Call for Applications: Innovation for Industry Funding Initiative (Malta)

The programme focuses on driving applied innovation through product and process improvement, strengthening the private sector’s R&D and innovation capabilities, supporting incremental innovation projects that enhance industrial efficiency and output, enhancing Malta’s competitiveness through sustainable, innovation-based growth, and increasing economic output by supporting industrial activities.

The I4I initiative provides funding of up to €150,000 to local Maltese entities and operates through two complementary streams: the Industry-Academia Stream, which incentivises companies to collaborate with Maltese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to access academic knowledge and technology solutions while safeguarding intellectual property, and the Talent Integration Top-up, which supports the recruitment or internal transfer of highly qualified personnel (M.Sc. or Ph.D. holders) into dedicated R&D roles within private enterprises with a €40,000 top-up incentive towards their wages.

The Industry-Academia Stream aims to encourage private–HEI partnerships for applied innovation, promote technology transfer and knowledge sharing, foster low-risk collaborations, assist in improving current industrial processes or products, and safeguard industry IP.

The Talent Integration Top-up stream is designed to increase the uptake of specialised researchers within the private sector, build in-house R&D capacity, bridge the gap between research expertise and industrial application, support the creation of stable, innovation-focused employment, and drive long-term competitiveness through human capital investment. Xjenza Malta provides matchmaking services for applicants seeking this Top-up, offering additional support for proposal writing and accessing the pool of researchers.

For more information, visit Xjenza Malta.