FOWARIM (Fostering Water-Agriculture Research and Innovation in Malta) objective is to strengthen the research capacity of the Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (MCAST)’s Water Research and Training Centre in 4 crucial themes related to the field of water use in agriculture: (a) Decreasing Water Demand, (b) Making Use of Alternative Sources of Water (c) Renewable Desalinization, On-Farm Desalinization and Utilization of Saline Water and (d) Decreasing Negative Environmental Externalities Caused by Nutrient-Rich Farm Waters. This will be achieved by creating a favourable environment for capacity building targeting Maltese researchers, research institutions networking, research policy development. MCAST will be supported in addressing research deficiencies and networking gaps by EU partners of established scientific excellence in the targeted research topics. The proposal will develop over 3 years and is articulated into 5work packages, including one for management and coordination, involving: capacity building through several targeted and advanced training courses, short-term staff exchanges, summer schools and virtual training; research networking and knowledge sharing through providing technical assistance to establish new demonstration sites to promote innovations and best practices in agricultural water management, (iii) helping foster new collaborations through co-design of research questions, and (iv) developing a joint strategy for high impact research and dissemination; designing a research strategy and performing dissemination and outreach activities. This will lead to strengthening MCAST’s research and S&T capacity in water use in agriculture, enhance the dynamism between the different partners, extending the partnership of research Institutions in the sector in question contribute, to an increase in peer-reviewed publications and complement in more ways than one Malta’s Smart Specialization Strategy.

The objective of this project is to develop, in different climate and production contexts, an ecosystem-based approach for marine fish production and crop cultivation, in a circular economy perspective. The project will develop and test a Self-sufficient Integrated Multi-Trophic AquaPonic (SIMTAP) system combining saltwater hydroponic production in greenhouses and in-land aquaculture. SIMTAP will make use of different cultivation units for primary producers (plants, algae), fish (e.g. sea bream, sea bass, flat fish, mullets, etc.), and deposit/filter feeders (e.g. bloodworms and mussels), which are all interconnected, in a closed re-circulating system. In this system, the wastes from one level of the multi-trophic cultivation system are recycled and become the inputs (e.g. fertilizer, feed) for another. Enhancing the integration, SIMTAP enables the reduction of the environmental impact of the food production-chain. Moreover, SIMTAP can re-use brackish water from open-loop crop soilless systems, in a cascade effect acting as a bioremediation/wastewater treatment of effluents from greenhouse cultivations, or other brackish wastewater, and as a recycling of nutrients, closing the SIMTAP cycle. SIMTAP systems will be developed and tested in different Mediterranean contexts, considering different technological levels and potential integration with the existing greenhouses hydroponic productions and aquaculture systems, thus allowing to create employment, contribute to a balanced territorial development and reduce the environmental impact of fish feed production and hydroponics. Moreover, the project aims to experimentally test the effectiveness and performance of SIMTAP systems in terms of food production and quality, energy, water and other resource supply and consumption. LCA, LCC, SLCA energy and emergy assessment of SIMTAP will be also performed, and user’s manuals, guidelines and supports to policies will be provided.