Taking the leap into 2023
As 2022 ends, Tech.mt augurs its employees and stakeholders a successful and productive year in the tech industry. The foundation is now looking forward for a prosperous and fruitful 2023!
This year, Tech.mt continued to build on its mandate and responsibilities, which include promoting Malta’s talent, innovation, and assisting individuals, start-ups, and enterprises to digitalise, utilise cutting-edge technology, engage in innovative research, and internationalise.
Through a multitude of planned collaborations, initiatives, events, and projects, Tech.mt promotes and encourages both the public and private sectors to enter the digital age. In addition, the foundation sought to collaborate closely with educational institutions in order to maximise the market’s intake of professionals and align their workforce with market demands and expectations.
The number of consulting partners providing pro-bono services to students and start-ups increased to over 35 industry players.
Supporting the industry
One of the continuous and main addenda at the foundation is supporting the industry. This is primarily accomplished through the strategic consultation initiative for students and start-ups, meeting with local tech businesses and onboarding them on Tech.mt’s company directory, as well as providing thorough guidance on related matters.
During 2022, the number of consulting partners providing pro-bono services to students and start-ups increased to over 35 industry players, with four new consultants partnering with Tech.mt in this initiative. On the other hand, 13 beneficiaries have benefitted from these services throughout the year.
To date, Tech.mt’s members directory boasts well over 340 registrants. In this regard, the foundation promises to continue fulfilling part of its mandate, that is engage with local businesses, explore avenues for collaboration and offer assistance in any way possible – including access to financial instruments and assets.
Collaborative initiatives
Since its inception, Tech.mt has underlined the role of collaborative projects in various technology and innovation-related fields. Through such an approach, the foundation intends to address the general public, industry specialists, and those entering the tech era. In addition, through agreements, memorandums of understanding, and collaborations, Tech.mt aims to provide individuals, academia, business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs with up-to-date and seamless information. Nevertheless, Tech.mt’s strategic position in both the public and private sectors enables the foundation to act as a platform for tech stakeholders to voice their views.
Tech.mt participated in the quarterly Enterprise Consultative Council in 2022, where topics directly pertinent to SMEs were discussed. In addition, as an industry leader, Tech.mt continues to consult with the Ministry for Economy, Lands, and EU Funds on a variety of national and EU-level technology and digital debates.
Similarly, the organisation cooperated with Business First and Start-up Blink to increase the visibility of Maltese start-ups in the private sector. Distinctively Tech.mt was also pleased to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chamber of Engineers, which outlines mutual collaboration in initiatives relevant to the fields of engineering, technical professions, STEM education.
Throughout 2022, Tech.mt representatives developed and delivered a series of two-hour training sessions that acquainted diplomats with Tech.mt’s remit, scope, and mandate. These training sessions were also recognised as official modules within the Institute for Public Services’ course offerings, and they were made available to all diplomats prior to the commencement of their overseas mission.
Collaborations with Malta’s overseas representations
Tech.mt continued reaching out to Maltese Embassies and High Commissions across the globe ranging from the Americas, to Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania in order to further enhance its mandate on internationalisation.
A series of meetings were held throughout 2022 to explore avenues of collaboration with stakeholders in the identified regions, with tangible results ranging from the organisation of the ‘Discover Malta’s Potential: Israel Meets Malta’, ‘Fintech Ecosystems of Malta and Türkiye’ and Tech.mt’s networking event in Abu Dhabi, introductions to events such as ‘Tel Aviv University’s AI Week’, and ‘Crypto Expo’ in Dubai and introductions to companies and stakeholders in the industry which were facilitated through the mutual collaboration and efforts with these stakeholders.
Events
Through various partnerships and sponsorships, Tech.mt aims to address difficulties faced by the industry on a national level, address the implications of inclusive digital technologies, and enhance awareness on various innovations. Through a number of events, the foundation targets several technology verticals and promotes itself and the Maltese jurisdiction to participants, start-ups, experts and students, with the aim to assist and support them accordingly.
Events which Tech.mt sponsored and participated in 2022 include:
- Digital Technology for Independent Living in collaboration with CRPD and MCA
- Prototype Malta AI Event
- EY Engage
- CETA Business Forum
- Quantum Computing Summer School
- Start-up Festival by Malta Enterprise
- ICT and Computing Education in Malta Conference (C3)
- Sigma and AIBC
- Playcon
- JAYE Start-Up Programme
Moreover, together with the Malta Chamber of Commerce and tech stakeholders, in 2022, Tech.mt held a series of focus groups targeted at tech businesses – providing them with a . platform to discuss and identify the challenges they face and how they can be resolved.
Valletta Tech Summit
During the first and second quarter of 2022, the team at Tech.mt was extremely busy with preparations for the launch of the first Valletta Tech Summit event – IoT and Beyond, which was followed by another focusing on the Creative Side of the Digital Economy.
Spread over two, two-day events, the team engaged the interest of several renowned international companies and entities such as Dell Technologies, IBM, Hitachi, the International Telecommunications Union, AWS, the European Space Agency, the European Commission and a plethora of renowned local companies.
Both online events attracted more than 1,400 attendees, 1,737 booth visits, 40 business partners and over 80 speakers.
Campaigns
Tech.mt is committed to disseminating current information and relevant tech updates on its social and digital platforms, including statistical highlights, featured grants and incentives, and tech of the week. The foundation also takes the opportunity to collaborate with other platforms in order to engage and reach a larger audience.
With promotion being one of its primary pillars, in 2022, Tech.mt launched a new series in titled Tech Heads. The series features notable digital gurus from several tech verticals. In particular, the organisation will continue to share the success stories of tech companies, start-ups, and entrepreneurs in order to foretell their journey and inspire others to follow the digital path.
eBusiness Awards
More so, throughout 2022, Tech.mt pushed forward the eBusiness Awards Campaign once more, where 63 businesses submitted their application across nine categories. Through the eBusiness Awards, Tech.mt aims to provide a platform for the local business community to celebrate digital-related achievements. The goal of this event is to highlight the best practices and innovations in the digital sphere and encourage other businesses to follow suite.
63 businesses submitted their application across nine categories.
Projects
Continuously researching funding sources for projects that match with the organization’s mission is also Tech.mt’s responsibility. In 2022, Tech.mt maintained its efforts towards the Women4IT Project, which will conclude in January 2023 with a ceremony recognizing all participants who successfully completed the course. In addition, the foundation continued to work on the Wi-Fi project to ensure that all citizens remained connected and incorporated into the digital society.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, Tech.mt was also entrusted with becoming a partner in the European Union-funded CybARverse project, a venture on which the foundation looks forward to work on in 2023.
Focus for 2023
The entity has already set the ball rolling on a prospective international schedule of events for 2023, in order to continue its aim of promoting Malta and its local tech sector overseas. Having said that, Tech.mt anticipates a continued emphasis on internationalisation this year.
Through pre-identified worldwide and local events, unique and tailored campaigns, and collaborations, Tech.mt aims to bring forward additional tangible prospects for the tech sector, businesses, and up-and-coming start-ups. In addition, Tech.mt strives to attract additional foreign direct investment by promoting the resources, assets, and financial and grant schemes Malta has to offer amongst other initiatives.
In 2023, Tech.mt will also place a greater emphasis on education. That is, focusing on minimising the digital divide, encouraging individuals to develop digital skills, up-skilling human capital, and proactively addressing the digital gap.
Article by: Tessabelle Camilleri, Senior Manager, Tech.mt
