Join Xjenza Malta on 23 September 2026 at the Planetarium Hall, Villa Bighi, Kalkara for a practical event focused on successful implementation and management of Horizon Europe projects.

What’s on the agenda:
 

• Updates on Horizon Europe 2026–2027 
•  Insights into Lump Sum Funding
•  Guidance on Financial and Legal Obligations
•  Navigating Audits and Ex-Post Controls
•  Strategies for Bringing Research Results to Market
•  Latest developments in the Funding & Tenders Portal
   

Register now
For more details, visit Xjenza Malta website link below;

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CYBER ROOT returns on 14 October 2026, bringing together cybersecurity professionals, industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators for a day of thought-provoking discussions on the challenges shaping our digital future.

Alongside our conference programme, we're introducing something new this year. An optional interactive experience. Real scenarios. Practical insights. A different way to learn and engage. More details coming soon.

📅 14 October 2026
🎟️ Learn more and eventually purchase your tickets from the link below.

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Xjenza Malta, in collaboration with TradeMalta, is pleased to launch an Expression of Interest (EOI) for Malta-based undertakings interested in participating as exhibitors within the Maltese contingent at Space Tech Expo Europe 2026, taking place in Bremen, Germany, from 17–19 November 2026.

Selected stakeholders will have the opportunity to participate as part of the Xjenza Malta stand, showcasing their products, services, technologies and capabilities to an international space-industry audience, while benefiting from networking, business development and internationalisation opportunities, including the development of commercial and technology partnerships and access to international markets and value chains.

The initiative is being coordinated with TradeMalta, and selected eligible undertakings may also have the opportunity to apply separately for part-funding of eligible participation costs, subject to TradeMalta’s applicable criteria, assessment and formal approval.

Please find attached the Expression of Interest, which provides full details regarding eligibility, participation requirements, selection criteria and the application process.

Interested organisations are invited to submit their EOI by 31 August 2026 via space.xjenzamalta@gov.mt.

We encourage interested stakeholders within Malta’s space and related sectors to consider this opportunity to form part of Malta’s coordinated presence at Space Tech Expo Europe 2026 and to explore potential international business, partnership, and market opportunities.

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Xjenza Malta is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 10th edition of the Advanced Master in Sustainable Blue Economy (Academic Year 2026/2027).

This initiative is jointly organised by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) and the University of Trieste.

The programme is intended for eligible students, early-career researchers and professionals interested in the sustainable blue economy, marine science, maritime sectors and other ocean-related fields. Participants will develop specialised knowledge and skills in areas including marine and ocean sciences, climate and coastal management, environmental economics, blue-economy policy, financing and project management, and science diplomacy. The programme also addresses transboundary and multidisciplinary challenges while supporting the development of professional and research skills.

In June 2026, Xjenza Malta and OGS signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Scientific Cooperation, setting out areas for scientific cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity building between the two organisations. Given the recent signing of this MoU, Xjenza Malta strongly encourages eligible Malta-based students, researchers and professionals to apply and benefit from this international learning and networking opportunity in the sustainable blue economy.

The programme also contributes to Action A7 – Skills Development and Circulation of Talents: Blue Skills to Feed Jobs in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, under the 5+5 Dialogue on Research, Innovation and Higher Education framework. 

📅 Duration: From March to December 2027

📍 Location: Trieste, Italy (three intensive two-week in-person sessions, complemented by online activities).

⏰ Application deadline: 10 September 2026, 23:59 CET

🧑‍🎓 Target candidates:

• Holders of a second-cycle/Master’s degree in any field, or an equivalent foreign qualification providing access to doctoral studies;

• Candidates who are proficient in English;

• Researchers, students and professionals with an interest in the marine and maritime sectors and the sustainable blue economy.

Relevant backgrounds may include oceanography, marine biology, geology, geophysics, geochemistry, environmental engineering, ecological modelling, climate studies, coastal-zone management, environmental economics, international relations and related fields.

👉 Programme:  https://blueskills.ogs.it/advanced-master/about

🖋️Application procedure: https://portale.units.it/en/study/postgraduate/master-programmes/2deg-level-master/sustainable-blue-economy

💼LinkedIn announcement: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blue-skills-ogs-sustainable-blue-economy_master-blueeconomy-activity-7441850919174004736-Jsi0

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Cancer treatment is rapidly evolving through the adoption of innovative technologies. While surgical resection has traditionally been the standard treatment for solid tumours, interventional oncology is increasingly emerging as an effective minimally invasive alternative. Among these techniques, microwave ablation has demonstrated outcomes comparable to conventional surgery while offering the benefits of a less invasive procedure. 

The ABLAZE project exemplifies the impact of international collaboration in advancing next-generation cancer therapies. Funded through a joint initiative between Xjenza Malta and TÜBİTAK, the project brings together researchers from Malta and Türkiye to address one of the key challenges in microwave ablation. This minimally invasive treatment destroys cancerous tissue by delivering microwave energy directly to the tumour. However, achieving precise and effective energy delivery remains challenging, as the performance of the ablation antenna is strongly influenced by the dielectric properties of the surrounding biological tissue, which govern how electromagnetic energy is deposited.

During treatment, tissue temperatures often exceed 100°C, resulting in significant mechanical and electrical changes driven by dehydration, protein denaturation, and tissue charring. These processes continuously alter the tissue's dielectric properties, making the interaction between the antenna and the tumour highly dynamic. Understanding and monitoring these changes is essential for improving treatment accuracy and ensuring complete tumour ablation while minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

To address this problem, the ABLAZE project developed a dual-mode microwave ablation system that combines two functions: heating the tissue to destroy the tumour and simultaneously measuring changes in the tissue’s dielectric properties during treatment using the same antenna. This is achieved using a recent innovation within the same research group: a unique thermally stable antenna that doesn’t require cooling. By rapidly switching between heating the tissue and taking real-time measurements of the reflection coefficient using a Vector Network Analyser, the system can provide feedback on how well the treatment is working. By utilising these real-time measurements alongside mathematical models developed within the Project ABLAZE, researchers can accurately track how the spatially weighted average of the tissue’s permittivity shifts as the tumour is damaged.

This innovative approach turns the treatment applicator into a sensor, providing a form of microwave imaging directly from the tumour core. While other imaging techniques like computed tomography or ultrasound are essential for initially guiding the treatment, they can be challenging to monitor the active progression of the ablation zone.  By using the antenna itself to monitor dielectric property changes in real time, clinicians can obtain direct feedback on the lesion’s growth. This antenna-driven monitoring is highly valuable for personalised treatment planning, potentially allowing medical professionals to precisely tailor the energy delivery on the fly to ensure complete tumour eradication while sparing surrounding healthy tissue, improving the chances of successful treatment.

This work, “Project ABLAZE is financed by Xjenza Malta and the Scientific Technology Research Council (TÜBİTAK), through the Xjenza Malta - TÜBİTAK 2024 Joint Call for R&I projects. This initiative is part of the PRIMA Programme supported by the European Union”.

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About the Author: Ing. Federico Cilia is an Electrical and Electronics Engineer pursuing a PhD in Physics at the University of Malta, where he actively works on the ABLAZE project and contributes to the EMRG research group.

The image displays the applicator antenna and the ablation zone in dissected porcine liver tissue during two of our tests, highlighting three distinct areas: Charred, Coagulation, and Congestive.

Xjenza Malta, as a partner of the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership (SBEP), invites researchers, policymakers, industry representatives and other stakeholders to contribute to the update of the Partnership’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA).

Focusing on impact-driven maritime research and innovation (R&I), the Partnership harmonises sustainable blue economy priorities and delivers impactful green and digital solutions towards joint objectives.

Your insights will help shape future research and innovation priorities addressing key challenges such as climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, while strengthening Europe’s sustainability, resilience and competitiveness.

📝 Complete the SBEP SRIA Consultation
⏱️ Duration: 30–60 minutes
📅 Deadline: 30 September 2026, 12:00 noon CEST

We also encourage you to share the consultation with your networks and help us reach relevant stakeholders across the blue economy community.

Your perspective can help shape the future of our oceans and Europe’s blue economy. 🌊"

Also please find the original post on the SBEP website 👉🏽

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Researchers in Malta and Turkey are studying a large international peanut collection to support future breeding of nutritious, high-yielding varieties.

Photo credits: ASMINUT project-team 

Exploring peanut diversity

Peanuts provide protein, healthy oils, minerals and antioxidant compounds. Yet varieties differ in their nutritional value, yield and adaptation to local conditions. ASMINUT explores this natural diversity to support future breeding of nutritious, productive peanuts suited to Mediterranean agriculture.

The project studies 523 traditional peanut varieties, or landraces, from 60 countries, together with six commercial Turkish varieties. Field trials in Malta and Adana, Turkey, compare the plants over two growing seasons. Researchers measure yield and analyse the seeds for ten mineral elements, including iron, zinc and selenium, as well as polyphenols and antioxidant activity.

Connecting useful traits with DNA

The team also examines small differences in the plants’ DNA. A method called genome-wide association study, or GWAS, links measured traits with specific DNA regions. Promising regions can then be developed into KASP markers: practical tests that may help breeders identify plants with useful traits more quickly. This work uses natural genetic variation and does not genetically modify peanuts.

ASMINUT also plans to create a core collection of at least 100 diverse peanut types, preserved in Malta and Turkey. The most promising markers will be tested in 47 additional landraces. Together, these resources will support future research and breeding while reducing the need to repeat full laboratory tests for every plant.

In the longer term, peanut types with high nutrient levels and good yield could be used as parents in breeding programmes or in future food projects using whole peanuts or peanut flour. Through cooperation between Malta and Turkey, ASMINUT aims to turn global peanut diversity into useful tools for healthier and more resilient Mediterranean food systems.

This project is supported by Xjenza Malta-TÜBİTAK 2024 Joint Call for R&I Proposals which fosters cooperation in science, technology and innovation between Malta and Turkey by supporting researchers and innovators in strengthening their scientific expertise and networks.

Climate change is transforming the way we care for cultural heritage. Are you ready to help shape the response? Xjenza Malta is a proud member of the European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage. 

We are excited to announce that applications are now open for the Partnership’s first Seasonal School — a unique international training programme delivered by RCH partner The Heritage Management Organization (HERITΛGE). 

📅 5–15 October 2026 
💻 Join online from anywhere in the world 

Over ten intensive days, participants will explore how cultural heritage can adapt to climate change through a combination of scientific knowledge, practical tools and real-world case studies. The programme bridges climate science and heritage conservation, helping participants develop practical adaptation strategies for heritage sites and collections.  

Led by internationally recognised experts: 

🔹 Dr Jennifer Richards  

🔹 Prof Peter Brimblecombe 

🔹 Dr Evangelos Kyriakidis 

Whether you are a heritage professional, conservator, researcher, policymaker or student, this is your opportunity to become part of the first cohort of learners in a landmark European initiative dedicated to building climate resilience across the heritage sector. 

🌍 100 online places available 

🎓 No registration or participation fees 

👉 Apply here.

The first Seasonal School is just the beginning of a long-term capacity-building programme that will help equip heritage professionals across Europe and beyond to respond to the challenges of climate change. 

#ResilientCulturalHeritage #RCH #ClimateChange #CulturalHeritage #HeritageAdaptation #HorizonEurope #HERITΛGE #CapacityBuilding #ClimateAction

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Label-Ed+ research project is funded through Xjenza Malta Obesity Research Programme 2025 and led by the Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (MCAST). This project is exploring how people understand and use food labels when choosing packaged foods.  Your views, collected through the below questionnaire, will help MCAST develop practical, accessible resources to support informed and healthier food choices.

Participation in this questionnaire is entirely voluntary and fully anonymous. No personal data will be collected unless you choose to provide it within the optional free-text section. Please note that once submitted, responses cannot be withdrawn; however, anonymity is assured and individual participants cannot be identified from the data collected.

The questionnaire is available in both English and Maltese:

English questionnaire:

https://forms.office.com/e/Q5yDCRKt99

Maltese questionnaire:

https://forms.office.com/e/RSZyQS8V7w

Please feel free to share this post with family, friends and colleagues who may be interested in taking part.

This research is funded through the Xjenza Malta Obesity Research Programme 2025. 

You may also follow the Label-Ed+ Facebook page for project updates, research news and opportunities to get involved:

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Xjenza Malta is launching a new Transdisciplinary Research Programme aimed at supporting collaborative, cross-sectoral research addressing Malta’s key societal challenges.

The programme encourages the integration of diverse disciplines and stakeholders including academia, private, public entities, and civil society, to co-create innovative solutions with tangible impact.

Projects will align with the Horizon Europe Missions: Adaptation to Climate Change, Cancer, Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, Restore our Ocean and Waters, and Soil.

Through this initiative, Xjenza Malta seeks to strengthen national research capacity while contributing to broader European priorities.

Click here to view the TRP Application Form

Click here to view the TRP 2026 Rules Opt A deMinimis

Click here to view the TRP 2026 Rules Opt B Non State Aid

Click here to view the TRP FAQ

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