MALTESE CHAMBER OF SCIENTISTS

Their core work

The Maltese Chamber of Scientists is a professional association representing the scientific community in Malta. Their H2020 involvement centers entirely on the "Science in the City" festival — a recurring public science engagement event that brings research to citizens through interactive experiments, comedy, arts, and edutainment. They serve as Malta's institutional bridge between the research community and the general public, organizing events that make science accessible and promote scientific careers.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early work (2014-2015) focused on traditional science communication — promoting scientific careers and public recognition of researchers at a European level. By 2016-2021, the focus shifted decisively toward participatory, arts-integrated engagement: STEAM, edutainment, comedy, and interactive formats designed to empower citizens rather than just inform them. The most recent project (2021) introduces policy-relevant framing around the European Green Deal and Responsible Research and Innovation, suggesting alignment with EU strategic priorities.

Moving from one-way science promotion toward participatory, arts-driven citizen engagement tied to EU policy goals like the Green Deal and RRI.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — they join consortia led by others and contribute their local reach and science communication expertise in Malta. With only 6 unique partners across 2 countries, they operate within a small, recurring network, likely returning to the same Science in the City consortium across multiple editions. This makes them a reliable, low-risk partner for science engagement activities but not a consortium-building hub.

A very compact network of 6 partners in just 2 countries, reflecting their role as a national node in a recurring pan-European science festival consortium rather than a broadly connected organization.

What sets them apart

They are Malta's professional body for scientists, giving them institutional legitimacy and direct access to the Maltese research community — something no other Maltese organization can easily replicate. For any EU project needing a science engagement partner in Malta, they are effectively the default choice. Their strength is not technical research but mobilizing researchers and the public around science events on the island.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SitC (2021)
  Most recent edition integrating European Green Deal, RRI, and Quintuple Helix themes — shows the organization's evolution toward policy-aligned engagement.
• SitC (2016)
  Largest single grant (EUR 30,000) and the project that introduced arts-science fusion with comedy, edutainment, and interactive experiments.