The Institute of Aerospace Technologies (IAT) was established by the Council of the University of Malta on 14 November 2014. The scope of the Institute is to exploit the strong track record and international reputation that the University has developed in niche areas of aeronautics since the early 2000s and to further extend activity to the broader scope of aerospace.

The Institute operates on three activity axes, namely:

• Teaching: The Institute aims to attract new students to the University through the delivery of aerospace and aviation-related courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
• Research: The Institute aims to strengthen its position as a valued player in the field of aeronautics and transport within the European Research Area. This is achieved through formal collaboration with national and international industry partners, research centres and universities. The research activities of the Institute are detailed in the Research section.
• Outreach and stakeholder engagement: The Institute seeks to engage with national and international stakeholders in the aviation sector (such as the government, Malta Enterprise, Transport Malta, the Bureau of Air Accident Investigation, Eurocontrol and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency), as well as with the general public.