Supported by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Research & Innovation, the Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology is leading the CONNECT project, a national initiative aiming to better exploit marine observations and data to serve society. The aim is to catalyse the design of a financed national system for the collection of essential data about the sea around the Maltese Islands. CONNECT brings key actors to put plans and funds together to create synergy and complementarity to build a common effort for the marine data needs of the nation. It is intended to facilitate a common data collection and management system at national level, supporting the sharing of data needs and delivery, providing synergy and avoiding duplication of efforts, creating critical mass by merging initiatives and assets for joint projects, actions and ventures, including participation in international endeavours.
Marine data and information are essential ingredients not only for sea-based research, climate studies, the monitoring of the state of health of the sea and the management of its resources. Indeed, the marine data value chain in the evolving information age targets new avenues, reaching out to industry and fuelling innovative applications that can raise economic levels to new heights that perhaps we cannot yet fully grasp. The conference is precisely planned to bring national stakeholders, responsible entities, the research community, operators and private enterprise to discuss, design, streamline and plan marine observations in the Maltese Islands for monitoring, ecosystem services, research and security. This is a very much needed national strategic reflection that we have to make as we endeavour to more systematically depend on the oceans, and we further look at the sea as a resource for the blue economy and the green transition. No more disjointed efforts. Individual project-based, ad hoc initiatives relying on singular best effort deliveries do not work. We need a coordinated effort, a financed enduring strategy with a political commitment to achieve and sustain a national marine observing system for the needs of a nation that works to meet challenges and looks beyond the horizon.