Potential collaboration models with industry 

A number of collaboration models can be pursued between the Computer Science Department and industry through companies interested in participating in research projects. All collaboration is subject to a Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) so as to protect the interests of both parties.  Similarly, any data published as a result of case studies will be subject to approval by the industry partner.

We can help companies wanting to upskill their workforce on particular topics by providing a targeted 28-hours course. Example courses delivered in the past included: single-page application development, iOS development, in-memory data management, and data science. These courses involve a strong practical component and are delivered in the evenings by experts in the field. 

 

Companies participating in this research collaboration model would typically commit to contributing a case study which is relevant to an ongoing research project.  This may or may not include providing researchers with access to technical employees for interview or collaboration purposes.  By participating in such programmes, companies can reap the benefits of any research outcomes as well as gain access to training and support for any tools developed by our research group.

Many companies have interesting projects of value which never quite take off.  These are usually of an internal nature and tend to consist of process, tool and technique improvements.  If the project has a relevant research component to it, it could potentially be handed off to the Computer Science Department for completion and delivery back to the company.

This collaboration tier builds on the previous tier and would involve a company offering internships to researchers and students involved in a project of mutual benefit to both parties.  Whilst enabling students to earn an income during their research, companies are also investing in potential future employees.

 

This involves the building of a consortium with the goal of filing a joint application for research funding of a project which is of mutual interest to the parties involved. Funding programmes considered can be both local and EU level funds.

 

Whilst building on previous tiers, this tier also symbolises an organisation's trust in the Computer Science Department in that it makes a financial donation to support research activities. Such research contributions are managed by the University of Malta Research, Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT), tax-deductible and are typically used to contribute towards employing researchers, purchasing licenses and publishing research results.  Contributing companies may choose to specify the type of research on which they would like their contribution to be utilised.