Microsoft Malta hosts 60 EU telecommunications attachés at MIC

A delegation of sixty telecommunications attachés from the 28 EU Member States last week visited the Microsoft Innovation Centre to learn more about the MIC’s central role in the promotion of technology and innovation within Malta’s education and business sectors.

The attachés from the 28 EU member States represent their respective countries at the Council Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society. This Working Party handles internal and external policy issues related to information and communication technologies and infrastructure, internet and the creation of the Digital Single Market in Europe.

The delegation was welcomed to the Microsoft Innovation Centre by Edward Portelli, the MIC’s Manager who gave a presentation on what the MIC is about and the work it has been doing over the past four years to foster more economic growth and to support start-ups.

“The Microsoft Innovation Centre was opened in 2013 and over the past four years, it has become one of the most active Microsoft Innovation Centres in the region and the first to support IT startups in Malta. We have constantly operated in line with a clear commitment to bring world-class resources to Maltese software developers, IT professionals, uni- versity students, academic faculties and entrepreneurs and todate, the MIC has hosted over 140 start-ups, 800 workshops and training courses for over 10,000 students, teachers and professionals. Microsoft’s investment in the MIC over the past 4 years has been of over €2 million,” said Edward Portelli.

Edward Portelli mentioned that this visit was also possible in the light of Microsoft’s active support to the 2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU which was reiterated recently with a presentation of Enterprise cloud productivity and communication tools to support the Malta Government’s organisation of the Presidency.

“At Microsoft, we strive to enable our partners by helping them achieve their full potential. This is what we also want to do at a national level and at such a crucial moment, Microsoft is building its strategy on important pillars to make sure that even Malta gets to achieve its potential. One of these pillars is Malta’s historic EU Presidency and this is why Microsoft is delighted to be a main sponsor in the area of technology through the provision of technology productivity tools that contribute towards a more impactful and successful Presidency,” concluded Edward Portelli.