The Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, a European Partnership under the European Commission’s Research & Innovation Framework Programme Horizon Europe, is pleased to announce its first Thematic Portfolio Call for Interest. This call aims to connect ongoing projects to create and boost networking activities for a 2-year period, from early 2026 to early 2028.

Two active networking portfolios will be established, composed of projects granted by the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership as well as by a range of national, regional and EU funding streams on these two topics:

• Topic 1: Innovations and digitalisation for low-impact sustainable small-scale fisheries management in EU sea-basins
• Topic 2: Innovations for boosting sustainability in marine algae cultivations and circularity in the blue bioeconomy

The Thematic Portfolios of projects will be connected and will define their own roadmap of activities. With the support of the Partnership, the portfolios are expected to increase transnational synergies at the EU scale, boost quadruple helix multi-stakeholders’ collaboration, and respond to the challenges and opportunities identified within each topic. By reaching a critical mass of projects focusing on similar thematics, this action will contribute to leveraging the projects’ impact at the European level by e.g. providing efficient scientific support for strategic and political decision making, whilst also addressing research gaps and avoiding duplication. 

Some of the benefits of participating in the Thematic Portfolios are:

• Increased visibility at the international level
• Networking with quadruple-helix stakeholders
• Career boost, especially for early career scientists
• Identification of new opportunities for cooperation
• Identification of potential beneficiaries of the project outputs
• Co-design market-uptake plans
• Meetings with EU Commission experts
• Participation in Partnership events (e.g. biennial symposium) 

To participate:

• Projects must fall in the thematic scope of the portfolios.
• Projects must be active and ongoing during the Thematic Portfolio Activities timeframe and must be receiving a regional/national/EU grant.
• Projects must address at least one geographical area among: Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean. If applicable, projects may target regional areas (e.g. Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Celtic Sea, Adriatic Sea, Aegean Seas, etc.) or their scope must prove to be relevant for one or more of the above-mentioned geographical areas.
• Applicants must prove their commitment, availability and capacity to engage in the activities (as self-funded).
• Project Principal Investigators (and alternates, if any) must be employed by an organisation belonging to one of the countries1 of the Partnership and must be a stakeholder from one of the four major sectors of the quadruple helix (industry, government, research institutes, and the public).

Deadline: 30 October 2025, 15:00 CET, now extended to 12 November 2025

Visit the below link to download call specifications and application forms.

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The Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Malta is part of DIVERSICROP (COST Action CA22146), a global research network studying consumer interest in underutilized crops. Malta is contributing to this international effort with the study: “Consumer Attitudes and Interest in Underutilized Crops.” 

This research explores how cultural and traditional dietary habits in Maltese adults influence awareness, acceptance, and use of these lesser-known crops. You're invited to take part by completing a short, anonymous survey — it takes about 10 minutes. 

Participation is entirely voluntary

• You are free to accept or refuse to participate, without needing to give a reason. 

• You are free to skip any questions or to withdraw from filling in the survey at any time when filling it in, without needing to provide any explanation and without any negative repercussions for you. 

• There are no risks or direct benefits to you.

• At no point will you be asked to provide your name or any other personal data that may lead to you being identified.

• The survey instrument used will not collect IP addresses, which may constitute personal data. 

• Consent is implied by completing the survey.

Data collected will be used solely for this research and may be published in aggregated form in academic journals or presented at conferences. Only the DIVERSICROP research team and local investigators will access the data. This study is approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta.

Visit the below link to participate in this survey.

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A fascinating fact I first encountered during my undergraduate studies involved people who, years ago, claimed to hear voices in their heads. The culprit wasn’t the supernatural, it was radiation. Metal fillings in their teeth were acting like tiny antennas, picking up radio waves from broadcasting towers. 

That was my first glimpse into how parts of the human body could interact with electromagnetic radiation from the outside world. Today, my research takes this idea further but instead of radio waves, I work with microwaves, and instead of dental fillings, my focus is on tumours. This is a crucial step towards improving treatment and survival outcomes for cancer patients. 

Heating Tumours to Heal 

Microwave hyperthermia is a treatment that uses temperatures slightly higher than normal to damage and weaken tumour cells. A set of small antennas placed outside the body emits microwave radiation, which converges precisely at a targeted point inside. Due to constructive interference, this point heats up, much like how multiple waves in a pool can meet to create a larger wave. 

The rise in temperature triggers a cascade of biological effects: 

• Proteins within tumour cells denature, disrupting their normal functions.

• Tumour growth slows, while blood flow increases, making subsequent treatments delivered through the bloodstream more effective. 

Remarkably, this is achieved with minimal side effects. When administered correctly, the only reported discomfort is mild skin irritation or slight unease during the procedure. 

Microwave hyperthermia isn’t designed to replace chemotherapy or radiotherapy, it strengthens them. By precisely heating tumour tissue before these traditional treatments, hyperthermia increases their efficacy. A typical session lasts 30 to 60 minutes, with the patient lying still to ensure healthy tissues remain unaffected. 

Around the world, hospitals are increasingly incorporating hyperthermia into cancer treatment plans. Clinical studies are showing promising results, demonstrating improved treatment responses and patient outcomes. 

In order to understand the technology, think of a microwave phased array as a team of flashlights working in perfect synchrony. Instead of shining light randomly, each ‘flashlight’ (or antenna) coordinates to focus energy precisely where it’s needed, similar to how a magnifying glass focuses sunlight. By carefully controlling the timing of signals from each antenna, the system concentrates microwaves at a single location while cancelling them elsewhere. This technology allows for non-invasive, highly targeted heating inside the body, the same principle that underpins wireless charging, security scanners, and other advanced systems. 

As part of my research at the University of Malta, I am developing a next-generation microwave hyperthermia system that rivals current clinical systems in accuracy and efficiency. My goal is simple: to make cancer treatment more effective, more comfortable, and more accessible to those who need it. 

This work, “Hyper4B” is financed by Xjenza Malta and the Scientific Technology Research Council (TÜBİTAK), through the Xjenza Malta-TÜBİTAK 2022 Joint Call for R&I projects. 

About the Author: Therese Quattromani is an electronics engineer reading for a master’s degree at the University of Malta

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While awaiting the publication of the official notice in the Official Gazette, the following documents are now available online:

• The text of Public Call No. 2/2025 for the submission of cooperation project proposals under the INTERREG VI-A Italy-Malta Programme;

• The related selection criteria for operations, approved by the Programme Monitoring Committee on 29/07/2025.

The text of the call and the selection criteria are published for informational purposes only and may be subject to minor changes. They do not have legal value until their publication in the Official Gazette of the Region of Sicily.

Visit the below link to download the full documentation.

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This funding guide was developed in response to requests from the Japanese research community and brings together, in a single document, information on funding opportunities available in both the EU and Japan.

The guide is  organised around key stages and interests in a research career, from doctoral  training and postdoctoral research to independent research, international  mobility, collaborative or consortium-based projects, and even the  commercialisation of research results. For each area, it outlines relevant  funding opportunities on both the EU and Japanese sides.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming the scientific process across all stages, from hypothesis generation and experimental design to data analysis, peer review and dissemination of results. In many research fields, such as the examined protein structure prediction, materials discovery and computational humanities, AI accelerates discovery, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and enhances reproducibility, while improving access to advanced analytical and computational capabilities. These developments align with the European Union (EU)’s vision to make AI tools and infrastructure more accessible, strengthening research in areas of strategic importance such as climate change, health, and clean technologies. However, this progress introduces new challenges, including concerns about algorithmic bias, the proliferation of hallucinations and fabricated data, and the potential erosion of critical thinking skills. AI Adoption remains uneven across scientific domains, and addressing these risks requires robust governance, transparency and alignment with open-science principles. This report, accompanying the publication of the European Strategy for AI in Science, provide scientific evidence to support policymakers in maximising AI’s benefits for EU’s research excellence, innovation and competitiveness, while ensuring its deployment in science remains ethical, inclusive and aligned with European values.

Read the full report by clicking on the below link.

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The widespread use of synthetic glass and carbon fibres in the composite manufacturing industry offers strength and rigidity but poses environmental challenges. Synthetic fibres and resins are derived from petrochemicals, are difficult to recycle, and may pose environmental or health risks during production. Natural fibres, such as sisal and flax, present a more sustainable alternative, especially when paired with biodegradable resins. Flax derived from the Linseed plant, has strong mechanical properties but is costly to cultivate, while Sisal extracted from the Agave Sisalana plant is cheaper and easier to grow but harder to process. Hybrid composites using both fibres can enhance performance, lower costs, and improving sustainability. The project ECO-Composite developed Hybrid Flax/Sisal bio-based composites and investigates the mechanical, environmental, and processing aspects of such hybrid applications to support greener industrial materials.

ECO-Composite project received funding from Xjenza Malta and the Ministry for Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (MOST), through the SINO-MALTA Fund 2022 Call (Science and Technology Cooperation).

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