative discoveries”, he said.
Finally, University of Malta Rector, Prof. Alfred J. Vella stressed on the importance of keeping open the channels of communication between the entities entering this collaboration, remarking that this will help both entities reflect on new ways to explore the research conducted between them, and will ensure better results.
“The success of collaborative research heavily depends on how well the participants communicate between each other. Together with this ingredient, the common aspirations of both UM researchers and Evolve Ltd to apply scientific knowledge in improving our living standards, give me the confidence that we will see great things from this relationship”.
Once EMRG is at a final stage in their research and are being able to present prototypes of their inventions, another public update about the collaboration will be made.
Malta-based science company Evolve Ltd, and the Electromagnetic Research Group (EMRG) of the University of Malta entered into a three-year sponsorship agreement that will sponsor the latter to the tune of €75,000 in order to conduct more research across a broad range of topics including antenna and sensor design, dielectric spectroscopy and development of novel theranostic medical devices based on electromagnetic field interactions with human tissues. The significance of this funding is that it is not tied to any specific project but is primarily intended to spawn basic research and subsequent development of novel processes and devices based on electromagnetic fields.
