Valletta Skyline with church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral, at beautiful sunset, Valletta, Capital city of Malta

OUR COMMITMENT

Responsible Research and Innovation for Public Benefit

The Foundation for Innovation and Research – Malta (FiR.mt) is a non-profit research organisation committed to advancing research and innovation in the public interest.
Our commitment is grounded in responsibility, sustainability, transparency, and societal relevance, ensuring that research outcomes deliver long-term value for people, communities, the environment, and the economy.

FiR.mt operates as a trusted partner within the European research and innovation ecosystem, guided by shared European principles and global challenges.

Statutory Mission

As defined in its statutory mandate, the mission of the Foundation for Innovation and Research – Malta is:

“To promote the advancement of innovation and research for humanity throughout the Mediterranean, highlighting the role of Malta as a hub of knowledge between Europe and the region, and to support the ongoing expansion of the Maltese economy into an innovation-led economy.”
(Statute, 2020)

This mandate provides the foundation for FiR.mt’s role as a bridge between local action, European collaboration, and regional knowledge exchange.

Operational Commitment

Building on its statutory mission, FiR.mt is committed to supporting excellent, responsible, and impactful research and innovation that addresses Europe’s societal, environmental, and technological challenges through:

  • real-world experimentation and Living Labs
  • strong coordination and project leadership
  • inclusive collaboration across academia, industry, public authorities, and society

This commitment guides how FiR.mt designs, supports, and implements research and innovation activities across different programmes and instruments.

Commitment to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)

FiR.mt aligns its activities with the European framework for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), embedding responsibility across the full research and innovation lifecycle.

This includes a commitment to:

  • Ethical research and integrity, in line with European standards
  • Open science and transparency, supporting FAIR data and open access
  • Inclusive engagement, involving stakeholders, communities, and end users
  • Gender equality and diversity, fostering inclusive research environments
  • Science education and skills development, strengthening societal capacity

RRI principles are integrated into project design, governance, implementation, and dissemination.

Sustainability and Long-Term Impact

Sustainability is a core element of FiR.mt’s commitment.
We promote research and innovation that contributes to:

  • environmental protection and climate resilience
  • sustainable use of resources
  • social well-being and economic development

FiR.mt’s activities support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Europe’s Green and Digital Transitions, ensuring that sustainability considerations are embedded from early-stage concept development through to deployment and exploitation.

Alignment with Horizon Europe and EU Missions

FiR.mt aligns its research and innovation activities with the objectives and principles of Horizon Europe, supporting excellence, impact, and implementation across the full research and innovation lifecycle.

Our work contributes to:

  • Horizon Europe Pillar II clusters, addressing global challenges and industrial competitiveness
  • Mission-oriented research and innovation, translating European ambition into place-based action
  • Widening Participation and ERA actions, strengthening capacity, inclusiveness, and collaboration
  • Cross-cutting priorities, including SSH integration, open science, and the Green and Digital Transitions

Within this framework, FiR.mt actively supports the implementation of EU Missions through Living Labs and real-world environments.

EU Mission: Adaptation to Climate Change

  • Supporting climate resilience through real-world experimentation
  • Enabling evidence-based adaptation strategies at local and regional levels
  • Generating transferable knowledge for European replication

EU Mission: 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities

  • Contributing to integrated energy, mobility, and digital solutions
  • Engaging local authorities, infrastructure operators, and citizens
  • Supporting systemic innovation at city and community scale

EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters / Environment & Climate

  • Promoting environmental monitoring and data-driven governance
  • Supporting sustainable management of natural resources
  • Integrating societal and behavioural dimensions into environmental action

Non-Profit Orientation and Public Value

As a non-profit foundation, FiR.mt reinvests its resources into:

  • research excellence and scientific quality
  • capacity building and skills development
  • research infrastructures and Living Labs
  • societal engagement and knowledge dissemination

This ensures independence, credibility, and alignment with public interest and long-term societal value.

From Commitment to Practice

FiR.mt’s commitments are translated into action through:

  • Working Together with European, national, and local partners
  • Learn & Share activities supporting education, training, and skills development
  • Living Labs and real-world environments enabling responsible experimentation

These mechanisms ensure that values are not aspirational, but operationalised in practice.

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Looking Ahead

Europe’s challenges require research and innovation that is responsible, inclusive, and action-oriented.
FiR.mt remains committed to strengthening trust in science, supporting evidence-based decision-making, and delivering research and innovation that contributes to a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future.