On the 20 February 2012, Malta signed a Cooperation Agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) with the intention of creating a platform for researchers who wanted to conduct research and development in the Space Sciences. The Space Research Fund was created to encourage researchers from the private and public sectors, and from academia, to submit proposal ideas that would utilise satellite data to study and offer solutions within various national sectors of interest. Science Malta has funded 14 projects under this initiative and has created a Thematic Programme under its FUSION scheme to fund Space Upstream research projects. Nine applications were granted funding through this initiative.

Science Malta signed a new agreement with ESA on the 25 October 2023, and now forms part of a more extensive Plan for European Cooperating States (PECS). Through an annual call for project proposals, local private and public sector entities, as well as academic institutions, may apply for much broader applications in the Space Downstream and Upstream, and to create more extensive Space Education opportunities. Through PECS, Malta has become part of a larger pan-European network that fosters growth, development and broader collaboration opportunities to develop a thriving local Space sector.