Malta and Croatia have today taken an important step in strengthening cooperation in the space sector through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the Ministry for Education building in Malta.
The agreement was signed by Mr Matthew Vella, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry for Education, Youth, Sports, Research and Innovation, representing the Government of Malta, and Dr Hrvoje Meštrić, Acting Director General at the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, representing the Government of Croatia.
This initiative, led by Xjenza Malta through its Space Unit, marks the first bilateral
space cooperation agreement of its kind for Malta. It represents a pioneering step in how Malta is building international partnerships in the space domain, moving from policy ambition to structured, practical cooperation with trusted European partners.
The Memorandum has been developed within the framework of the European Space Agency’s Plan for European Cooperating States (ESA PECS), under which both Malta and Croatia are actively engaged. It establishes a clear way forward for both countries to collaborate on space research and innovation, including joint thematic calls, knowledge exchange, mobility, and future ESA PECS-based cooperation.
Malta is proud to take this step with Croatia, a country that has made impressive
progress in building domestic public and private capacity in the space sector. This
partnership reflects the shared ambition of both countries to use space not as a
distant concept, but as a practical tool for research, industry, innovation, and national development.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to move beyond a statement of collaborative intent and towards tangible joint implementation, creating opportunities for researchers, businesses, and emerging talent in both countries.
The signing was witnessed by Mr Silvio Scerri, Chief Executive Officer of Xjenza
Malta, and Mr Želimir Kramarić, Member of the Board of the Croatian Agency for
SMEs, Innovation and Investments, underlining the importance of institutional,
research, and innovation collaboration in this new bilateral partnership.
This agreement reflects Malta’s broader ambition to strengthen its role within the
European space ecosystem, support international cooperation, and create new
opportunities for Maltese stakeholders in the space economy.
What do you think of this partnership?
READ NEXT: A More Inclusive Esplora: New Sensory Room Supports Children With Different Needs