Tech.mt is conducting a survey to gather further insight from local businesses on their perceptions towards the Internet of Things (IoT)
Previous years have seen massive attention around the Internet of Things (IoT) but have brought little knowledge of its adoption among Maltese businesses. It is evident that the IoT is paving the way for businesses to redefine the way they manufacture or design products, optimise processes, and enable enhanced sales.
To this end, Tech.mt is conducting a survey to gather further insight from local businesses on their perceptions towards the Internet of Things (IoT). More particularly, the survey investigates areas such as sectoral relevance, willingness to invest, barriers or challenges, and effectiveness on business operations. The findings of the survey will be vital in forming Malta’s national objectives for the adoption of emerging technologies such as IoT amongst the business community.
In this respect, we are reaching out to the Malta Chamber of SMEs to get the voice of their members/representations by encouraging them to participate in this survey and provide their insights towards IoT.
The survey may be accessed through the link below:
If there is one sure word that yields business, it is digital. Maltese businesses have only started barely scraping the surface and the untapped potential continues growing exponentially. Business are becoming more digital both for efficiency and cost, and it is well know that those businesses who do not embrace some digital transformation will become less competitive and will lose more market. But to achieve this a business needs to upskill its employees with digital skills and knowledge, and this is crucial.
Why should a business be bothered about digital skills?
The key to unlocking the digital opportunities lies in having the right skills and this is where the eSkills Malta Foundation can help businesses step up their game. What the eSkills Malta Foundation offers is completely accessible and entirely FREE of CHARGE.
Having a well-functioning eCommerce site is today a basic requirement and, to continue succeeding, businesses need much more than this today. The Maltese economy is moving towards digitalisation and will become increasingly dependent on digitalisation like never before.
A number of grants and funding opportunities are already available for businesses that take on the decision to invest. These will be increasing significantly within the coming months.
The starting point is always however developing the businesses’ capacity in terms of eSkills to be able to generate digital opportunities and identify what comes next.
Who is the eSkills Malta Foundation?
The eSkills Malta Foundation is a National Coalition made up of various representatives from Government, industry and education, who came together to contribute to the increase in digital skills and the development of the IT profession in Malta.
The Foundation in fact offers a wide variety of courses and gives access to digital skills, which can meet anybody’s need and address the full spectrum of the digital skills gap.
Amongst which, the eSkills Malta Foundation offers the following courses which are intended for businesses.
– Business Digital enablement for Business Owners
This course, developed by Ernst & Young Ltd, starts in September 2021 and targets Business Executives and Leaders.
The aim is to give exposure of the emerging technologies of Cloud, Workplace Modernisation, Effective project delivery, Using and Analysing Data as well as Process Automation.
More information and access to the registration can be found via the following link.
– Online Digital Transformation Course
Developed by PWC, this course consists of 3 eLearning Tutorials which can be taken separately or all together should one wish.
Course content includes the subject of eCommerce comprehensively starting from a transformation point of view to online rules and effective team collaboration.
More information and access to the registration can be found via the following link.
– Elements of Artificial Intelligence
A course created by Reaktor and the University of Helsinki and seeks to answer the questions of what AI is and isn’t, how it can be applied to real-life applications, and what the implications of this technology are for companies.
More information and access to the registration can be found via the following link.
– Amazon Cloud Courses
This presents a golden opportunity to equip yourself with the tech certifications which have been declared the world’s most in-demand for three consecutive years. It’s first-come, first-served for individuals based in the Maltese islands.
Courses are separately available for technical and non-technical users and is sponsored by Melita Foundation. Last year this was a success and eSkills Malta Foundation are in the process of doing a repeat this year.
More information and access to the registration can be found via the following link.
– eSkills Digital Bootcamp 2021
The Foundation offers other various courses that you may find useful to you and your employees. Have a look at the following link.
How can you get in touch for further details?
The eSkills Malta Foundation can be contacted either by phone on (356) 21 234 710 or by email on
Employer bodies insisted for more funding to be allocated to the private sector out of the RRF
Malta Chamber of SMEs participated in discussions with the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Dr Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, together with other social partners – employer representatives.
Employer bodies insisted for more funding to be allocated to the private sector out of the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF). Businesses must play a bigger role in the reforms towards greater resilience and need the funds to sustain their recovery following the Covid ordeal.
The plan issued by Government as to the use of RRF grants sets out six key strategic objectives.
The first is a set of projects to address climate neutrality through enhanced energy efficiency, clean energy, and a circular economy. Related to this, the second objective is to address carbon-neutrality by decarbonising transport.
Then the plan includes a strand of initiatives to foster a digital, smart, and resilient economy. The fourth objective is to strengthen the resilience of the health system. To facilitate the transformation of the economy and enable the digital and green revolutions of the coming decades, the plan then envisages measures that will enhance quality education and foster socio-economic sustainability. Finally, the sixth pillar of the plan is a renewed focus to strengthen our country’s institutional framework.
Businesses, especially small businesses, have experienced a high level of regulatory compliance and costs
The fact that Malta has carried out an impressive level of effort in order to reach international AML obligations and build its institutions, is something that our organisation is well cognisant of, because our members have lived through it all.
Businesses, especially small businesses, have experienced a high level of regulatory compliance and costs associated to this, ever since Malta fell under the scrutiny of the EU and that of international players. Operating an enterprise in Malta has become very difficult over the last years however this still does not compare to losing Malta’s reputation and operating from a grey listed country. Maltese businesses do not want to operate within an economy of shady repute and want their name cleared in the immediate.
It is now very important to really understand what Malta has missed out on and address the real problems that have landed Malta in this situation in the first place.
Small businesses fear that what will come next from our policy makers will be more of the same and they will continue bearing the brunt for the deplorable actions carried out by a few. The SME Chamber will therefore continue to monitor the situation in close contact with members in the coming days. The SME Chamber is also currently assessing how the grey listing will further impact the performance of our economy, amongst the most important of which in this case is the functioning and accessibility to banking facilities.
The Malta Chamber of SMEs will make use of all the resources that will become available out of the FATF exercise in order to ensure that the problems are tackled properly and in a timely manner.
Malta’s reputation has now been very badly tarnished and we must all do our utmost to flip this over completely and rebuild Malta’s reputation in a way that leaves no room for doubt.
The Malta Chamber of SMEs calls on the government to make Malta the AML centre of excellence. Malta has now hit rock bottom and the only way to turn this around is to become THE country of repute when it comes to AML compliance.
For a country with limited resources like Malta, reputation was one of the pillars giving us standing. Regaining our reputable stand will not be an easy process, yet it is a must and an urgent one.
VAT exemption for imported goods below €22 will be abolished without transitional period
Photo: Google
As from 1st July 2021, the European Union will introduce new VAT e-commerce rules to ensure fair competition for EU businesses and reduce the VAT losses resulting from the importation of low value consignments.
Therefore, VAT exemption for imported goods below €22 will be abolished without transitional period.
This means that goods sold before 1st July but arriving to the Union on 1st July or later will be subject to VAT upon import, as the VAT could not have been paid at the moment of sale and the €22 exemption for imports will no longer apply. For these cases, the VAT can be collected under the special arrangements.
Members requiring further assistance can either get in touch on or by phone on 21232881.
The Malta Chamber of SMEs signed a collaborative agreement with MCAST for the introduction of a new Professional Research Doctorate (DRes) at the College. This programme of studies is the first of its kind provided at MCAST. The doctorate is a research-based EQF/MQF Level 8 qualification and focuses on the competitive behaviour of small organisations within small island states.
The announcement was made today during the signing of a collaborative agreement with the Malta Chamber of SMEs.
Statistics developed by the National Statistics Office (NSO) have identified around 30,000 small firms operational in Malta. According to the NSO, these small organisations are responsible for more than 65% of employment in Malta. The NSO’s findings highlight the importance of conducting research aimed to help small organisations grow and thrive.
Mr Paul Abela, President of the Malta Chamber of SMEs and Ms Abigail Mamo, CEO of the Malta Chamber of SMEs said, “MCAST is a very important pillar in our education system, and it is also an entity with whom we share many common goals related to how education should contribute to Malta’s economic development. Therefore, the Malta Chamber of SMEs is very pleased to be sharing another opportunity to strengthen our joint collaboration. This is one of a number of initiatives the Malta Chamber of SMEs is working on, with the ultimate objective of elevating the knowledge and competences of SMEs in Malta while encouraging small businesses not to lag and to spear ahead with their own research projects.”
Professor Joachim James Calleja, MCAST’s Principal and CEO, said, “The launch of this level 8 programme is the result of years of research and preparation. Our collaboration with industry goes beyond course provision, and not everyone might be aware of the diverse work going on at the College. Our research work aims to provide data and information, which will help industry to make evidence-based decisions. We are confident that the collaboration Malta Chamber of SMEs and the Richmond Foundation will be beneficial to the researchers and also to the growth of SMEs.”
Deputy Principal for Research and Innovation, Dr Ing. Alex Rizzo, said “through the application of mixed research methods, the course aims to unearth much-needed information on the behaviour of small organisations. Driven by grounded research, data obtained will help professionals comprehend better the complex decision making processes and behaviours within small organisations. In turn, potential findings will help researchers understand which best-practise models should be adopted by business-oriented small firms and other small organisations.”
Aimed toward Masters’ Degree holders, this DRes will run over 5-years on a part-time basis. Students must follow 4 taught modules related to advanced Research Methods MCAST Main Campus, Corradino Street, Paola PLA9032, Malta +356 2398 7100 | mcast.edu.mt during their first year.
After completion, successful candidates will progress to the main component of the DRes, namely, the research endeavour. Students must also publish three academic, rigorously researched articles.
The General Assembly was addressed by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič
Malta Chamber of SMEs President Mr Paul Abela, participated during SMEunited’s Administrative Council and General Assembly as Vice President of the SME’s umbrella organisation in Europe with around 65 member organisations from over 30 European countries.
SMEunited is a recognised employers’ organisation and European Social Partner and acts on behalf of crafts and SMEs in the European Social Dialogue and in discussions with the EU institutions.
The General Assembly was addressed by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič.
In their conclusions, SMEunited members called for a speedy recovery that can support the twin transition. Moreover, they ask for a better regulatory environment and skills development as prerequisites for SMEs’ competitiveness.
– Concretely, SMEunited members stressed that National Recovery and Resilience Plans should include the necessary reforms to improve investment attractiveness, the quality of public services and the efficiency of administrations.
– Secondly, on the “Fit for 55 Package”, they urge the EU institutions for a regulatory environment which ensures competitiveness, a level playing field, predictability for investors and which encourages innovation.
– In addition, SME organisations focus on life-long learning and continuous training, as key factors to increase the employability of people and the competitiveness of companies. These programmes are best designed and implemented at national, regional and/or sectoral level in close cooperation with social partners.
– As a fourth element, SMEunited members raise the issue of fairness when it comes to relations with digital platforms, emphasising access to data.
– Finally, SMEs demand Smart regulation. They are concerned that new regulatory burdens will hold back the recovery and hinder an effective transition to a green and digital economy.
The bureaucratic burden of every proposal should be analysed systematically, making use of the SME test and the One-in-One-Out principle. “The recovery must contribute to remodel our economy in light of the green and digital transition. Policy measures must strengthen the capacity of SMEs to innovate and invest and must avoid new regulatory burden to allow for a successful recovery and transition”, emphasised President Alban Maggiar.
He concluded: “It is time to move from words to action. The ambitious European goals are made reality on the ground by SMEs. Crafts & SMEs are the heart of Europe, we must provide them with the appropriate framework and give them the chance and resources to put these objectives into practice”.
A project by the Malta Chamber of SMEs and the Government
Some years ago the SME Chamber and the Government embarked on a project in the area of energy efficient by generating solar energy through the creation of two PV farms in Gozo that will generate enough electricity to cater for around 500 families per year.
The farms will generate two million kWh per year. The farms, at Ta’ Ċenċ, are being developed by the joint venture, Malta Energy on Water Services Corporation (WSC) reservoirs. They cover an area of 9,360m², with 2,871 panels.
Malta Energy Ltd, is a joint venture between the WSC (51 per cent shareholding) and the Malta Chamber of SMEs (49 per cent shareholding).
Energy Minister Miriam Dalli visited the site accompanied by Malta Chamber of SMEs and Malta Energy officials, lead by President Paul Abela and WSC CEO Ivan Falzon.
These projects are part of this government’s vision to continue to incentivise renewable energy in our country”, Dalli said.
She said the government will continue to incentivise entities to keep producing clean energy, which will contribute to more sustainable economic growth and allow Malta’s targets to be achieved by everyone.
WSC CEO Ivan Falzon said the corporation will continue working on projects of added value, where this will result in generating more clean and renewable energy.
Malta Energy CEO Noel Gauci said the venture will, in future, also be able to invite families who do not have space to install panels to buy a portion of future projects.
Malta Energy plans to expand its operations to areas outside of the Water Services Corporation’s facilities, which are owned by other government entities, and can provide more value to the entity hosting the installations.
The panels can offer shelter, electric vehicle charging, and other infrastructure utilities.
Thank you to everyone who supported us to tune this into a tangible project.
The Malta Embassy in Abu Dhabi will be organising a Malta Day event scheduled on the 20th of September 2021. The event will be held in Abu Dhabi and the Maltese Embassy is currently seeking partners to participate in this event.
This event will be exclusive for those participating and the Maltese Embassy aims to offer total exclusivity for those willing to contribute towards this event, either financially or in kind.
From the feedback gathered, a good number of Emirati entities have made contact with the Maltese Embassy, seeking a more pro-active platform with Maltese businesses with a number of businesses interested in partnerships with local businesses. Although all sectors can be considered, as a guidance, the below sectors have been identified as possible collaborations:
Fintech
Educational Institutions
Agri technology
Event Planning
Marketing, Branding & Designs
Set-up and Events
This is just an indication and other sector interests are welcome.
Those willing to participate will be given the below exposure during this event, particularly:
Exclusive opportunity to network with counterparts in Abu Dhabi and hold one to one meetings
The Embassy will offer you two invitations for senior executive members of your entity plus a number of invitations to disturb to your counterparts whom you would consider important to meet.
The logo of your entity will feature on the photo backdrop at the event.
The logo of your entity will also feature on the invitation for the Malta Day.
You and your entity will be thanked publicly during the Ambassador’s speech.
If you wish, your entity’s brochures/merchandise (which fit in the palm of a hand) can be include in the Gift Bags which we will distribute to guests.
You and your entity will be thanked on the Embassy’s and the Ambassador’s social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
During the event The Embassy will be inviting A-list composed of UAE dignitaries; members of the diplomatic corps; key contacts in the UAE government, society, media and academia; other Maltese stakeholders in the UAE; Maltese businesses and local businesses; and members of the Maltese diaspora in the UAE, among others.
The Malta Chamber of SMEs is also in contact with Trade Malta in order to identify possible funding opportunities to fund travel and accommodation expenses.
Interested Parties are to get in touch with Andrew Aquilina by email on listing the respective sector and contact details.
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