New NAO report confirms Malta’s chronic underinvestment in Research and Innovation

A newly published National Audit Office report has once again exposed the serious and long-standing failure of successive governments to adequately invest in research and development in Malta. Despite years of sustained economic growth and steadily rising GDP, Malta remains among the lowest spenders in the European Union on research and development as a percentage of GDP.

Malta’s total spending on research and development stood at just 0.6% of GDP remains dramatically below the EU’s 3% target. In relative terms, Malta continues to at the bottom of EU member states for research investment. This persistent underinvestment is particularly concerning given Malta’s consistent economic growth, making the government’s failure to prioritise research increasingly difficult to justify.

The NAO report also highlights serious structural weaknesses in Malta’s national research and innovation framework. These include the lack of a detailed implementation roadmap, limited and weak performance indicators, and a lack of transparent, traceable financial mechanisms. 

Momentum is especially concerned about the lack of sustainable funding for doctoral and early-career postdoctoral research. Government research grants rarely extend beyond one or two years, making it practically impossible to fund PhD programmes in Malta. 

Dr Matthew Agius, executive member of Momentum, said: “Young Maltese scientists are forced to pursue doctoral studies abroad, often at their own personal expense. When they return, they frequently find no research posts available, not due to a lack of talent or ambition, but because the government has failed to build a properly funded research ecosystem.”

Momentum believes that Malta urgently needs a change in direction. As a first concrete step, the government should immediately double public investment in research and development from 0.6% to at least 1.2% of GDP. While this would still fall well short of the EU’s 3% target, it would represent a meaningful commitment and a necessary foundation for future growth.

Dr Agius added, “Malta also lacks permanent research-focused positions, with most government academic posts primarily dedicated to teaching. This is a tragic waste of human potential and a clear failure of long-term national planning.”

Momentum calls on the government to treat this NAO report as a clear wake-up call and to finally place research and innovation at the centre of Malta’s long-term national priorities.

Rapport ġdid tal-NAO jikkonferma n-nuqqas ta’ investiment kroniku ta’ Malta fir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni

Rapport tal-Uffiċċju Nazzjonali tal-Awditjar (NAO) li għadu kif ġie ppubblikat jitkellem dwar in-nuqqas serju u fit-tul ta’ gvernijiet suċċessivi li jinvestu b’mod adegwat fir-riċerka u l-iżvilupp f’Malta. Minkejja snin ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku sostnut u GDP li qed jiżdied b’mod kostanti, Malta tibqa’ fost dawk li jonfqu l-inqas fl-Unjoni Ewropea fuq ir-riċerka u l-iżvilupp bħala perċentwal tal-GDP.

L-infiq totali ta’ Malta fuq ir-riċerka u l-iżvilupp kien biss ta’ 0.6% tal-GDP, u jibqa’ taħt il-mira ta’ 3% tal-UE. F’termini relattivi, Malta tinsab fil-qiegħ tal-istati membri tal-UE. Dan in-nuqqas ta’ investiment persistenti huwa partikolarment ta’ tħassib minħabba t-tkabbir ekonomiku konsistenti ta’ Malta, u dan jagħmel in-nuqqas tal-gvern li jipprijoritizza r-riċerka dejjem aktar diffiċli biex jiġi ġġustifikat.

Ir-rapport tal-NAO jenfasizza wkoll dgħufijiet serji fil-qafas nazzjonali tar-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni ta’ Malta. Dawn jinkludu n-nuqqas ta’ pjan direzzjonali dettaljat għall-implimentazzjoni, indikaturi tal-prestazzjoni limitati u dgħajfa, u nuqqas ta’ mekkaniżmi finanzjarji trasparenti u traċċabbli.

Momentum jinsab imħassba dwar in-nuqqas ta’ finanzjament sostenibbli għar-riċerka dottorali u postdottorali fil-bidu tal-karriera. L-għotjiet ta’ riċerka tal-gvern rarament jestendu sena jew sentejn, u dan jagħmilha prattikament impossibbli li jiġu ffinanzjati programmi ta’ dottorat f’Malta.

Dr Matthew Agius, membru ta’ l-eżekuttiv ta’ Momentum, qal: “Ix-xjentisti żgħażagħ Maltin huma mġiegħla jsegwu studji dottorali barra minn Malta, ħafna drabi bi spejjeż personali tagħhom. Meta jirritornaw, ta’ spiss ma jsibu l-ebda postijiet ta’ riċerka disponibbli, mhux minħabba nuqqas ta’ talent jew ambizzjoni, iżda għaliex il-gvern naqas milli jibni ekosistema ta’ riċerka ffinanzjata kif suppost.”

Momentum temmen li Malta teħtieġ bidla fid-direzzjoni urġenti. Bħala l-ewwel pass konkret, il-gvern għandu jirdoppja immedjatament l-investiment pubbliku fir-riċerka u l-iżvilupp minn 0.6% għal mill-inqas 1.2% tal-GDP. Filwaqt li dan xorta jkun ferm inqas mill-mira ta’ 3% tal-UE, ikun jirrappreżenta impenn sinifikanti u bażi meħtieġa għat-tkabbir fil-futur.

Dr Agius żied jgħid, “Malta wkoll m’għandhiex pożizzjonijiet permanenti ffukati fuq ir-riċerka, bil-biċċa l-kbira tal-postijiet akkademiċi tal-gvern primarjament iddedikati għat-tagħlim. Dan huwa ħela traġika tal-potenzjal uman u falliment ċar tal-ippjanar nazzjonali fit-tul.”

Momentum jappella lill-gvern biex jittratta dan ir-rapport tal-NAO bħala sejħa ċara ta’ twissija u biex finalment ipoġġi r-riċerka u l-innovazzjoni fiċ-ċentru tal-prijoritajiet nazzjonali fit-tul ta’ Malta.

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