Bolstering the digital economy through innovation, research and creativity

Malta, despite its diminutive size has always managed to punch well above its weight.

This can be recognised throughout several sectors of our economy. This has, since the very beginning, impelled and encouraged us as a Government to squarely launch our country into the future and actively advocate the significance of disruptive technology, research and the importance of bolstering critical and creative thinking within our communities.

Away from the hyperbole and buzzwords, we have always recognised that for innovation to obtain tangible results, and for it to truly better the quality of everyday life of our citizens there must be total commitment to the sustainment of this ever-evolving platform. This we have undertaken since the very beginning, to the extent that a mere few years down the line we have created a well-founded infrastructure which has enabled our digital economy to take root and flourish.

However, we have also been acutely aware that notwithstanding this solid infrastructure, the ‘muscle’ required for our digital economy to thrive needed to be bolstered extensively. It is therefore to this end that we have strived, over the years, to upskill and endow our workforce, with particular emphasis on our new generations, with the necessary educational tools to successfully enable our transition into the digital sphere.

And we strive to continue. Continue to offer our people, especially our younger generations optimal opportunities to enhancing their knowledge and skills within this sector, enabling them to widen their horizons career-wise. Just this week I was delighted to oversee the signing of a cooperation agreement between Tech.Mt, the University of Malta and eight Italian Universities renowned in the field of Computer Studies and technology. This agreement will not only open doors to exciting and envious opportunities to current and future Tech graduates but shall also strengthen the academic interchange, promote technological research capabilities between Malta and Italy as well as enable both countries to attract new talent from overseas academia.

However, how is all this, our country’s digitalisation process, technological advancement, the actual benefits of a fully-fledged digital economy, relevant to the ordinary citizen, whose knowledge of the digital sphere is perhaps limited to forays on social media or online shopping? With this in mind, it is good to note that the giant strides our country has made in this sphere are incredible.

We are at a stage in our history wherein the dreaded red tape for essential citizen services, be they in healthcare, social security and a myriad of other government or government-related services have been dramatically reduced, ensuring a more streamlined and efficient interaction between the citizen and the entity in question. While the changes brought about by digitalisation and disruptive technologies may be not so highly visible to the ordinary citizen, these are effectually if subtly enhancing his day-to-day life.

For example, a few days ago, through a successful collaboration between the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) and the University of Malta, I have announced three projects that, with the use of Artificial Intelligence as an assistive tool, will enable the use of the Maltese language in the education and industry sectors. With an investment of more than €161,000, they will lead to the Maltese language being written, understood, and processed in the technology we use every day.

Perhaps in theory this might not sound as such a life-changing innovation, but in tangible terms this will assist both the education sector, as well as our industry, especially since Maltese companies are, according to Eurostat, among the most prevalent users of AI within the EU, with 19% of companies using this technology. These projects will greatly assist with their daily interactions, this time in our native tongue which will finally be on a par with other, foreign languages.

But we have not stopped there. While we wholly endorse and promote technology, we also recognise the utmost importance of human creativity and have over the past years sought to nurture innovation and creative thinking in such a way that new concepts, groundbreaking research, and ideas can take flight from drawing board to working reality. This we have done through extensive funding schemes which will ultimately benefit not only the creators or inceptors of such revolutionary projects but also our economy in general.

The TAKEOFF Seed Fund Award is one such initiative, launched again this week, with a €100,000 investment towards a Malta that is driving forward a knowledge-based economy built on research, creativity, and innovation and the capability of the human intellect as means to elicit new areas of economic growth. The TOSFA will enable researchers and entrepreneurs in the next phase towards commercialisation of their business and research ideas. We continuously aspire to the creation of a society that is entrepreneurial in spirit, where forward-looking ideas can take flight and where creativity is never stifled. This, as we have strived to do thus far, is only possible through the consolidation by every means possible of our research and development sector and the continuous nurturing of our creatives.

We have come a long way; our knowledge and perception of the intricate workings of a digital economy have developed by leaps and bounds. Our accomplishments and fast-paced evolution in this field have gained us an excellent reputation as a leading jurisdiction, placing Malta firmly on the international stage and serving as a benchmark for other countries to follow.

Nevertheless, for us as a Government, true success is not gauged in our country’s digital economic growth and competitiveness in international fora, nor is it measured by numbers or statistics. While these accolades clearly signify that we are on the right path, it is only the knowledge that the digital economy is being utilised to the advantage of Maltese families and their wellbeing, that we can claim that we have succeeded. Thus far I genuinely believe that we have. That said, our past and current successes are not the be-all and end-all of our vision, but simply great motivators for us to work and strive for an even better tomorrow for our country and all its citizens.