As part of the LT-Bridge project, a Horizon 2020 initiative bringing the University of Malta closer to the European research community in artificial intelligence (AI) and language technologies, Dr. John Judge, Dr. Dave Lewis, Jelena Radakovic (ADAPT Centre) and Dr. Claudia Borg (University of Malta) participated in a series of high-profile meetings in Brussels this week (April 17th and 18th 2024). The primary goal of the project is to establish a European-level Centre of Excellence in Malta, enhancing the nation’s research and innovation capacities.
The two day agenda included a number of high level strategic meetings with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), key attachés, policy advisors and relevant policy stakeholders linking the ADAPT Centre’s expertise to the ongoing policy platforms, whilst also focusing on the outcomes of the LT Bridge projects and successful developments in integrating and leveraging Malta’s research capabilities within the broader European framework.
European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, meets with the ADAPT team in Brussels.
Across two days, the team met with a number of MEPs and their advisors, including MEP Sean Kelly where they focused on the interaction of AI and language technologies in education and research and MEP Francis Fitzgerald with whom they discussed the latest developments affecting misinformation and disinformation. Importantly as well, the team presented their work to MEP Alfred Sant and MEP Cyrus Engerer from Malta, where potential synergies between the EP’s ongoing legislative work and the LT-Bridge project’s research focus were explored.
The team also met with Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament to discuss the importance of the LT-Bridge project for building capacity and fostering new young European level research teams in the University of Malta capable of carrying out competitive research in the priority scientific areas, in particular in language technologies. The visit also included a set of meetings with the Irish and Maltese Permanent Representatives working on Digital Technologies, Innovation, Research and Education, as well as the policy experts from FIPRA and Hyperion.
These meetings come at a critical time in the LT-Bridge project, laying the foundations for future collaborations and cementing the Univeristy of Malta’s role as a key player in Europe’s digital and technological landscape. The meetings are expected to significantly enhance the visibility and integration of the University of Malta within Europe’s AI research community and provide a strong pillar for further policy engagement both within the scope of the LT Bridge project and within the scope of future collaborations By aligning the LT-Bridge projects outcomes with the EU’s legislative framework, the team aims to contribute to policy innovations and establish a sustainable growth model for AI and language technology research in Malta.
