Research funding drives forward development of new product in construction sector

Funding provided by the Malta Council for Science and Technology was crucial for a Maltese company to develop machinery that manufactures ‘Glass Reinforced Polymer Composite Poles’, known in the industry as GRP poles that are longer than 16 meters which is a product that does not yet exist.

Now this will also be possible thanks to the joint work that is being done between the Faculty of Engineering within the University of Malta and the funds from MCST.

During a visit in the offices of the Maltese company Silvercraft Products Ltd, the Minister for Research, Innovation and the co-ordination of the post-Covid19 strategy Dr Owen Bonnici said that the company is proud to have created a proto-type of the desired product and that it was even tried.

“Now is time to optimize the manufacture of the pole to reach further strength and finally, it will be marketed in the international sphere,” Dr Bonnici said while wishing success to this company.

These novel GRP poles withstand high levels of stress and weight.

Dr Bonnici said that it is a very wise move when a Maltese company such as Silvercraft Products Ltd. constantly amends its thinking and approach to grow its own business and continues to put Malta on the international map in terms of innovation and research.

On his part, Etienne Scerri, representative of Silvercraft Product Ltd explained that Silvercraft Products Ltd. started as a boat building company and today is one of the leading fiberglass manufacturing companies serving various industries, including construction.

Professor Duncan Camilleri on behalf of the University of Malta (Department of Mechanical Engineering) praised this collaboration and emphasized, that this project was made real, thanks to funds from MCST.

Some of the products range from eye-catching ones such as ‘planters’, ‘custom designed shuttering’ facade panels, swimming pools and even reception desks and other products and even those that we may not visibly notice, such as reservoirs, ‘lift pit water proofing’, water treatment systems and even hydro-dynamic separators.

This means that innovation, research and development are an integral part of this created business of the said company.