Words are one of, if not the most, versatile tools one may employ. They may serve to sway opinions in favour of one’s own, express original knowledge to which one may be credited, and even prolong the memory of an individual long after life’s end. In a sense, words are worlds. However, there is one condition. For words to have power, people need to understand the language. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.
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Manufacturing has come a long way since Ford’s production lines. Modern manufacturing is becoming smarter. But making food package manufacturing smarter presents a host of challenges that the SMARTSPACK project needed to navigate through.
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Europe’s packaging industry drives 40% of plastic demand, yet Malta’s recycling rates remain alarmingly low. While 3D printing with recycled plastic offers a sustainable, low-carbon solution, repeated recycling degrades the material’s internal structure. Dr Zunaida Binti Zakaria explores this challenge through infrared thermal imaging to unlock the secrets of plastic crystallisation and bridge the gap between waste and reliable production.
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In a country with more metal bands per capita than anywhere else, you’d expect to hear sick guitar solos and wicked vocals around every corner. But for a group of students in Oulu, Finland, the only sound was the buzz of 3D printers, building the next generation of wearable rehabilitation tech.
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Hybrid Energy Storage Systems is carrying out research on the conversion of surplus renewable energy into hydrogen. This is an increasingly important means of reducing wasted energy, as Malta invests heavily into renewables. Jonathan Firbank speaks with project investigator Prof. Ing. John Licari about this project and Malta’s changing energy landscape.
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Solar photovoltaic panels are a fantastic invention; they can turn abundant solar energy into electricity. Moreover, they provide shading on building roofs, reducing the heat that penetrates from direct sunlight. Amazing. But, there is one slight hitch – as the panels heat up, they become less and less efficient. A team of researchers at UM are looking into an innovative way to cool PV panels and the roof under the waxing sun.
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A bottle of wine goes through many steps before it reaches the glass. Starting from the grape, it is monitored, barrelled, bottled, registered, regulated, stored, moved, and sold. At each stage, people rely on trust instead of checking every detail. This can lead to issues such as counterfeit bottles, lost records, and questions from buyers about the wine’s origin. The main challenge is making wine traceable without adding cost or slowing down the process. Prof. Joshua Ellul and Prof. Gordon Pace at the University of Malta, and their team, are working on this problem.
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Can artificial intelligence become your next personal trainer? One Maltese start-up is redefining fitness by merging AI, computer vision, and physiotherapy to create a virtual coach that understands your body’s every move – guiding you toward safer, smarter, and truly personalised exercise.
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MindOnly has developed an Artificial Intelligence tool that can assess your attachment style. This Malta-based research project, supported by Xjenza, has created a platform that reads non-verbal cues to better understand users. This may prove to be a useful personal development tool and, crucially, a valuable resource for mental health practitioners.
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When a curious mother and seasoned AI researcher dipped her toes into the world of competitive swimming, she did not expect to launch one of the most comprehensive sports-tech initiatives Malta has ever seen. Now, through two intertwined projects – DIVE and SWIM-360 – Dr Vanessa Camilleri and her team at the University of Malta are capturing the full stroke of what makes swimmers fast, efficient, and injury-free.
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