Honey bees, along with other pollinators (such as butterflies, solitary bees, etc.), are essential to our food supply; the great contribution they make to the pollination of flowering plants is vital for farming as most agricultural crops require this insect pollination to produce fruit. But, as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of droughts and heatwaves, the natural signs of Spring appear earlier in the year, further threatening the survival of honey bees and other pollinators.  The BeeSustain project (Integrative Modelling for Enhanced Beekeeping Carrying Capacity), a collaborative research initiative led by the University of Malta's Biodiversity and Ecology Research Group (BERG), and is funded by the Xjenza Malta Research Excellence Programme (REP) 2024. The project aims to address these pressing concerns by testing new and innovative approaches to improve beekeeping sustainability and safeguard bee populations.

BeeSustain is developing a specialised system to improve the efficiency of beekeeping. This pioneering project combines several advanced techniques, including the first-ever identification of pollen in Malta using DNA analysis, honey bee gut microbiota analysis, drone imagery, and weather data. The project aims to identify the best hive locations and ideal environmental conditions for honey production. This will revolutionise traditional beekeeping practices and help safeguard bee populations under changing environmental conditions.

BeeSustain is aligned with wider efforts to conserve the Maltese honey bee, Apis mellifera ruttneri. Previous research by BERG demonstrated that the Maltese honey bee is better adapted to local conditions than imported breeds, such as Apis mellifera ligustica, showing higher survival rates and lower rates of infestation by Varroa, a parasitic mite that passes on diseases and causes the deaths of many honey bee colonies. BeeSustain is building on this biological insight with cutting-edge modelling to support local beekeepers, protect native bee populations, and sustainably boost the vital pollination services that bees provide.

The project's focus on climate-smart beekeeping aligns with national, European Union, and global priorities, supporting Malta's drive towards sustainable development and economic diversification. It contributes directly to the strategic aims of the National Strategy and Action Plan for Pollinators (2035) and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to 2030.

An Innovative Approach to Apiculture
BeeSustain aims to tackle the significant impact on honey bee health and productivity from environmental challenges like climate change, habitat loss, and shrinking wildflower areas. The study is centred on an apiary in Manikata, where BeeSustain will apply novel approaches to achieve its goal:

• Comprehensive Biological Analysis: The project will use DNA analysis of bee gut microbes, pollen, and plants to understand the specific flowers bees prefer in the Manikata area. 

• Applied Environmental Imaging: Using images from drones equipped with special sensors, the project will create a map of the area to identify the best hive locations. This will ensure each apiary's foraging area, with a radius of up to 4-5km, covers the maximum amount of natural habitat, which in turn maximizes honey production.

• Real-Time and Future Climate Assessment: The project will combine data from a weather station installed near the hives with data on honey production to understand the ideal weather conditions for hive productivity. This will be combined with climate model data to project how weather conditions may change in the future.

Progress and Future Impact
Significant progress has been made in the early phases of the project, including the establishment of the test apiary and weather station. Every 15 days, specialized collection traps (known as pollen traps) are installed at the narrow entrances of the hives. These are designed to gently dislodge pollen from the bees as they enter, allowing the researchers to collect pollen without harming the bees. Protocols for the DNA analysis and for a Citizen Science campaign have been developed and initiated, and efforts are underway to recruit citizen scientists to gather data on flowering plants and bee activity. Biological sampling of pollen and flowering plants has also started to identify bee food sources and assess their health.

By the end of the project, BeeSustain aims to deliver a prototype decision-support tool to help beekeepers to choose the best sites for bee colonies, anticipate threats to their bees, and plan for healthier bees and higher productivity. The project is laying the groundwork for future real-time monitoring systems that will include data from sensors, drones, and microbial analysis to support the sustainability of beekeeping.

BeeSustain was recently featured at the University of Malta Research Expo 2025, showcasing its interdisciplinary approach to environmental modelling and beekeeping. This project works at the intersection of environmental science, apiculture, and technology, offering a scientifically grounded solution to improve beekeeping sustainability and protect vital pollination services.

For more information, visit the BERG website and Facebook page.

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The University of Malta has successfully concluded the Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) project which is a major initiative exploring how renewable energy and advanced storage can power cleaner transportation. Led by Prof. Ing. John Licari from the Department of Electrical Engineering, the project was supported through the SINO-MALTA Fund 2023 Call, strengthening scientific collaboration between Malta and the People’s Republic of China.

The research focused on how solar energy, batteries and green hydrogen can work together to electrify mobility while reducing strain on the electrical grid. The study involved the modelling and control of an Electro-Hydrogen HESS-based microgrid system to optimise energy management. A schematic block diagram of the microgrid system is presented in Figure 1. The microgrid integrates the PV generation, a battery energy storage system (BESS), and a PEM electrolyser, all interconnected via a 1.5 kV DC bus.

The proposed Hybrid Energy Storage System integrates rooftop solar photovoltaic generation, a BESS providing evening EV charging, a hydrogen electrolyser running on surplus solar energy and an energy management algorithm to coordinate all energy flows. Figure 2 illustrates the coordinated operation zones of the Electro-Hydrogen HESS-based microgrid.

Simulations based on real solar and industrial load data produced excellent outcomes and achieved all the following objectives: 

• Electric vehicle charging powered primarily by onsite solar

• No grid power exported 

• Green hydrogen produced from excess energy

• Stable and resilient operation under fluctuating conditions

The results obtained confirm the ability to support both electrified transport using and future hydrogen mobility using solar energy, BESS and electrolysers. In addition, this was achieved by making efficient use of renewable energy and without straining the electrical grid.

With the research phase successfully completed, the path for future work includes building a laboratory based system using hardware in the loop testing. 

The HESS project brought together expertise from the University of Malta, including Prof. Inġ. John Licari who led the project, Prof. Alexander Micallef, Prof. Inġ. Maurice Apap and Dr. Salah Eddine Rhaili. The work described in this article was carried out as part of the HESS (SINO-MALTA-2023-03) project which was financed by XJENZA Malta and the Ministry for Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (MOST), through the SINO-MALTA Fund 2023 (Science and Technology Cooperation).

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🔗 HESS Project: https://www.um.edu.mt/projects/hess/
🔗 Department of Electrical Engineering: https://www.um.edu.mt/eng/ele/
🔗 Prof. Ing. John Licari: https://www.um.edu.mt/profile/johnlicari

We thank you for being part of this journey.

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2026

The two winners of the PRIMA Award for Women Greening Food Systems (2025 edition) are Kaoutar Aboukhalid (Morocco) and Andrea Abad Bartolome (Spain).

These women are driving change, transforming agriculture, and championing sustainability across the Mediterranean.  

In the mountains of Morocco, a precious plant is vanishing. Dr. Kaoutar Aboukhalid is working to save it, one community at a time. As one of the two winners of the PRIMA Award for Women Greening Food Systems in the Mediterranean, Dr. Aboukhalid’s MOROREGEN project demonstrates that science, local knowledge, and women’s leadership can help reverse biodiversity loss.

Meet Dr. Kaoutar Aboukhalid, one of the two winners of the PRIMA Award for Women Greening Food Systems in the Mediterranean.

Click here to read her full story

In the heart of the Mediterranean, abandoned farmland and water scarcity threaten the future of local food systems. Through Terra Viva Ibiza, Andrea Abad Bartolome is demonstrating how regenerative agriculture, smart water management, and farmer-led innovation can restore soils, strengthen communities, and build climate resilience.

Click here to read her full story

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Imagine breaking a bone so severely that a piece is missing. Or imagine recovering from bone cancer, only to be left with a gap your body cannot heal on its own. Today, patients in these situations often rely on metal implants that stay in the body forever or require a second surgery to remove.

OsteoMag-3D is an international partnership that brings together Maltese and Chinese researchers with one shared goal: to create patient-specific bone implants made from a biodegradable magnesium alloy. These implants, often called scaffolds, act as temporary bone substitutes in situations where patients are left with missing bone, such as after bone cancer treatment or when fractures fail to heal. They support new bone growth and gradually dissolve as healing progresses. Over time, they are replaced entirely by natural bone, eliminating the need for a second surgery to remove the implant.

To ensure each patient gets the right fit, OsteoMag-3D uses advanced 3D-printing technology (Figure 1) to customise the implants. This is not the type of 3D printer found at home. Instead, it relies on a high-precision method called Laser Powder Bed Fusion, where a focused laser beam melts extremely fine magnesium powder layer by layer to form a tailored implant with excellent accuracy.

The project brings together four main institutions. From Malta, the University of Malta leads the initiative under Prof. Inġ. Joseph Buhagiar, working closely with consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Ryan Giordmaina from Mater Dei Hospital. Their Chinese partners are Southeast University, led by Prof. Jing Bai, and Jiangxi University of Science and Technology under Prof. Youwen Yang. This collaboration combines expertise in materials engineering, mechanical engineering, medical science, and clinical practice.

Magnesium is an exciting material for scaffolds. It behaves similarly to natural bone, is biocompatible, and even releases by-products that can encourage healing. But magnesium also has its issues. Placed inside the body, it can degrade too quickly, vanishing before the bone has fully healed. Its breakdown also produces hydrogen gas, which can create unwanted pockets around the implant. OsteoMag-3D researchers are developing new surface coatings to slow and control this process.

Although the technology is highly promising, it remains in the research stage, and the OsteoMag-3D implant is not yet available on the market. Before any patient can receive such an implant, it must undergo rigorous laboratory testing, clinical trials, and regulatory approval. This process is long and expensive; but essential. Close collaboration between engineers and orthopaedic surgeons ensures that the technology will be safe, effective, and suitable for future clinical use.

The OsteoMag-3D project represents a promising step forward in orthopaedics, with the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for patients who require a bone substitute due to injury or disease. The project receives funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (2025YFE0110100) and Xjenza Malta through SINO-MALTA-2024-11 (Science and Technology Cooperation).

Visit the below link to watch the video and read further.

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What are the purposes of this survey?

• To identify what types of capacity building activities are considered important in order to support research and innovation in health and care systems;

• To get an overview of current capacity building instruments available at national and international levels that can help drive the transformation of health and care systems.

What is capacity building in the context of research and innovation?

Capacity building in the context of R&I refers to the process of enhancing the skills, knowledge, systems, infrastructures and collaborations of individuals and organisations that are active in the field of research and innovation. It can e.g. involve research training or fellowships, but also building platforms or networking opportunities for knowledge sharing across institutions.

Who can respond?

The survey is open to anyone in Europe and beyond. We are interested in the views of senior and junior researchers, R&I funders, policymakers, patient/citizen representatives, health and social care professionals, industry representatives and anyone who is interested in capacity building for R&I in relation to health and care systems.

Will my responses be identifiable?

No. All responses are treated anonymously. We will ask some general information about your background for analysing purposes, but we will make sure there is no risk of disclosing your identity when reporting the findings of the survey.

How long does this survey take?

Approximately 15 minutes, but this can vary depending on the number of questions you choose to answer and the input you wish to provide.

Visit the below link to read further and participate. 

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