PRESS RELEASE BY THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIAT FOR YOUTH, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CRIHM Recognised as a European Cancer Mission Hub, launches new EU projects and funding opportunities

During his address at the fifth edition of MedTech World Malta, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti highlighted Malta’s growing role as a global platform for healthcare innovation. He emphasised the country’s commitment to fostering collaborations between government, academia, and industry—an ecosystem that allows research ideas to be rapidly transformed into real-world medical solutions. This backdrop set the stage for a major national announcement made during the same conference.

Parliamentary Secretary Azzopardi Tanti announced that the Cancer Research and Innovation Hub Malta (CRIHM) has been officially recognised as a European Cancer Mission Hub, reinforcing Malta’s strategic role in the collective European effort to combat cancer through research, innovation, and cross-border collaboration.

In the margins of the conference, an MOU was signed between CRIHM and MedTech World. The Parliamentary Secretary commended this agreement and stated, “It is our mission as a government to ensure positive collaborations between the public and private sectors. Partnerships of this sort can result in fruitful achievements for the benefit of the public in general, particularly in cancer research. MedTech is an internationally renowned organisation with vast capacity and expertise that can help this newly founded foundation continue its growth both locally and internationally.”

He added that the partnership will further strengthen Malta’s ability to build impactful research networks, enabling local researchers to scale their projects for broader international collaboration.

Dr Dylan Attard, CEO of MedTech underscored the significance of the collaboration between MedTech World and CRIHM. He stated that “The collaboration between MedTech World and CRIHM marks an important step in positioning Malta as a global centre for scientific and technological excellence. Through MedTech World’s international platform and CRIHM’s scientific expertise, we are accelerating innovation in cancer care by bridging research with real-world application. This initiative, supported by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Research and Innovation and the Cancer Research Foundation, reflects our national commitment to empowering researchers, embracing technology, and fostering cross-border collaboration, while strengthening Malta’s leadership in European healthcare innovation.”

Regarding CRIHM’s new status as a European Cancer Mission Hub, Prof Christian Scerri, Chairman of CRIHM, explained that this recognition will enable Malta to take on a stronger role in EU-wide cancer initiatives. 

Prof Scerri also announced the launch of two new funding opportunities aimed at supporting researchers and promoting excellence in the field:

• CRIHM Young Investigator Award, supporting emerging researchers pursuing cancer-related studies; and

• CRIHM Open Access Publication Reimbursement Scheme, designed to assist researchers in sharing their findings more widely by covering publication costs.

Prof Scerri then presented an overview of the EU-funded projects awarded to CRIHM, highlighting how these initiatives will drive advances in cancer research and technology. He also outlined CRIHM’s new applications for EU funding, demonstrating the foundation’s ongoing commitment to securing sustainable support for cutting-edge research.

Through these achievements, CRIHM continues to strengthen its mission to advance cancer research, promote innovation, and build strong collaborative networks, positioning Malta as an active and credible contributor to Europe’s united fight against cancer.