The Commercial Courier April/May 2015

THE COMMERCIAL/59

COURIER THE OFFICIAL BUSINESS MAGAZINE OF THE MALTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRY SINCE 1947

APRIL / MAY 2015

Portrait of the artist Andrew Diacono’s 24-year career

NEWSPAPER POST GOLD COLLABORATING PARTNERS

IN THIS ISSUE A LOOK AT THE NEWLY LAUNCHED TRADE MALTA / WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA FOR MALTA CHAMBER’S NEW PRESIDENT / THE DIGITAL BUSINESS REVOLUTION / A HIGH-END APARTMENT THAT CELEBRATES CURVES / TRACING THE GROWTH OF THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE AIRLINE BRAND IN MALTA / DISCOVERING THE ROLE OF ENTERPRISE EUROPE NETWORK MALTA / THE LATEST BUSINESS NEWS

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COURIER APRIL / MAY 2015

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food trends

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13 COVER STORY

53 INTERVIEW

TRADE MALTA: HELPING LOCAL BUSINESSES GROW INTERNATIONALLY

THE GROWTH OF THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE AIRLINE BRAND IN MALTA

Sarah Micallef speaks to the key protagonists behind the newly launched Trade Malta to find out its focuses and objectives, and what the unique partnership between the Malta Chamber and the Government of Malta will offer local businesses.

Sarah Micallef speaks to Paul Fleri Soler, Emirates Country Manager in Malta, about the airline’s astounding development and what’s next on the cards for the airline giant.

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34 DESIGN TRENDS CELEBRATING CURVES

21 INTERVIEW FULFILMENT OF THE ECONOMIC VISION 2014-2020 AMONG NEW CHAMBER PRESIDENT’S TOP PRIORITIES Martina Said meets Anton Borg, the new President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and discovers his priorities for the next two years of his term.

Architect and project manager Anthea Huber takes Sarah Micallef through the design process of a high-end seafront apartment which is unique in terms of size, shape and style.

HEALTH… IN NUMBERS

THE DIGITAL BUSINESS REVOLUTION International entrepreneur and company advisor Reinhold M Karner believes the world is on the cusp of a revolution that will transform the way we work. He tells Jo Caruana why every business needs to embrace the digital revolution sooner rather than later.

style review

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A TIMELESS TALENT Painter and sculptor Andrew Diacono talks to Martina Said about his distinctive artistic style, creative process and the greatest satisfaction of his 24-year career.

111 INTERVIEW THE ‘JAMIE OLIVER OF WINE’

51 IN FIGURES A look into the figures related to health and hospitals locally.

29 INTERVIEW

79 MEET THE ARTIST

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Following a recent event aimed at raising the profile of Spanish wines in Malta, Jo Caruana talks wine with SpaNiche Wines founder Roland Young and international wine expert Amelia Singer.

stablished in 1947, The Commercial Courier is the official magazine of the The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. It is the leading business magazine, having one of the best distribution channels in the sector. The publication is distributed for free to the members of the The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. It is also distributed with The Malta Business Weekly as well as delivered to leading business people on the island.

The Exchange, Republic Street, Valletta VLT1117 Tel: +356 2123 3873 Fax: +356 2124 5223 info@maltachamber.org.mt www.maltachamber.org.mt

Articles appearing in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited.

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ON THE COVER Artwork by Andrew Diacono.

Photo by Alan Carville.

Malta chamber’s silver collaborating partner APRIL / MAY 2015

Malta chamber’s bronze collaborating partners

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CC Editorial

Past achievements are the foundation for future ambitions During the past weeks, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has gone through its customary process of biennial renewal. The occasion of an Annual General Meeting, the democratic electoral process that follows and the subsequent election of a new President and Council brings with it an opportunity to review past achievements, as well as ambitious forward planning.

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he past 12 months in particular have been very busy for the Malta Chamber, and they have yielded much success for our members as was evidenced by numerous interventions made from the floor during the AGM. In all of its efforts, the Malta Chamber has sought to consolidate its position as the leading representative of the

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private sector. Its increased influence on the country’s policy makers was made possible by further developing working relations with the authorities by proactively approaching a number of key issues facing the economy with focused, objective and evidence-based representations on a regular basis.

Consequently, the Malta Chamber

made it a point to offer a business agenda to Government rather than react to a Government agenda for business. True to this approach, the Malta Chamber published two landmark documents in the past 12 months, namely An Industrial Policy for Malta, and Economic Vision for Malta 20142020.

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CC Editorial

“In all of its efforts, the Malta Chamber has sought to consolidate its position as the leading representative of the private sector.”

“The Malta Chamber published two landmark documents in the past 12 months, namely An Industrial Policy for Malta, and Economic Vision for Malta 2014-2020.”

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The Malta Chamber was gratified to note that the Economic Vision was wholeheartedly endorsed by both sides of the political divide besides receiving glowing reviews in the media. Indeed, the Economic Vision sought to contribute a blueprint to guide all stakeholders in the allocation of scarce resources at the country’s disposal.

Within the same Economic Vision, the Malta Chamber suggested that Public Private Partnerships become a more widespread practice in the Maltese islands.

Indeed, the concept of ‘Government partnering with business and enterprise’ is a recurring theme and the Malta Chamber was galvanised to learn about the Government’s prompt reaction in the launching of Projects Malta Ltd – a new entity to coordinate public private partnerships between the private sector and various ministries which was launched in February. (Read more about Trade Malta in this issue’s Cover Story) The setting up of Trade Malta Ltd is further evidence of the authorities’ trust towards the Malta Chamber and the effectiveness of its Economic Vision.

In the past year, the Malta Chamber has continued to champion the country’s quest for productivity and competitiveness whilst constantly seeking to place the matter at the top of the national agenda. The Malta Chamber is adamant that this is a central theme in the grand narrative of developing the country’s long-term economic future.

The Malta Chamber has often sought to alert local authorities on internallygenerated issues which lead to loss of competitiveness and to which the solution lies within the country’s own competence.

There are other issues, however, where the solutions lie beyond national control and, even there, the Malta Chamber made serious attempts to intervene with the European authorities through its international affiliations, in support of Malta’s cause.

On the matter of fuel and energy prices, through its media channels as well as on various fora on which it is represented such as the MCESD, the Malta Chamber remarked several times that these were seen as an important determinant of competitiveness for Malta. The Malta Chamber stated that whilst a degree of stability in fuel prices is appreciated, such stability must not hold the country’s competitiveness to ransom.

The Malta Chamber has consistently argued with Government that heavy energy users ought to be allowed to hedge their price if they wished to do so, or opt for the prevailing price of energy if stability for them is not crucial.

The competitiveness position of the Chamber’s importing and manufacturing sectors also necessitated active intervention in insisting on the immediate removal of enforcement discrepancies which result in a situation where the playing field is not level between companies that operate under full legal compliance and others that do not.

To this end, in the past year the Malta Chamber made vociferous and forceful representations within a number of public and private fora, including the Parliamentary Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs. The Malta Chamber is pleased to note the commitment on the part of Government towards introducing new market surveillance rules which reflect the fact that importation from anywhere within the EU must be treated in the same way and in full adherence to European regulations.

Throughout the year, the Chamber also offered ample opportunity to its members to dialogue with the country’s leaders.

In fact, the Prime Minister accompanied by various Cabinet ministers accepted to address our members three times this year – in February and October for Dialogue Sessions taking candid questions from participants – and again in November when a debate was organised between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on the subject of the Economic Vision document. On all occasions, these discussions took place away from the limelight and the cameras to ensure a frank and open debate.

These frequent opportunities for open discussion with the country’s highest authorities are evidence of the trust enjoyed by the Malta Chamber.

It is on this solid foundation that the Malta Chamber aims to build during the coming months. Incoming President Anton Borg has already declared publicly his intention to provide continuity and consolidate on recent achievements.

Central to this is the implementation of the Economic Vision, which enjoys nation-wide political consensus. The Malta Chamber is resolute to progress from consensus to implementation, and shall be following up each of the 52 recommendations within the Economic Vision document with the individual ministries and authorities concerned in order to make sure they are put into action.

In this way, the Malta Chamber will continue to promote concrete action in favour of Malta’s competitiveness, which is the key to sustainable and long-term economic growth for the country. cc APRIL / MAY 2015

VALLETTA ZACHARY STREET | BIRKIRKARA NAXXAR ROAD ARKADIA, GOZO FORTUNATO MIZZI STREET, VICTORIA

CC COVER STORY

Trade Malta:

Helping local businesses grow internationally Last March saw the launch of Trade Malta, a unique partnership between the Malta Chamber and the Government of Malta, which is targeted at promoting the internationalisation of business. Sarah Micallef speaks to the key players to find out its focuses and objectives, and what the partnership will offer local businesses.

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hairman of Trade Malta David G. Curmi describes Trade Malta’s main aim as “a permanent and effective partnership between the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and the Government of Malta, with the aim of assisting local enterprise to reach foreign markets with their products and services so that they can grow internationally.”

In order to achieve its goal, the partnership seeks to build on the best qualities of the two sides so as to be able to assist local enterprise to enhance its export and internationalisation readiness.

“It is evident that for local entrepreneurs to truly fulfil their potential, they must look beyond Malta’s shores. However this can prove to be more challenging than initially perceived. It was well understood that the Government’s efforts to assist companies to internationalise were commendable and admirable, however more could be done,” says Malta Chamber President Anton Borg.

It is for this reason, according to Mr Borg, that the Malta Chamber proposed such a partnership in the Economic Vision for

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Malta 2014-2020 – “to see to the needs of enterprises in a way that private enterprise tends to understand more readily than a Government entity can.”

Minister for the Economy Christian Cardona describes Trade Malta’s role as an interface between Government and the Malta Chamber, “so as to create a stronger collaborative framework that will serve to create policy as well as to provide the hands-on support required to support local enterprise to internationalise and develop new market opportunities abroad.” Minister Cardona goes on to maintain that for this to happen in the most effective manner, “the policy and the operational dimension must increasingly be combined so as to improve time of response and the agility with which we take decisions.”

Consequently, the result of this partnership is that of coining a paradigm shift in the way policy in Malta is conducted and implemented. “Government must provide more space and allow the private sector to take decisions – especially in areas where it is better at taking decisions,” maintains Minister Cardona, explaining, “the board of directors

of Trade Malta are people, including those appointed by the Government, who have significant experience both locally as well as internationally. They run some of the most successful businesses on the island.”

Indeed, consensus exists that local entrepreneurs merit the support of a single, dedicated entity which provides services aimed at overcoming the natural barriers to export; and, as Mr Curmi asserts, “both sides are extensively erudite in terms of business and trade, and are expected to operate seamlessly in favour of the underlying objectives of the project.”

Bringing the Opposition’s viewpoint to bear on Trade Malta’s role in relation to the local economy, Shadow Minister for the Economy Claudio Grech maintains, “our economy has gone through a complete transformation over the last 15 years, transitioning from an economy based on heavy industry and low value-added manufacturing to a services-intensive mosaic of industries driven by our capability to be sufficiently nimble and grasp emerging opportunities in innovative sectors.”

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“It was well understood that the Government’s efforts to assist companies to internationalise were commendable and admirable, however more could be done.” Malta Chamber President, Anton Borg

Attributing this success to “a clear vision inspired by an aspiration to transform our economy into a hightech, high-value composite of exciting sectors maximising the locally available talent and serving as a melting pot for global human capital,” Mr Grech believes that Government’s key effort should be to sustain this process, to ensure that ‘product Malta’ remains relevant to the global evolution of economic growth and that investors are aware of the successlinked traits of the Maltese economic and business landscape.

“We cannot remain ‘a best kept secret’ of the region – conversely we have to aspire to be the talk of the town in top-tier business circles, particularly those serving to attract investment to our shores,” he asserts. In this regard, entities like Trade Malta “need to keep these core objectives in mind and strive to play a complementary role to the functions of the existing organisations and the private sector efforts themselves.”

Chamber President Anton Borg describes Trade Malta’s role as being dedicated towards achieving enhanced internationalisation and export readiness for business operating in Malta; creating new synergies as a result of a permanent joint alliance between the private sector and the public sector; acting as a facilitator in the development of new markets; and assisting in creating a culture of international competitiveness.

Aside from this, Trade Malta will also seek to provide the necessary know-how and intelligence to facilitate the process of internationalisation.

Maintaining that the services provided

by Trade Malta will be available to all Malta-based companies irrespective of size and experience, the partnership’s Chairman highlights these services as including “provision of business and 14

economic data, technical export and import advice, guidance on basic legal information, business information, useful institutional leads and references, market research, match-making service, credit checking service, sales leads service, language training, interpreting and translation services, as well as training and development.” Moreover, according to Mr Curmi, Trade Malta will also provide access to letters of credit service, organise events, seminars and networking opportunities, provide cultural advice and training as well as country or region-specific information, organise trade missions, provide legislation updates and match-making to European Business counterparts.

Speaking of the resources Trade Malta will have at its disposal, Minister Cardona maintains that it will be offering “all the support services being offered by Malta

Enterprise, free of charge,” as well as developing stronger levels of market intelligence through its international network. In order to achieve this, he states, “Government will be seconding a competent team of experts who have been working on export and trade promotion at Malta Enterprise. In addition, we are also giving a subvention so as to ensure that Trade Malta has all the necessary financial and administrative resources to achieve its objectives.”

In practice, according to Mr Curmi, Trade Malta, which will not limit its activities to EU member states but will support entrepreneurs seeking to do business in all countries worldwide, is expected to assist in the promotion of Maltese exports by helping Maltese businesses to have an effective presence at international trade fairs.

APRIL / MAY 2015

CC COVER STORY

“Government must provide more space and allow the private sector to take decisions – especially in areas where it is better at taking decisions.” Minister for the Economy, Christian Cardona It will also assist in the development of trade clusters and undertake research on new market opportunities. “Trade Malta will develop a portfolio of trade publications and an effective online marketing platform.

It will take over all the activities of the former METCO as well as tap into EU funded programmes so as to develop new internationalisation schemes while providing consultancy in international business development,” he says.

On the part of the Malta Chamber, President Borg elucidates that while Trade Malta’s scope is that of facilitating and enhancing international business and export opportunities for companies operating on the Maltese islands, this does not signify the dismantling of the Internationalisation Desk within the Malta Chamber. “This crucial section shall, on the contrary, take on a pivotal role of coordination between the two entities, as it will grow in influence more than ever,” he says.

“We cannot remain ‘a best kept secret’ of the region – conversely we have to aspire to be the talk of the town in top-tier business circles, particularly those serving to attract investment to our shores.” Shadow Minister for the Economy, Claudio Grech APRIL / MAY 2015

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CC COVER STORY

“Trade Malta will take over all the activities of the former METCO as well as tap into EUfunded programmes so as to develop new internationalisation schemes while providing consultancy in international business development.”

Chairman of Trade Malta, David G. Curmi

As Mr Borg explains, a re-dimensioning of the role of the Internationalisation Desk will take place to include management of all Business Councils within the Malta Chamber. “These bodies have grown in number and in importance in the past years, as they have been strategically set up to assist local businesses to penetrate determinate markets and do business in challenging scenarios,” he asserts.

Business Councils will henceforth take a crucial role in the internationalisation efforts of the Malta Chamber as they will propose priorities for Trade Malta to consider, Mr Borg maintains, going on to state that such councils are at a vantage position to monitor and understand the changing needs of specific and particular markets.

This intelligence will prove to be pivotal for the success of Trade Malta. “The Malta Chamber will still be tasked with the setting of the priority markets and sectors for internationalisation, in the context of an ever-changing economic scenario. What may be a priority for one sector or market may not necessarily be true for another, and the Malta Chamber’s experience in the field will undoubtedly

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prove to be instrumental,” Mr Borg expounds.

Getting down to brass tacks, Mr Curmi asserts that Trade Malta has already been trusted with a list of deliverables.

“Trade Malta shall set up and administer a CRM system of international contacts, build alliances with international business fair organisers and other related organisations, optimise the

budget allocated so as to maximise exposure and opportunities for local exporters, develop new products and services that could assist local business to enhance competitiveness and improve internationalisation, assist in the development of joint ventures with strategic partners overseas and maximise on Malta’s participation in the Milan EXPO.” cc

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CC INTERVIEW

Fulfilment of the Economic Vision 2014-2020 among new Chamber President’s top priorities Having occupied numerous prestigious roles since graduating as a member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants in the UK in 1983, including 14 years on the Council of the Malta Institute of Accountants and Deputy President of the Malta Chamber in the outgoing Council, Anton Borg is fulfilling his most recent one yet as President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. He chats to Martina Said about his priorities for the next two years.

Photos by Alan Carville

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is recent election as President comes in the wake of an important year for the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and Anton Borg is eager to make it matter.

Following the publication of two important documents last year that were laid out by his predecessor, he says his priorities for the forthcoming two years as President are clear and seek to build on the hard work put into the Chamber in previous years.

“We issued two documents last year, which had been in the making for a year: An Industrial Policy for Malta and the Economic APRIL / MAY 2015

Vision for Malta 2014-2020, both of which are extremely important documents that need to be followed through,” he asserts.

“I do not believe that such matters need to be reviewed at every change of presidency – we need to follow the recommendations and make sure they are fulfilled by the responsible ministries and institutions. All the priorities culminate in one objective, and that is to increase Malta’s competitiveness.

All the recommendations are valid and were established based on feedback given to us directly by businesspeople, specifically 20 CEOs of main companies in Malta.”

“I would like to have the Prime Minister’s backing of a plan by each ministry explaining when they plan to implement the measures [of the Chamber’s Economic Vision]. Some of our proposals simply cannot be achieved in 12 months, but many others can, and that is what we are looking at.”

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CC INTERVIEW

Over the first 12 months of his tenure, Mr Borg says he will seek to hold meetings with different Government ministries to ensure they understand the Economic Vision; that they agree with the proposals that affect them; and to express where there are divergences and why, in order to come to an agreement on the way forward. “I would also like to have the Prime Minister’s backing of a plan by each ministry explaining when they plan to implement the measures. Some of our proposals simply cannot be achieved in 12 months, but many others can, and that is what we are looking at.”

Sharing his views on the current state of Malta’s economy, Mr Borg says it is doing fairly well and that Malta is among the best performing countries in the 28 EU member states, which makes it the right time to take action on measures that will improve competitiveness, “because when

“A number of sectors are falling by the wayside, such as the manufacturing and retail sectors... We need to look into these two sectors separately from one another, because the problems they are facing are not common.” a country is not doing well, any remedial action is twice as hard to take,” he states.

“We have relatively low inflation, hardly any unemployment and overall growth of over three per cent, which is promising considering what is happening in other countries around us, and also considering that we do not have any resources other than labour.”

On a more micro level, however, he says one can certainly outline the sectors that are doing remarkably well locally – such as financial services, iGaming and tourism, which have significantly contributed towards a holistically positive result in Malta’s economy – but a number of other 22

sectors are falling by the wayside, such as the manufacturing and retail sectors.

“We need to look into these two sectors separately from one another, because the problems they are facing are not common,” he says. In the case of the retail sector, Mr Borg asserts that there’s a greater need for a level playing field, as unfair trading may be causing it to slow down, coupled with fierce competition from the world of online shopping. “In Malta, being such a small country, it is not easy to adopt methods that other, much larger countries are adopting in relation to online shopping; relatively short distances being one such peculiarity.”

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CC INTERVIEW

“We have relatively low inflation, hardly any unemployment and overall growth of over three per cent, which is promising considering what is happening in other countries around us, and also considering that we do not have any resources other than labour.”

level playing field with its counterparts in continental Europe.”

“Of course there are other issues stemming from this industry, namely finding the right personnel with adequate training – in certain sectors of employment, we have problems of bigger demand than supply. However, the 25 per cent reduction in energy costs as of last April has assisted businesses tremendously.”

A recent landmark achievement of the Chamber, which is among the first of its kind, is the establishment of Trade Malta, a new entity coordinated between the Chamber and Government, intended to help companies based in Malta tap into the international market. Mr Borg says the idea of Trade Malta had been in question for quite some time, including back when he was President of the Malta Federation of Industry in 2003 (before it merged with the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise in 2009).

Mr Borg says the way the entity is set up is a reflection of what the Chamber wanted to get out of Trade Malta from the outset.

“The board is made up of seven members – three of those members are from Chamber and four from Government. Furthermore, three of those four Government members are also in the private sector, so the entity is almost entirely private sectorrun,” he explains. “We sought to make it an efficient entity that is there to help our members. If 5 to 10 per cent of our With regard to the manufacturing sector, Mr Borg believes there is more to be dealt with. “There are problems of competitiveness on a local and an international level, the main one being the issue of insularity. Malta is not being treated, in my opinion, as a country with the same problems as other regions which are allowed assistance because they are not an island state like Malta is, and that is unfair,” he explains.

Government needs to highlight the problems faced by insular regions in Europe at a European level, as by failing to take action, the EU is actually being unfair to businesses in Malta, he says, adding that Malta is not asking for assistance in the form of subsidies, but is asking that the EU takes measures that will bring back the country’s manufacturing sector on a APRIL / MAY 2015

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CC INTERVIEW

members who supply the local market opt for internationalisation, then it is already doing a good job.”

Asked whether he thinks Trade Malta will improve Chamber’s visibility in the eyes of its members, Mr Borg asserts “we need to give it some time to work and see some results in order to assess whether we will be more relevant to members. If it fails, we will clearly not be more relevant to the members, but I am sure that it will be a success.”

Mr Borg goes on to say that there is also work to be done within the Chamber, in spite of a positive effort on its behalf to be more proactive. “The Economic Vision 2014-2020 is evidence of this approach – the document was issued in order to tell Government what businesses want, rather than wait for Government to come and ask us first, and that I believe, is a step in the right direction,” he states. “We would also like to address enterprise-level problems, such as problems companies face with authorities in Malta, and make an effort to attract more active members, even though we succeed in attracting new ones each year.” cc

CC INTERVIEW

The digital business revolution International entrepreneur and company advisor Reinhold Karner believes the world is on the cusp of a revolution that will completely transform the way we work. Ahead of his upcoming talk at the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry on 18th June, he tells Jo Caruana why every business needs to embrace the digital revolution… right now.

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he business world stands still for no man. And few people know that better than Austrian-born advisor Reinhold Karner, who has built his multimillion euro career on knowing which business trends to embrace next. He has certainly made a success of it – although it hasn’t always been easy.

Mr Karner is one of those businesspeople with a natural talent for the industry. In fact, he is completely self-taught and, at just 16, wrote his first software programme to assist the companies he worked with during his free time.

He explains that he started at the

APRIL / MAY 2015

bottom, without any start-up cash or support.

Nevertheless, he steadily worked his way up to the top, becoming successful, wealthy and well-known as a dynamic entrepreneur.

At 27 he was on top of the world – achieving year-on-year top growth rates and high profit-earnings, receiving countless awards and accolades, employing 250 people and with a business-partner network of over 3,000 people.

However, everything didn’t quite go to plan.

“After 21 years in business I lost everything and had to start again from scratch,” he says while retelling the dramatic events that led to him having to file for bankruptcy. “As

a result of an attempt at a kind-of hostile takeover by my then-financial partners and even some of my managers, I lost all of my companies, investments and self-made fortune of around €100 million. It was a very tough and unexpected hurdle for my family and I to face.”

But instead of wallowing in his loss, the whole experience served as a turning point for Mr Karner. “At the time I was a heavily overweight workaholic, so that period proved to be my opportunity for a more balanced and healthy lifestyle. I even lost 50kg during that time, and I have maintained my weight since then.”

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CC INTERVIEW

“After 21 years in business I lost everything and had to start again from scratch.”

In addition, he was bolstered by what he terms “a unique 360-degree entrepreneur’s experience and perspective,” and began a new career from the ground-up in 2009 by shifting his focus towards advising others in the field.

Now, he is back on top again and more successful than ever. He is very much in demand for top-level think-tanks in the US, Europe and Asia, and has taken on the role of Chairman of the Advisory Board for Enterprise Systems at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.

Beyond that, Mr Karner is a multinational entrepreneur and co-investor, as well as an advisor to entrepreneurs, business executives, start-up enterprises, SMEs and governments. For these roles he utilises his expert knowledge in ICT, strategy and future trends, enterprise-systems, entrepreneurship, business and market development, and management and company organisation.

And it is in his role as an advisor that Mr Karner will shortly be visiting Malta to address members of the Malta Chamber of Commerce in a talk entitled ‘Digital Business and Economy’.

“My talk will focus on the rapidlyapproaching new mega trend in business – a huge game changer that I believe most European companies have not yet recognised: digital business,” he says.

“I believe it will completely change the law of the economy. Just as Johannes Guttenberg’s invention of mechanical movable type-printing started the printing revolution in the 16th century, now the

internet and digital business will start an equally radical revolution.”

Thus, Mr Karner’s talk will strive to challenge his audience’s status quo, and to open their eyes to the complete game-changer that he stresses is just around the corner.

“By 2020, more than seven billion people and businesses, and approximately 50 billion devices, will be connected to the internet,” he explains. “This is an enormous leap when compared to today’s numbers and it will have a huge impact on the global economy, as well as all of our businesses (no matter what industry), our society, governments, education systems and ultimately all of us.”

“It heralds an unprecedented convergence of people, business and things that disrupts existing business models – even those that arose out of the internet and e-business eras.

“What makes digital business different from e-business is the existence and integration of things – connected and intelligent – with people and business. Every piece of equipment – whether an oven or an air purifier – will have embedded sensors, while 3D printing will also widely change the way we manage manufacturing and logistics.

It will create a very fast-growing business worth over €3 trillion.”

“Digital business will change the law of the economy.”

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CC INTERVIEW Mr Karner terms this new phase as the ‘4th industrial revolution’ and believes it will hit our economies ‘like a tsunami’. “It took about 75 years for the telephone to connect 50 million people,” he says. “Today, a simple smartphone app like Draw or Angry Birds can reach that milestone in a matter of days. “’Seismic forces are definitely at work, creating permanent structural changes all around us. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be the most rapid change we’ve ever seen in the business world (and in society in general). So, to prevail in business, companies in the 21st century are going to require relentless adaptation.”

And the projections are hard to ignore.

By as early as 2025, one-in-three current jobs will be converted into new ones carried out by software, robots, smart-machines or another new digital business-related entity.

Then, by 2030, it is expected that this trend will have hit 50 per cent of current jobs in the western world.

“It may seem daunting, but the flip side is that this change offers tremendous opportunities for us to improve our systems, strategies and ourselves. This new world will make our previous one obsolete, and this is the time to seize that prospect,” Mr Karner says.

“The very good news is that digital business offers the same chances to everyone and to every country, as it opens the whole global market up through the internet. The challenge, though, lies in grasping that quickly, so as to develop the digital leadership in your segment, and to find the right talent to focus on the required areas.”

With that in mind, Mr Karner, who bases himself in Malta for up to four months every year, suggests that Government should urgently define a fitting strategy to support the successful development of digital business, starting with changes to the education system so as to embrace these opportunities.

“Other countries have already done this successfully,” he says. “For instance, in Germany, they have defined the ‘Industry 4.0 Smart Factory Concept’ as part of their hightech strategy, and even Chancellor Merkel is relentlessly pushing it.”

Asked about how local companies can hope to embrace the new digital business era, Mr Karner emphasises that there has never been a more appropriate time to start something new or to enter a new market or segment.

“The initial digital business focus of many organisations is naturally going to be on cost, efficiency and user-experience. But it’s not just about efficiency; it’s about growth,” he says. “Thus, as start-ups in this sector, you will need to work with people who are willing to fail, learn and try again – fast!”

As for companies and organisations that aren’t yet tuned into this digital revolution, Mr Karner stresses that they can no longer rest on their laurels. “The vast majority of businesses, governments, institutions and organisations will be affected, so my advice

is to analyse and think comprehensibly about whether or not you will be affected too. In the long-run I really think that you will have to ‘join the club’ so you might as well do it in an educated manner that keeps you in the driving seat.”

“Now is the time to make that leap, and the benefits will follow. In the years to come, when we no longer recognise the current state of our business environment, we will all be pleased with what has been achieved – but that journey has to start right now,” Mr Karner concludes. cc Reinhold Karner will deliver a talk at the Malta Chamber on 18th June at 3pm.

Members wishing to attend may register by sending an email to cheryl.cardona@maltachamber.org.mt

“It took about 75 years for the telephone to connect 50 million people. Today, a simple smartphone app like Draw or Angry Birds can reach that milestone in a matter of days.”

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CC DESIGN TRENDS

Images are high-quality renders courtesy of Archi+ Studio

Celebrating curves This high-end seafront apartment proved a unique project in terms of size, shape and style for local architecture firm Archi+ Studio.

Sarah Micallef speaks to architect and project manager Anthea Huber about how the stunning design, which incorporates elegance and modernity combined with an interesting raw element, came to fruition.

“T

his is not your everyday apartment,” Architect and Project Manager Anthea Huber tells me, as we pore over the plans of this huge 300sqm sea-front space designed by Archi+ Studio. And it’s easy to see why. Besides boasting beautiful views, this new corner apartment possesses a unique shape – made up of large curves rather than the straight lines we have become accustomed to seeing in modern architecture.

The unusual layout, besides being the

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property’s main defining feature, proved somewhat of a challenge for the architects – one which they enjoyed overcoming.

“Generally, we get straight lines and a big blank space to fill, but in this case, there were a lot of curves that were already there in terms of the architecture. We tried to embrace that as much possible and celebrate the curves within the design... making it the main element that is quite imminent throughout the living space,” Anthea says.

With plans of renting out the apartment,

the owner’s vision for the space was for it to be elegant and high-end, yet deviating from the standard and making a statement.

“The owner was quite adventurous and keen on mixing it up a bit,” Anthea smiles, maintaining that the materials chosen played a large part in achieving this goal.

“We mixed it up by using materials like travertine and polished concrete – which are quite contrasting but give it the right mix of elegance and something different.

We also used marble, while keeping it raw,” she says.

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CC DESIGN TRENDS

“Generally, we get straight lines and a big blank space to fill, but in this case, there were a lot of curves that were already there in terms of the architecture.”

APRIL / MAY 2015

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CC DESIGN TRENDS

Combining high-end finishes with a limited use of raw materials to keep it from becoming too casual, the architect describes the style they achieved as elegant and clean, yet possessing a unique element, or certain je ne sais quoi. “The elegance of the space is the prominent feature, yet the industrial element is what defines it from any other high-end apartment,” she asserts.

Set for completion within the coming months, Anthea takes me through the sprawling space. Entering through the middle of the apartment, you are met with a spacious (and yes, curved!) kitchen area. Boasting interesting bespoke cabinetry constructed to mimic the curves, the architect points out another feature designed with both aesthetics and functionality in mind. “Just in front of the kitchen area we included an architectural piece of furniture which doubles up as a console table with mirrors, with a dining table behind it. It is open yet retains a sense of solidity that covers up the kitchen area, which generally tends to get quite messy.”

Off to one side is a large living area overlooking the best views, in which the architects created little nooks for a study and reading area while keeping an open-plan layout. “We used the curves to create three layers of curtains, so you always have different levels of privacy.

You can open and close them depending on how you are using the space,” Anthea explains.

The formal entertaining area, meanwhile, is comprised of a bar and dining area. In terms of design in the 36

living space, Anthea maintains that it was kept quite simple, with interest added through the use of original wallpaper. “We found a wallpaper that reproduces an image of a bookcase, and we’re using that as a play on it. In the bar area, we sourced a wallpaper depicting glasses and bottles, which also defines the use of the space,” she says.

“We mixed it up by using materials like travertine and polished concrete – which are quite contrasting but give it the right mix of elegance and something different.”

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Tyde Developed by Vitra in Switzerland Design: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec Available through the following Vitra dealer: Dex Workspaces Mdina Road · Qormi · Malta · QRM 9011 · T. +356 22 77 3000 · www.dex.com.mt Member of the Vivendo Group

www.vitra.com/tyde

Dex Workspaces

CC DESIGN TRENDS

“We used the curves to create three layers of curtains, so you always have different levels of privacy. You can open and close them depending on how you are using the space.”

Anthea goes on to explain that the large area was also broken up using mismatched furniture, which adds dynamism to the space.

“Instead of using one sofa in a really large shape, we found two different models of sofas to break up the space. We were lucky as the client is quite design-oriented, and she didn’t get shocked when we showed her something that was a little different!”

On the other side of the apartment are APRIL / MAY 2015

three bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. The largest of the three is the master bedroom, which boasts a beautiful open design. “We worked it out in such a way that it has an en-suite but is still one big open space using an open concept. A free-standing bath stands just behind the bed, along with an open shower and twin sinks, while the WC is in a more private, enclosed area,” Anthea maintains.

The design of the two spare bedrooms is, according to the architect, “a bit more adventurous.” Choosing a more colourful palette and using more raw materials, one bedroom has an interesting mix of perforated backboards, plywood and micro cement, while the other possesses a distinct feature in the form of a bespoke backboard designed exclusively for the space and made into a custom print wallpaper.

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Looking back at the design process, Anthea explains that while the unique curved layout of the apartment did pose a challenge at times, it also served as the primary inspiration. “The shapes that were present in the space directed us towards achieving what we achieved. Our process is generally to start by finding case studies and drawing inspiration from something similar, however in this case it is so particular that the design was pretty much directed from the existing shapes,” she asserts.

And the interesting curves weren’t the only rarity – the fact that the space was “so big” also proved, perhaps surprisingly, somewhat of a curveball. Within the local context, Anthea explains, “we are used to smaller spaces, so we try to be as efficient as possible in terms of space. But in this case, the space was much larger, so that really helped give it an elegance and high-end feel, though it’s not something that we’re used to, so it was a luxury for us. We’re very happy with the result we arrived at.” cc

CC make the headlines

Why opt for dental porcelain

By Dr Jean Paul Demajo Dental and Implant Surgeon, trained in London, working in private practice in Malta.

Dental porcelain has been used in dentistry for over 50 years. It is a tried and tested material worthy of its aesthetic praise.

Dental porcelain can be sculpted to closely replicate the look of natural tooth enamel, while providing the desirable strength and resilience.

Extra oral view before treatment

Uses of porcelain in designing an aesthetic smile: 1. Cosmetic inlays and onlays Inlays and onlays may be used to replace large chunks of missing tooth tissue.

These are constructed in a laboratory and cemented directly in the mouth. These restorations may also be used to replace dark metal fillings restoring teeth to their natural beauty.

2. Crowns and bridges Crowns and bridges completely cover your natural teeth. Teeth are filed and impressions taken to produce models in a laboratory. A metal or metal-free alternative such as zirconia framework is constructed on the model with subsequent firing of porcelain onto it. Crowns are used to improve the aesthetics of teeth, align teeth and also strengthen heavily filled teeth. Bridges are used to replace missing teeth by crowning a tooth on either side of missing tooth and bridging the gap with a porcelain-veneered metal or non-metallic framework. Crowns and bridges are also used to restore heavily worn teeth due to bruxism or enamel erosion, restoring shape and function back to normality.

Porcelain crowns are also used to restore dental implants.

3. Veneers Veneers are thin facets glued to the front of your teeth. This is a conservative way to restore the frontal appearance of your teeth without having to grind down the other three sides of the tooth. Not every case is suitable for veneers but for patients with severe tooth discolouration, intact virgin teeth or malaligned teeth, then veneers is the treatment of choice.

Veneers are also used to obtain that permanent dashing white smile, as unlike other whitening procedure the colour does not change.

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Extra oral view after treatment

Conventional method of production: u Teeth are filed down and silicone impressions taken u Temporary restorations are temporarily cemented until the new crowns are produced u Definitive permanent crowns are cemented in place using a resin-based luting cement.

The timeframe of fabrication in most cases depends on an outside laboratory.

Fabrication using CAD CAM digital dentistry: u Teeth are filed down u Digital impressions/images are taken and uploaded on a computer u Images are combined to reproduce the tooth structure on a specially designed programme u Crowns are instantly designed and virtual images are shown to the patient for approval u Crowns are milled in on-site laboratory u Crowns are tried in the mouth and adjusted accordingly u Definitive crowns are cemented in place using a resin-based luting cement.

Timeframes are minimised to as little as one-day visits where all the treatment is completed in one sitting. This is only doable with an onsite laboratory.

Maintenance of porcelain restorations: The maintenance of porcelain tooth restorations is more or less the same as for your natural teeth; regular brushing and flossing. Some additional dental hygiene aids such as water picks or interdental brushes are encouraged. In patients with a history of grinding or tooth wear, then night mouth guards may be produced to protect the newly fitted crowns from fracturing or shearing of porcelain. Most clinics and laboratories offer a guarantee so do ask for it on completion of your work.

A case study: u Middle aged woman requesting a new bridge to replace her old metal-ceramic bridge which served her well for many years but is now looking unaesthetic and tired u The treatment plan involved the construction of a new all-ceramic metalfree tooth-supported bridge replacing her four front teeth u Simultaneous tooth whitening involving a combined approach of laser tooth whitening and a home-kit u Timeframe: two days.

There is an answer for everyone’s dental wishes. What is most important is addressing the patient’s wishes and executing the correct line of treatment for that one patient.

Ask your dentist. cc

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CC HEALTHY LIVING

The health fix Office-based work and sedentary jobs can make it difficult for you to focus on your health from nine-to-five, but it is important to keep your well-being at the forefront of everything you do. Jo Caruana speaks to the experts to find out how to inject a health-kick into your working day.

A

s employees, office workers and business people, statistics show that a lot of us are getting less healthy.

In fact, over the last three decades, the health of employees has been negatively affected by a whole host of influences, including longer working hours, more stress, less time for breaks, the technology revolution and increased expectations.

So how can you address that, whether for yourself or your team?

Naturally, your diet is a big part of staying healthy. But, while we all know what we should eat, it can be hard to follow the rules all the time while working long hours in front of a computer.

As Dr Mario Caruana, a registered dietician and nutritionist, explains, it is well known that our sedentary lifestyle has predisposed us to a variety of medical conditions, including elevated sugar levels, hypertension and distorted blood

APRIL / MAY 2015

cholesterol levels.

“These conditions form part of what is known as the ‘metabolic syndrome’, which increases the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” explains Dr Caruana.

“Likewise, stress can play an important role in this metabolic syndrome. This means that, in the majority of cases, stressful situations make a person more sedentary and might lead to ‘comfort eating’ as a method of relief. This can naturally lead to a negative impact on a person’s health.”

Speaking about how to directly tackle work-related issues such as mental problems, eye problems, heart problems, a loss of muscle mass and flexibility, posture and back problems, and weight gain – all of which can be linked to a sedentary lifestyle – Fabian Vella, the managing director for YUE Healthier Living in Naxxar, encourages people to get motivated.

“While we all know what we should eat, it can be hard to follow the rules all the time while working long hours in front of a computer.”

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“In the majority of cases, stressful situations make a person more sedentary and might lead to ‘comfort eating’ as a method of relief.”

Dietician and nutritionist, Dr Mario Caruana

“Willpower and motivation will drive you in the long-run,” he says, adding that Yue provides a range of healthrelated facilities, including DNA testing, personal training, slimming plans, a health shop, a gym and various clinical services. “It is very important to set a nutritional plan and devise a tailor-made training programme that will ease you into a newer, healthier way of life without putting you off.

“It will be worth it. Whatever your age, nowadays there is strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help each and every one of us lead a healthier and even happier life. Aside from lowering the risk of many chronic diseases, physical activity can also boost self-esteem, improve moods and sleep

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“Stress is one of the major factors that affects people’s physical and mental wellbeing, and it is a common theme that surfaces with a lot of our clients.” Business Coach and Multiplex Partner, Justin Azzopardi

Want to be healthier while at work?

Here are some quick tips to help you achieve your goals. u Get moving. If you spend most of your day behind a computer, you need to focus on adding movement to your routine. Take the stairs, walk over to talk to one of your colleagues instead of calling them, and park further away from your office so you will get some exercise before heading home. u Take breaks. If you’re the sort of person who checks their emails while eating your lunch, you’re not really taking a break – and that will eventually catch up with you. The recommended rule is to take a proper five minute rest for every 25 minutes of work done. Work smarter by really focusing on what you’re doing, and then taking a proper break – as opposed to letting everything meld into one. u Snack healthy. Those mid-morning chocolates do pile on the kilos, but it is easy to resort to them if you don’t have a healthy and enticing alternative. Planning ahead can really help in this respect. Protein is great at helping you to feel full, so fuel your day with nuts, peanut butter and celery sticks, lean meat and fresh vegetables with a lowfat dip (like Greek yoghurt and chives). u Drink plenty of water (or herbal tea). Try to reduce the number of cups of tea and coffee that you drink in the day, and instead reach for plain water or herbal tea.

Studies show that a water deficiency of even two per cent can cause the brain to slow down and lose focus, which means you will struggle to complete your work in the timely manner that will allow you that break!

quality, and increase energy levels.

It also reduces your risk of stress, depression and dementia (which is growing at an alarming rate),” Mr Vella explains.

Thus, it is very important to find time in your day to get moving. Pat Vella, the Manager at the Athenaeum Spa and Gym within the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa, suggests that you should regularly find time to move throughout the day. “Set your computer timer or smartphone at regular intervals and move around,” she says. “Take the stairs instead of the lift and answer the phone standing up, as even these little changes will help to get your body moving.

“You could also stand and stretch several times a day. An easy movement to try is to stand and reach as though you are trying to put your palms flat APRIL / MAY 2015

on the ceiling. This quickly stretches out your whole body, and is especially good for tight hip, neck and back muscles.”

Ms Vella also recommends pilates as an ideal option for kick-starting a new exercise regime. “It is suitable for people of all fitness levels and is a gentle way of adding more activity to your life, especially if you have poor mobility or haven’t been active for some time. Both pilates and yoga focus on developing strength, balance, flexibility, posture and good breathing techniques, which are excellent for improving both your psychical and mental health,” she says.

Finally, it is also important to tackle mental well-being while at work, and this is where business coaching can prove helpful.

“Stress is one of the major factors that affects people’s physical and mental well-being, and it is a common theme that surfaces with a lot of our clients,” says business coach and Multiplex partner Justin Azzopardi.

“We regularly work with companies so as to align organisational and personal goals, thus increasing wellbeing, performance and profitability.

This has been proven to be a very powerful business development process that takes a holistic view towards resolving any challenges that may be being faced. When combined with healthy eating and exercise, the results can be very powerful,” he adds. cc

“Both pilates and yoga focus on developing strength, balance, flexibility, posture and good breathing techniques, which are excellent for improving both your psychical and mental health.” Manager at the Athenaeum Spa and Gym, Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa, Pat Vella

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CC make the headlines

LiveLife – a new concept in private medical care LiveLife is a Physical Rehabilitation Centre that introduced a new concept in private medical care to the Maltese islands three years ago.

The centre offers comprehensive and personalised programmes for a wide variety of medical conditions that require physical rehabilitation.

We have created a safe and tranquil environment, have invested in the latest equipment and utilise an evidence-based approach.

Our professional multidisciplinary team is committed to ensuring that our patients achieve their rehabilitation goals within the shortest time possible. Our ultimate aim is to improve the quality of life of our clients and to help them regain their physical independence.

To achieve this, LiveLife runs clinics and offers a range of services that include physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nursing care on both an inpatient and an outpatient basis, guided and backed up by allied health workers and medical specialists.

Physical rehabilitation is essential following any type of surgical intervention including orthopaedic, cardiac or general surgery; following physical trauma; for sports injuries; for neurological and respiratory conditions. It has also gained more importance due to population demographic changes with the rise in the elderly population. The process to regain health and physical independence needs to be guided by a team encompassing the necessary expertise, of which the client and his/her relatives are important members.

LiveLife’s support will continue after inpatient discharge, with the possibility of

attending outpatient clinics or taking up the specific 12-week rehabilitation gym programme especially designed to help each client reach his or her full potential. Our gym is specifically designed as a Rehabilitation Gym and includes rehabilitation equipment unique to the Maltese islands.

Our passion for care is also extended to clients who are looking for short-term respite care. During the time they are admitted to LiveLife they will experience our nursing care and can also benefit from our complete range of services. cc T: 2133 9000; www.livelife.com.mt

CC in figures

Health in Malta‌ IN Figures

140

Number of daily surgical operations at Mater Dei Hospital in 2014

51,000

120,000 Number of patients at the Emergency Department at Mater Dei Hospital in 2014

Number of registered acute care hospitals in Malta

240

Average number of daily discharges at Mater Dei Hospital in 2014

per cent

1,000 Number of pharmacists in Malta

Number of surgical operations at Mater Dei Hospital in 2014

43

6

5.4 days

Average acute care length of stay in hospitals in Malta

increase in number of surgical operations comparing 2008 (at St Luke’s Hospital) to 2014 (at Mater Dei Hospital)

3,200

225 Number of dentists in Malta

Sources Mater Dei Hospital National Office of Statistics – Malta in Figures Document for 2014

Number of registered nurses and midwives in Malta

Source: Malta International Airport APRIL / MAY 2015

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Photos by Alan Carville

The growth of the world’s most valuable airline brand in Malta Sarah Micallef speaks to Emirates Country Manager in Malta Paul Fleri Soler, about the airline’s astounding development since it started operating to Malta, and what’s next on the cards for the airline giant.

W

hile most people are familiar with Emirates today, having recently been named the world’s most valuable airline brand, back in 1998, during its first year of operations in Malta, things were somewhat different. “When I told people I’m going to work for Emirates 17 years ago, they said ‘who?’ And when I would say they fly to Dubai, people would say ‘where?’”, laughs Paul Fleri Soler, Emirates Country Manager in Malta.

Since then, the company, in conjunction with the Emirate of Dubai, has come on in leaps and bounds, achieving levels of growth which fall nowhere short of phenomenal.

The economy in Dubai has changed from being an oil-based one to focusing primarily on business, commerce and tourism – with Emirates airline playing no small part in the proceedings, promoting tourism and

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commerce from all over the world.

Malta was the 35th country to be added to the Emirates’ network, with operations starting in March 1998. Mr Fleri Soler explains that Malta’s introduction as a destination was a strategic one. “As always, our geographic position in the Mediterranean helped us out. At the time, there were UN sanctions on Libya, and the only way people could travel to Libya was by ship. Malta’s proximity made this possible. Libya used to employ a lot of labour traffic from around the world, so Emirates was interested in carrying those passengers flying back home to the Far East, India, Pakistan and the Middle East,” he says.

Starting off with two flights a week via Athens, Emirates began operations in Malta, taking advantage not only of Libyan traffic, but also benefiting from VFR (visiting friends

and relatives) traffic, made up of Maltese emigrants living in Australia. Agreeing to a codeshare agreement with Air Malta giving Emirates fifth freedom traffic rights between Greece and Malta, the airline was also able to tap into the Greek market at the time – an agreement which nowadays it enjoys with Cyprus, with Malta flights going through Larnaca.

In the interim, 2001 saw a change in routing the flights to Malta through Tripoli, once UN sanctions were lifted on Libya. “The reason we combined Malta with Tripoli was because of technical issues,” Mr Fleri Soler explains. “When Libya came out of the era of the UN sanctions, they didn’t have catering or engineering facilities at the airport, or cabin crew accommodation – they didn’t have the right standards. Malta was the ideal choice because we had it all here.” This 53

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“Malta is quite popular in Japan, and we get about 7,000 Japanese passengers a year.”

carried on till 2005, by which time Libya had developed its own structure, enabling Emirates to begin operating direct flights.

It was then that the airline decided to combine Malta with Cyprus. “The markets on each island individually are too small to have a direct flight,” Emirates’ Malta manager maintains. “We operate wide-bodied aircrafts with a minimum passenger number of 237, which is quite a feat to fill on a daily basis.”

Aside from this, he explains, most of Malta’s source markets are European destinations, and Emirates’ market is mostly east-bound.

“It doesn’t make sense to fly Malta-DubaiEurope – we can’t compete with European carriers on European destinations. On the other hand, we compete with other carriers to South American destinations, for example to Rio, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo.”

Out of the 144 Emirates destinations, Mr Fleri Soler lists Australia, Japan, China, Dubai and South Africa as Emirates’ top destinations to and from Malta; although the airline adds an average of five to seven new destinations to its network per year, having recently announced Bali and Orlando as the newest, with Bali in particular being one that local travel agents are “very excited” about. “Our markets are mainly people flying to and from the Far East, Australia, Africa and the Middle East,” Mr Fleri Soler explains, highlighting an increase in Maltese passengers flying to the Far East over the years. “We’ve created connections with new routes, and have introduced several destinations to the market including Maldives, Mauritius and now Bali.”

Besides new destinations however, the

“We’ve created connections with new routes, and have introduced several destinations to the market including Maldives, Mauritius and now Bali.” airline also increases frequency to already established destinations, both by increasing the number of flights and upgrading to higher capacity aircraft. While previous plans to introduce a second daily flight to Malta via Tripoli have been put on the back burner due to the conflict in Libya, Mr Fleri Soler reveals plans to increase capacity on Malta flights next year. While Malta doesn’t have the market for the massive double-decked A380, the plan is to upgrade from the current Airbus 330 to the larger Boeing 777.

“At the moment we have an A330 flying on a daily basis. The plan is to keep the same frequency but with a larger aircraft. Besides having a more modern aircraft with more seats, the Boeing 777 offers something which we are very proud of, which is our on-board entertainment system known as ICE, through which passengers have access to 2,000 channels of music, films, documentaries, live sport, etc,” Mr Fleri Soler maintains.

Besides this upgraded on-board product,

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he adds, passengers will also benefit from complimentary Wi-Fi on board.

With Emirates being the only airline to operate a first class cabin to Malta, the 777 will bring further upgrades for the luxury traveller, including a mini bar and fully-flat bed, with some of the aircrafts even having private suites for First Class travellers.

Asked where the majority of passenger traffic on Malta flights comes from, Mr Fleri Soler estimates it to be about 60 per cent foreign and 40 per cent Maltese, and this varies according to season. “In summer one sees a lot of Maltese-Australians on board.

It is their winter and our summer, and they come to visit their families. They make up about 50 per cent of our passengers in summer. In winter we have more Japanese traffic. Malta is quite popular in Japan, and we get about 7,000 Japanese passengers a year.”

Besides passengers, Emirates’ widebodied aircrafts are also ideal for cargo, with cargo amounting to nearly 15 per cent of the company’s revenue. “We are in effect a passenger and a cargo airline at the same time,” says Mr Fleri Soler. “We carry various types of loads from large machinery and cars to microchips, pharmaceuticals and fresh products like fish.” On Malta flights, the current A330 aircrafts can carry up to 13 tonnes of cargo, and once the 777s are introduced, that’ll go up to 17 tonnes – and that’s with a full passenger load.

Throughout its 17 years in Malta, Emirates has not only become a big player in the local airline industry, but has also become a strong employer. “We currently have about 180 Maltese people working with Emirates in all, with 15 staff here in Malta and many Maltese staff working for the airline in Dubai, mostly as flight deck crew and cabin crew,” Mr Fleri Soler maintains.

With its next cabin crew recruitment scheduled for May, he explains that the airline organises two to three recruitment drives locally per year, which normally generate a turnout of about 150 to 200 hopefuls. With so much interest, what does the airline look for? “We’re very selective, so out of that amount we might choose about five people. We look at attitude, the way they APRIL / MAY 2015

handle people and the way they deliver a service. Obviously they have to be able to speak English and Maltese well, and look presentable, but the most important factor is attitude,” he explains.

Emirates also contributes to the local economy in other ways. “We uplift our catering in Malta, so we have a contract with Sky Gourmet, which prepares about 400 meals a day for us to load onto the aircraft. The crew is also accommodated here on a daily basis – we have 15 rooms at Le Méridien Hotel booked on a daily basis. We provide chauffeur-drive services to premium passengers, as well as engineering services, so we have a lot of contracts with companies in Malta.”

Looking at all that has been achieved so far and all that is yet to be achieved, Mr Fleri Soler concludes, “the route has changed over the years. The product has been upgraded – it’s the whole experience. Nowadays the Emirates brand has been rated among the top 200 global brands. The brand is not just the great product, it’s a lifestyle.” cc

“We carry various types of [cargo] loads from large machinery and cars to microchips, pharmaceuticals and fresh products like fish.”

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CHAMBER/59

NEWS Events & Initiatives

01.

Board of Management meets Vice Presidents from DBRS Michael Heydt and Thomas Torgerson, Vice Presidents of DBRS Sovereign Ratings Group met with the President and Board of Management in February.

They were interested in the Malta Chamber’s opinion on recent business and economic development in the country.

Mr Heydt and Mr Torgerson represent DBRS which is an international credit rating agency of sovereign and corporate debt established in Canada. www.dbrs.com

02.

Malta Chamber meets PN Parliamentary Group As part of its drive to maintain regular contact with Malta’s political leaders, the Malta Chamber Council met with the Parliamentary Group of the Nationalist Party on 4th February. The Malta Chamber delegation led by President David G. Curmi discussed a number of issues ranging from the economy, Malta Chamber’s Economic Vision 2014-2020 document, property taxes, fuel prices, social dialogue and internationalisation of business.

During the meeting, it was noted that a number of parallels existed between the priorities of the Malta Chamber and those of the Nationalist Party. These included human capital development, an emphasis on innovation, infrastructure, a culture of excellence and Malta’s brand positioning through the creation of a premium global brand.

03.

Projects Malta launched at the Exchange Buildings Projects Malta was launched at the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on 5th February.

In his speech, the President of the Malta Chamber David G. Curmi said that as the main promoter of the national and private sector interests, the Malta Chamber consistently believed in the merits of rendering Public Private Partnerships a more widespread practice in the Maltese islands.

Mr Curmi said that Malta being a small and resource-hungry nation, needed to focus its resources towards those productive and economic sectors that will leverage the maximum opportunity and gain. This poses a continuous challenge to both APRIL / MAY 2015

04. entrepreneurs and Government, which is to ensure agility through smallness.

President Curmi concluded that the setting up of Trade Malta as a PPP between the Malta Chamber and the Government, signalled a show of confidence in the Malta Chamber by Government. He expressed his confidence that the services available to businesses in the field of Internationalisation would experience a quantum leap.

04.

Malta Chamber raises energy and fuel prices at MCESD At a Malta Council for Economic and Social Development (MCESD) meeting held on 9th February, addressed by the Minister for Energy and Health, the Malta Chamber remarked that the subject of fuel and energy prices is seen as an important determinant of competitiveness which, in turn, is a priority for the Chamber. With this in mind, the Malta Chamber stated that it appreciates a degree of stability in fuel prices for businesses and industry but such stability must not hold the country’s competitiveness to ransom. At the same time, it appealed for the elimination of market frictions that exist at retail level through the intervention of the pertinent regulator.

The same argument on stability was also made for energy prices and the Chamber reminded the Minister about a recommendation it had made to allow heavy energy users to hedge their price if they wished to do so, or opt for the prevailing price of energy if stability for them was not crucial. The Chamber also enquired about the dispatch rights between the various options of energy generation units.

05.

Malta Chamber discusses tourism at MCESD Minister for Tourism, Edward Zammit Lewis addressed the MCESD meeting held on 11th February. The Minister led a discussion on the Draft Tourism Policy 2015-2020 document.

Intervening during the meeting, the Malta Chamber welcomed the fact that one of the guiding principles of the policy to raise the level of quality across the tourism value chain. This value closely mirrors one of the recommendations made by the Malta Chamber in its Economic Vision for 2014-2020, which advocates quality and the adoption of a ‘nothing but the best’ mentality across the economy.

On a similar note, the Malta Chamber also raised its concern about issues of enforcement. The Malta Chamber expressed its disappointment on the state of affairs at the new entrance to Malta’s capital where a handful of hawkers seem to have been given the sacrosanct right to block Valletta’s new entrance with shabby stalls and kiosks. This is certainly not in line with the image which Malta means to project for quality tourism. The Malta Chamber said that MTA needs to monitor the island on a continuous basis through officers who view public areas through the eyes of tourists.

Malta Chamber also spoke about the need to address the skills shortage in the tourism industry. It was remarked that a friction is evident in the labour market because it is impossible that certain positions for low to semi-skilled individuals in tourism could not be absorbed from the pool of unemployed persons.

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The Malta Chamber welcomed the fact that for the first time, an entire section in the draft tourism policy was dedicated to the yachting niche of tourism. During the same meeting, the Malta Chamber requested a clarification about the methodology used to calculate the tourism share of the national Gross Domestic Product.

06.

Exchange Building hosts CHOGM Business Forum launch

The Malta Chamber was once again acknowledged to be the natural home for business as it was the chosen venue for the launch of the CHOGM Business Forum on 16th February. The Council of the Malta Chamber and past presidents were invited to the event.

The CHOGM Business Forum is coorganised by the Government of Malta and the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), and will take place between 24th and 26th November. It is set to attract over a thousand delegates from the 53 Commonwealth states. The programme will provide a space for high level dialogue between business and government leaders, and will develop stronger partnerships to ensure that the Commonwealth plays its part in promoting sustainable growth across the world.

The Forum was launched by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat together with Minister for the Economy Christian Cardona, Lord Jonathan Marland, Chairperson of CWEIC, UK MP Zac Goldsmith and Adrian Hillman, Chairperson of the CBF 2015 organisation committee. The 24th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2015) is set to take place between 27th and 29th November. For more information one may visit www.chogm2015.mt and www.cweic.org.

07.

Malta Chamber contributes to education and training initiatives The Malta Chamber offered its services to the Department of Management within the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy (FEMA) at the

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University of Malta in the past months, delivering a course entitled ‘Industry Insights’ to third year B.Com students.

The main aim of the course was to give management students direct exposure to the local business scene. The seven sessions were delivered by members of the Malta Chamber staff on practical subjects faced by companies such as access to finance, internationalisation strategy, manufacturing operations, the specificities of family run businesses and environmental responsibilities of local companies.

Similarly, the Malta Chamber designed a short training programme for career advisors engaged with the Ministry of Education and Employment. Again, the aim of the programme was to give career advisors training on the composition of the Maltese economy, different economic players and skills/competencies required to work in the different sectors.

08.

Social partners deserve respect In a Press Release issued by the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry on 26th February, the Malta Chamber denounced the request made by a Ministry to Josef Vella, Secretary General of Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin (UĦM), to surrender his mobile phone, during a meeting. This was seen as a sign of disrespect towards social partners and the integrity of their representatives.

Consequently the Malta Chamber expressed its support for Mr Vella in his stance to decline the meeting.

09.

A flexible labour market brings about more wealth Intervening during an MCESD meeting on the amendments to the Employment and Industrial Relations Act, on 23rd February, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry reiterated its call for a flexible labour market. As outlined in its Economic Vision for Malta 2014-2020 document (recommendations 20-24), Malta must take heed of evolving competitive dynamics in an ever volatile and delicate economic scenario.

The Malta Chamber claimed that a flexible labour market will bring about a more competitive labour market which is conducive to economic growth, better incomes for workers and the safeguarding of the common good.

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Malta Chamber calls on MCESD to concentrate on social dialogue The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry called on the MCESD to concentrate on issues that enhance national competitiveness. “Competitiveness must be at the centre of policy-making if we want to really improve the business environment in Malta and competitiveness must be recognised by all social partners as the national be all and end all of sustainable socio-economic development in Malta,” the Malta Chamber said.

The Malta Chamber commended the Juncker Commission, which embarked on an initiative to ‘relaunch’ Europe’s social dialogue by holding, a high level meeting with leaders of European and national employers’ and workers’ organisations, in order to give a new impetus to strengthen the European social dialogue which will contribute to a more competitive Europe.

11.

A Facebook page for Malta Chamber As part of its continuous drive to maintain constant contact with its members, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry launched a Facebook account, featuring news and information about the endeavours of the Malta Chamber.

The facebook page includes articles about events and meetings taking place at the Malta Chamber, as well as stories from the media and other third parties that are of interest to members.

Members are encouraged to like the Facebook page on www.facebook.com/ maltachamberofcommerce to stay updated with news from Malta Chamber.

12.

ISO 9001:2008 The Malta Chamber successful passed a surveillance audit intended to continue assessing its Quality Management System (QMS), and its effectiveness and compliance with the requirements of the standard. The Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority first certified the Malta Chamber to comply with the requirements of MSA ISO 9001:2008 in December 2010.

The Malta Chamber monitors the effectiveness of its QMS and its compliance with the requirements of the standard, through regular Internal Audits and Management Review Meetings.

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Malta Chamber holds conference on the impact of TTIP in Malta The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry in collaboration with the Employers’ Group within the European Economic and Social Committee, organised a conference titled ‘The Impact of TTIP in Malta: Benefits and Challenges’ on 9th March. The conference aimed to analyse the possible effects of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on Maltese businesses and citizens, and to give a platform for Malta's social partners to speak about their needs and expectations from these trade negotiations.

President David G. Curmi said that together with the EESC and other stakeholders, the Malta Chamber is striving to put the TTIP agreement at the forefront of discussion within the local business community because it is both relevant and important.

The conference was also addressed

by Dr Christian Cardona, Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business; H.E. Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, US Ambassador to Malta; and Jacek Krawczyk, President of the Employers' Group within the European Economic and Social Committee.

Moderated by Stefano Mallia, Vice-President, Employers' Group, EESC, a panel discussion titled ‘What can TTIP bring to businesses and SMEs in particular?’ took place.

direct information on the latest developments in relation to the implementation and the way forward in addressing any present shortcomings.

Furthermore, Mr Chetcuti explained the scope of the excise tax, the banderoles’ main features and the major changes that are likely to be brought about due to the new obligations of fixing banderoles on all wine bottles.

15.

Chamber discusses business priorities with European counterparts Director General Kevin J. Borg and Head – Sectors Lino Mintoff represented the Malta Chamber at a BusinessEurope Executive Committee held in Brussels on 12th March.

The highlight of the meeting was an exchange of views with European Commissioner Carlos Moedas responsible for Research, Science and Innovation who explained that EU‑funded research was continuously monitored and its effectiveness evaluated. He shone a light on his efforts in promoting the international excellence of the EU's research and science and in strengthening research capacities and innovation across all member states. This included the encouragement of private companies to apply research to meet challenges faced by society and create more high-quality jobs.

16.

Malta Chamber remains close to Libya-affected members The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry continued to meet stakeholders and decision-makers on the subject of the unfolding situation in Libya in its bid to remain close to its members affected by the developments in the North African country, and in order to find

14.

Wine importers and producers meet Director of Excise The Malta Chamber took an active role in discussions with the relevant authorities in relation to the implementation of the measure dealing with the excise rate payable on all imported and produced wines, since its announcement in the Budget speech.

Following a number of meetings led by a delegation of Malta Chamber representatives with customs officials, the Malta Chamber organised a meeting for all members involved in the importation and production of wines with Joseph Chetcuti, Director of Excise within the Department of Customs.

The meeting provided members with APRIL / MAY 2015

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solutions to the challenges they are facing.

A delegation from the Malta Chamber met with senior officials from the Central Bank of Malta, as well as a delegation from the Nationalist Party at the request of the Opposition. The Malta Chamber remains committed to take every avenue available to address issues Maltese businesses are facing as a result of the ongoing turmoil.

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Trade Malta launched Bringing to fruition one of the recommendations of the Economic Vision proposed by the Malta Chamber, Trade Malta – a Public Private Partnership between the Malta Chamber and the Government of Malta to promote the internationalisation of business – was launched at Auberge de Castille on 13th March by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Chamber President David G. Curmi.

The entity aims to consolidate the functions of the Malta Chamber and Malta Enterprise in the area of trade promotion and internationalisation. The mission statement of Trade Malta is “to establish a permanent and effective partnership between the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and the Government of Malta with the aim of assisting local enterprise to reach foreign markets with their products and services so that they can grow internationally.”

The shareholding of Trade Malta Ltd is 51 per cent for the Government of Malta and 49 per cent for the Malta Chamber. The Board of Directors of TM is composed entirely of people in business, while one of the seven

17. members serves as a rotating chairperson, for a two-year term. Mr Curmi will serve as Chairman on behalf of the Malta Chamber for the first term. (Read more about Trade Malta in the cover story on page 13 of this issue of The Commercial Courier).

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Malta Chamber holds its 167th AGM The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry held its 167th Annual General Meeting on 24th March, kicking off the process of elections for Council and Economic Group Executive Boards.

The Annual General Meeting was opened

as customary with a speech by the President David G. Curmi, who gave an account of the major landmark achievements of the Malta Chamber in the past two years.

In his address he spoke at length about how the Malta Chamber strengthened its position of trust with the leading decision makers and authorities of the country.

“This is confirmed by the setting up of Trade Malta, a collaboration between the Malta Chamber and Government to help businesses internationalise,” Mr Curmi said.

Mr Curmi also said that the Chamber continued to endeavour in promoting National Competitiveness, a matter which was central to the two flagship documents published by the Chamber in the past year, ‘Economic Vision for Malta 2014-2020’ and ‘An Industrial Policy for Malta’.

The President’s speech was followed by a report on the activities of the Council for the period March 2014 to March 2015, a discussion on the said report and a presentation of the financial statements of the Chamber to members present.

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Anton Borg elected Malta Chamber President

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Following the Annual General Meeting, the newly elected Council met on 30th March and elected Anton Borg President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.

Mr Borg is a past President of the Malta Federation of Industry which merged with the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise in 2009.

In his first address, Mr Borg outlined APRIL / MAY 2015

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his priorities for the Malta Chamber for the coming two-year term. He made reference to the Economic Vision 20142020 that the preceding Council adopted and which has been widely accepted by both political parties and the authorities.

“It is now incumbent upon the incoming Council to ensure the necessary momentum on the part of the authorities is kept in introducing the Chamber’s recommendations that will lead to the enhancement of the national competitiveness needed for the Economic Vision to materialise,” he said.

Anton Borg graduated as a member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants in the UK in 1983 and became a member of the Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA) in 1985. He sat on the Council of the MIA for 14 years serving as President for two years in 1997. Mr Borg is Director of Elepac, Meritlink and Eurosupplies Ltd. Elected to the Federation of Industry (FOI) Council since 1999, Mr Borg held various posts including that of President for two years from 2003. Mr Borg served as Deputy President of the Malta Chamber in the outgoing Council, and also represented the Malta Chamber on numerous

boards including the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, Malta Enterprise, Malta Industrial Parks and Malta Business Bureau, among others.

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Malta Chamber Board of Management in place Following the Annual General Meeting held on 24th March, and the election of Anton Borg as President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry on 30th March, the Council elected the Deputy President, Vice President and its Board of Management on 6th April.

Frank V. Farrugia was elected Deputy President, while Tonio Casapinta was elected Vice President. The rest of the Board of Management is composed of Martin Borg, Sergio Vella and David Xuereb.

The members of the Malta Chamber Council are Hugh Arrigo, Liz Barbaro Sant, Matthias Fauser, Reginald Fava, Joseph Pace, Mario Spiteri, Matthew Sullivan, Chris Vassallo Cesareo, Marisa Xuereb, Nicholas Xuereb and Charles Zahra.

Norman Aquilina was elected Chairman

19. of the Manufacturers and Other Industries Economic Group, Andrew Mamo was elected Chairman of the Importers, Distributors and Retailers Economic Group and Mario Spiteri was elected Chairman of the Service Providers Economic Group.

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NEWS Internationalisation

01.

Honorary Consul of Ghana visits the Malta Chamber The candidate for Honorary Consul in Tamale Northern Region, Ghana, Maham Wayo, visited the Malta Chamber on 2nd February. Mr Wayo was accompanied by Officer in Scale 5 (Protocol and Consular Services), Darren Borg and Marketing Manager of M.A. & A. Services Ltd, Kevin Portelli.

During the meeting, the main sectors in Ghana were discussed and these include gold mining, offshore oil, financial services, IT and gaming. It was also pointed out that Malta and Ghana have common British laws, which makes it easier to do business.

02.

New Tunisian Ambassador to Malta visits the Malta Chamber The new Tunisian Ambassador to Malta, H.E. Zohra Ladgham visited the APRIL / MAY 2015

Malta Chamber on 5th February. Ms Ladgham met with the Chairman of the North African Business Council Simon Alden, Director General Kevin J. Borg and Internationalisation Manager Klaus M. Pedersen.

Matters discussed included a ferry link between Malta and Tunisia, tourism and the possibility of attending the Tunis Medindustrie fair which will take place in Kram this June. Ms Ladgham said that she will work to maintain the good relationship the Embassy has with the Malta Chamber and looks forward to future cooperation.

03.

German Business Forum Malta (‘Stammtisch’) The German Embassy in Malta, with the collaboration and support of the German Maltese Business Council, organised the meeting of German Business Forum Malta at the Malta Chamber for the second year in a row on Wednesday, 11th February.

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The event which is also known as ‘Stammtisch’, a German tradition of an informal gathering where people meet to talk, was organised for German companies.

This year’s event was a dialogue session with Minister for the Economy Dr Christian Cardona, during which those who attended had the opportunity to ask questions related to German FDI in Malta and trade incentives for German companies, among others.

Karl Aquilina, Chairman of the German Maltese Business Council and H.E. KlausPeter Brandes, German Ambassador, delivered the opening addresses while the dialogue session was chaired by Matthias Fauser, Committee Member of the German Malta Business Council.

04.

Malta Chamber discusses trade and investment promotion with Russian entrepreneurs Opportunities for trade and investment with Russia were discussed between the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and the Moscow Entrepreneurs Association (MEA) on 27th February.

From the discussions, the sectors of healthcare and health-tourism, wine and agri-food, language tourism, architecture, interior design and luxury tourism emerged as the most attractive for the Russian market. Both sides agreed to co-operate and maintain relations in order to follow up on these opportunities in the coming weeks and months.

The meeting was made possible by Malta’s representative for the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIR) Anastasia Budykho, as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Malta Chamber in June 2014.

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Malta Chamber launches North Africa Business Council

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry launched the North Africa Business Council with the aim to promote business between Malta and North

African countries and, in the process, create business opportunities for the Maltese business community. Malta Chamber Vice President Frank V. Farrugia said that in the past five years a number of Business Councils were set up by the Malta Chamber, as they were effective tools to sustain local entrepreneurs in their internationalisation efforts. “The experience gained so far has proven that Business Councils are a very efficient way to help firms venture abroad,” he said.

Mr Farrugia said that for several decades, Malta had been seeking to position itself as a hub for doing business with North African countries, and has successfully achieved this goal, especially in Libya. Mr Farrugia said that Malta offers a unique platform for European countries to trade with North African counterparts. In order to succeed in this regard, members need to be encouraged to join forces to build national business champions that can interface better with partner companies. Aviation and maritime links between Malta and North Africa also need to be strengthened, with a view to make it more feasible for Malta to establish itself as a worthy landing zone for European companies, both large and small, to serve North Africa and in so doing benefitting from other advantages that Malta and the Maltese business community have to offer.

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06.

Malta Chamber signs MOU with the Middle East Association of London The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Middle East Association of London. The aim of the agreement is to facilitate the collaboration between Maltese and British companies to partner in doing business in the Middle East and North African region.

Peter Meyer, CEO of the Association, held meetings with both the Board of Management of the Malta Chamber and the Libya Action Committee. He also addressed the launch of the North Africa Business Council. By means of the MoU, the Malta Chamber and the Middle East Association of London agree to explore economic opportunities for their members and encourage the development of new economic activities and the setting up of joint ventures between private business entities in Malta and the UK. This MOU is envisaged to enhance further bilateral trade between Malta and the UK.

07.

Malta Chamber launches MalteseTurkish Business Council The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry officially launched the Maltese-Turkish Business Council with the aim to promote business

05. between Malta and Turkey and, in the process, create business opportunities for the Maltese business community.

Malta Chamber President Anton Borg said that Business Councils represent

some of the very best that the Malta Chamber stands for. “These entities are concrete proof of the Malta Chamber’s drive to strengthen its efforts in the area of internationalisation, a necessity for a small, open economy in a globalised world,” he said.

Mr Borg said that there is enormous economic potential in striking business relationships with Turkey, a country with a population of 78 million and which has registered abnormally high growth rates in the years 2000 to 2010. It is this sort of potential that the MTBC shall endeavour to exploit for the benefit of Malta Chamber members and in turn for the country’s economic growth. cc

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STYLE

Fashion Trends

REVIEW

03. The penny loafer

Spring is here! And so is our appetite for all things stylish, bright and fresh. Martina Said takes her pick of the most notable fashion trends for spring 2015.

01. A classic shirt dress Following the success of the tuxedo dress, it is now time for the shirt dress to shine, and what better time to let it take over our wardrobes than during the months of spring? Designers have transformed this style and reinvented the classic shape with a number of variations including a drop waist, high slit, asymmetric hemlines, the mandarin collar and button-down front, such as this chunky striped Karen Millen shirt dress in striking colours.

02. Yellow Before dismissing this fashion trend because you think the colour is ‘not for you’, keep reading. The trick lies in finding a shade that complements your skin tone, and once you do, you probably won’t be able to get enough of it. Yellow is a vibrant colour that looks great in spring and summer, and luckily, lots of shades are expected to fill the shelves this season, including amber, canary yellow and mustard shades. Look out for this citrusy blazer by Miss Selfridge.

05.

This classic wardrobe staple is an easy choice for many men during this season – it is a spring classic and can be worn with or without socks, and matches with almost anything. Pair with formal trousers for a polished look or with bermudas and a casual shirt for a more relaxed appearance, and you’re bound to be bang on trend.

This stylish Martin Dingman pair uses a combination of leather and rubber.

04. Stylish shades

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The moment the sun starts shining down on us relentlessly is the time we simply cannot stay without our trusty sunglasses, and you might as well look good while wearing your shades. This year’s trends for men’s sunglasses revolve around the classics, with some twists, such as round ‘John Lennon style’ lenses, mirrored glass, and the ever-popular Ray Ban varieties such as this pair of aviators, as well as wayfarers.

05. In full bloom Floral patterns are no novelty when it comes to fashion, but this year they appear big and beautiful or miniscule and abstract, all the while looking as feminine as ever, such as in this chic pencil skirt by Oasis. Also, much as we’re usually told to avoid overkill of one style, we are actually being encouraged to try head-to-toe in this style, such as a trouser suit, jumpsuit or full length dress. And why not – florals are pretty and super stylish.

06. Black and white These staple colours are a guaranteed safe choice for most, and when it comes to men’s wardrobes, there tends to be lots of both. The black and white combo is another case of fashion repeating itself, but there’s a reason for that, and that’s because it’s a classic. Together, black and white are smart, create a great contrast, and can appear both subtle and bold. If you’re not keen on sporting a dramatically contrasting outfit though, opt for a white shirt with a subtle black trim, black buttons or piping such as this River Island number, which will likely make an equally powerful statement. cc

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STYLE

REVIEW www.eco-fueler.com

Finishing Touches

03. Statement desk The centrepiece of your office or study should be your desk, so why not draw attention to it? A statement desk in an interesting design or bold colour will draw the eye and add interest to an otherwise neutral room. Just make sure you keep it organised and don’t hide it under a pile of paperwork if you want it to make an impact!

Save yourself from drab days at the office by infusing a little fun into your workspace.

Sarah Micallef brings you tips and ideas on how to do just that.

01. Antique storage

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Storage space to stash everything from files, stray papers and stationery is something you’ll always need at the office, so why not make a talking point out of it? Restored antique filing cabinets are really making waves in the interior design scene at the moment, and I can see why – they are both useful and beautiful, and are the perfect accessory to pull off the popular ‘old and new’ trend of the moment.

04. Inspirational wall art Sometimes, long days at the office, difficult clients or tight deadlines can get you down. A motivational message in the form of beautifully designed wall art can help assuage trying times and put a smile back on your face. Choosing a cool design will also serve to pretty up your environment, which in itself is bound to lift your spirits.

02. Exposed concrete

05. Leather touches

Industrial-style interiors and touches are everywhere right now, with exposed brick and concrete and industrial accessories taking centre stage. Give your work space a cool, contemporary style by incorporating exposed concrete into the design – it will serve to add style and texture, besides looking incredibly trendy.

www.notonthehighstreet.com

Give your workspace an element of luxury using leather accessories. Whether in the form of an aged leather sofa, decadent leather desk chair or streamlined leather desktop accessories, the look is one of refinement and sophistication. You can also choose whether to go with a contemporary style or more of a classic feel, depending on your tastes and décor.

06. Quirky bookends

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Fun bookends lend whimsy and personality to a space, while serving their purpose – propping up your books! Infuse a little fun into a boring bookcase or an uninspiring shelf using quirky bookends like these distressed metal terrier ones from notonthehighstreet.com for a unique look that shows a little personality. cc

www.dacasso.com

www.decoist.com

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www.tinyoranges.com

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CC MEET THE ARTIST

A timeless talent Painter and sculptor Andrew Diacono, who’s celebrated career as a full-time artist began in 1991, is a man of a few words. From his modest workshop in a quiet area of Naxxar, he tells Martina Said about his distinctive artistic style, creative process and the greatest satisfaction of his 24-year career.

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Photos by Alan Carville

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ndrew Diacono’s studio is all you’d expect an artist’s studio to be – cluttered, raw and messy. Sketch books are strewn across work benches, unrecognisable coffee tins are filled with tools, and brushes and paintings are propped up on makeshift easels. But, at the farthest end of his workshop is his own personal exhibition space.

A white wall serves as a backdrop for a number of his works, enabling you to study them without getting distracted, without feeling crowded in the narrow room. And you could, in fact, spend a long time looking at Andrew’s sculptures in particular, as well as his paintings. The characters he depicts are somewhat outlandish and unnatural with an

absurd anatomy – broad, square men with stick-like legs, sometimes accompanied by objects that seem too dainty for their size, such as a ladder, a book or bicycle.

“Photographic realism bores me,” he says, matter-of-factly. “I prefer to take my own take on realism; otherwise I would just take a photograph. It’s a bit crude isn’t it?” he maintains. “I’d say it’s humorous, contemporary and satirical too. My style has remained quite constant over the years, although some things do change over time obviously, such as technique. When I started out, my typical subjects were the misfortunate, the downtrodden, and then I moved into other areas that could be considered more light-hearted,” he says.

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“Photographic realism bores me… I prefer to take my own take on realism; otherwise I would just take a photograph.”

“My artistic styles for painting and sculpting are not widely different. There’s a sense of continuity between the two mediums – noticeable even in the colour schemes I use.”

Andrew’s inclination towards sculpting began in his early days – he spent the better part of his time by his father’s side in his workshop, watching him work. Andrew’s father, Victor Diacono, who died in 2009, was a prolific sculptor especially known for bust and head portraits, and is still revered for his immense contribution to Malta’s artistic scene. “I grew up under his wing,” says Andrew. “I even used to play in his workshop as a child and so was drawn to the craft from an early age.” Like his father, Andrew began his artistic journey with sculpting, but chose to vary his repertoire by branching out into painting too.

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A quick glance around his workshop shows how most of Andrew’s works revolve around his interpretation of a human figure. “I work exclusively with the human figure,” he asserts. “Even my landscape paintings include a figure – there’s always a

person or two, three or groups in my work.

People are what interest me the most. I see beauty in people, in social interaction and in human behaviour, and see myself in these figures too.”

Andrew says he cannot single out an

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experience or a moment in his life that led him to the quirky style he uses in his work.

“It is all very subconscious, you don’t really understand what you’re doing and feeling, but I do try to create a kind of dialogue between my work and the viewer.”

His creative process generally begins with a collection of plain doodles, “like thinking out loud,” he says. He goes on to draw his refined idea to scale, after which he proceeds to measure the drawing for the construction of a metal skeleton. Andrew’s process for a painting is similar, but transfers the drawing from paper to canvas instead. He shuffles through the loose papers inserted in a sketchbook, looking for a page of doodles.

“You can see the evolution of an idea here,” he says, pointing at a page full of pen sketches. “The drawing starts out one way and changes until it ends up looking as I’d like it to.”

While his style might have remained consistent over time, Andrew’s sculpting techniques advanced to include mixed media

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and bronze from working exclusively in terracotta. As for his paintings, he started out using water colour, later acrylic and now oils. “The process for my sculptures varies depending on the materials I use. Clay requires one technique, where you basically mould the clay into a figure and put it in a kin to bake it, and later paint it. Then there’s my own version of mixed media – everyone has their own version and you can use whatever you like as long as the materials complement one another. In this case,” he says, isolating the metal framework of a sculpture that is still in its early stages, “I make an armature out of metal and build on it using synthetic clay, as normal clay would crack.”

The method he uses for bronze sculptures is one that’s been used since the Bronze Age, and has remained relatively unchanged since.

“It is all very subconscious, you don’t really understand what you’re doing and feeling, but I do try to create a kind of dialogue between my work and the viewer.”

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“The drawing starts out one way and changes until it ends up looking as I’d like it to.”

It is known as the ‘lost wax’ process – a complex method of metal casting in which a molten metal is poured into a mould made by means of a wax model. Once the mould is made, the wax model is melted and drained away. Asked whether he has a preference for one process over another, Andrew says he cannot single one out because he frequently moves from one to another to avoid getting bored of one method.

Across his sculptures and paintings, the artist appears to stick to a conservative palette, using block colours in muted shades.

“I suppose the scope is to simplify as much as possible, removing detail, to the point that if you remove any more detail there is nothing left. Stripping away detail and repeating is a way of getting closer to a subject.”

Among his numerous achievements – namely the installation of his first public artwork, called The Three Graces, which can be seen outside the Mgarr ferry

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terminal in Gozo – Andrew considers one of his greatest personal satisfactions to be the continued success of his full-time art career, which he embarked on in 1991.

“The fact that I’ve kept doing it this long,

and managed to raise a family while being a full-time artist, speaks for itself,” he expresses. “It isn’t too bad, no? I think that is my greatest satisfaction,” he repeats. “To have done it... and still be doing it.” cc

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Tech Review

Is it possible for technology to get any stranger and far-reaching than this? As Martina Said picks a few of the latest tech trends – some cool, others odd – it appears there are no limits in this fascinating world.

01. iWatch The Apple Watch, expected to be released towards the end of April, is possibly the most anticipated wearable yet and marks the tech giant’s first appearance on the ever-competitive smart watch market. The Apple Watch will be available in 1.5 inch and 1.7 inch screen sizes, with a square display coated in a protective layer of sapphire crystal and in a variety of faces and straps.

The watch supports touch navigation and the user can control the handset through its mechanical wheel (as in standard watches), allowing him or her to scroll and browse through the user interface.

02. Petcube This is the ultimate pet lover’s device and perfect for keeping your pet company while you’re out of the house. The Petcube is a sleek aluminium cube with an inbuilt wide angle camera with streaming capabilities.

It connects to home Wi-Fi and works through an iOS or Android app, enables two-way audio stream through a builtin microphone and speaker, and has an inbuilt laser beam too in order to keep your pet entertained in your absence.

You can see and talk to your pet from anywhere, and even set a ‘play schedule’.

GADGETS

04. Parrot Pot If you’re unable to care for a plant, this might solve your problem. This plain-looking pot contains sensors that are able to assess your plant’s needs and send alerts to your smartphone to keep you up to scratch.

The pot monitors four factors: sunlight, temperature, fertiliser and moisture, and whenever one of these is lacking in the life of your plant, it will send you an alert to tend to its needs using Bluetooth technology.

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05. mamaRoo This impressive baby seat created by 4moms is capable of bouncing up and down and swaying from side to side, just like parents do when comforting their child. Not that this gadget should replace physical closeness to your child, but for the times your hands are occupied and your child needs immediate tending to, simply choose from five different motions to rock your infant. You could also control the motions and soothing sounds from the baby seat through an app on your smartphone.

06. Zero G

03.

More than just your average smartphone case, Zero G, designed by Mega Tiny Corp, is an anti-gravity phone case that adds another layer of practicality to your mobile. You’ll probably be able to recall a moment when you wanted to use your phone but couldn’t because your hands were occupied – well, this anti-gravity case is able to secure itself to any smooth and flat surface including metal, wood and glass to ensure you can access your smartphone whenever you need it. cc

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03. HAPIfork This quirky device will make a funny addition to your cutlery set, but the rest of your crockery doesn’t monitor and track your eating habits does it? HAPIfork, powered

by Slow Control, is an electronic fork that alerts you with the help of indicator lights and gentle vibrations when you’re eating too fast, with the aim of improving weight control and digestion. Each time you bring food to your mouth, the fork measures how long it took you to eat your meal, the amount of servings per minute and the intervals between forkfuls.

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Making the cross over One of every five car buyers in Europe chose an SUV or crossover last year, up from 17 per cent in 2013. The trend is evident… but why exactly has this relatively-recent addition taken the automotive industry by storm? Jo Caruana finds out.

‘M

ultipurpose’ has become one of the biggest trends of the 21st century. From mobile phones that are also cameras and radios, to open-plan offices that double up as meeting rooms, we have all come to expect a lot from our belongings, and they have a lot to live up to.

The trends in the automotive industry have been no different. Gone are the days when a car was just a car, built only to take us from A to B. Today’s cars have multiple roles to play – they have to be compact enough to meander through city streets, robust enough for days in the countryside, large enough for family outings and technological enough for safe and effortless communication with the outside world.

This is where the crossover/SUV has stepped up to the mark – and the Maltese market has really embraced it. But it isn’t just locally that this trend has become a force to be reckoned with.

In fact, according to London-based JATO Dynamics Ltd, which is a global supplier of automotive business intelligence, the APRIL / MAY 2015

The Nissan Qashqai was Europe’s top-selling SUV/crossover last year, with a volume of more than 200,000. Meanwhile, the leader in the premium segment was the Audi Q3, with more than 75,000 sales.

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combined sales of models ranging from the Nissan Qashqai to the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka and the BMW X5 increased 21 per cent last year, to reach sales of more than 2.5 million units. This rise easily outpaced the overall market’s 5.3 per cent growth to 12.8 million.

Specifically speaking, the Nissan Qashqai was Europe’s top-selling SUV/crossover last year, with a volume of more than 200,000.

Meanwhile, the leader in the premium segment was the Audi Q3, with more than 75,000 sales. The recent addition of the premium Mercedes GLA is also proving to be a resounding success in its class segment.

It is certainly a segment that has enjoyed staggering growth, thus ensuring that automakers have wanted to jump on the bandwagon to create their own model. As a result there is no shortage of cross over SUVs to choose from, and there are now over 70 models available internationally.

There is no ignoring the fact that this has all happened in a relatively short space of time. Barely 10 years ago, no one had any idea what a crossover was – but that changed almost overnight as the ‘multipurpose’ trend caught on with everything from tall wagons and sedans to rounded minivans.

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Fast forward a decade or so, and it is clear that it is the family market that has supported the crossover/SUV most of all. So much so that some auto industry analysts have given ‘third row seating’ substantial credit for the crossover segment’s continued growth. It wasn’t long ago when family vehicles tended to be quite rough around the edges – built to

carry as many people as possible, rather than to provide comfort. But comfort has become a top priority now, and these crossovers have stepped up to the mark to give an improved ride and handling characteristics, as well as those fun perks such as optional DVD players that children love so much. Add to this the fact that crossovers are based on cars (and

APRIL / MAY 2015

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“The combined sales of models ranging from the Nissan Qashqai to the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka and the BMW X5 increased 21 per cent last year.” not trucks or vans, like traditional SUVs are) and this makes them far more stable and easy to drive. They have also found favour for their manoeuvrability (ideal on Malta’s busy roads), and the fact that they are quite easy to park.

The ‘style’ element has also boosted support for the crossover. Back in the sector’s infancy, it was Subaru and Toyota that led the way for comfortable SUVs – namely the Highlander and the RAV-4 – which took a sporty, fun approach without the heftier feel of their competitors. Today the Nissan Juke, BMW X1, the Mercedes GLA and Hyundai Santa Fe Sport – to name but a few – have all kept style and aesthetics at the forefront of their decisions.

Of course there’s the efficiency angle too.

With petrol prices far higher than they were a decade or so ago, drivers have shifted their focus onto vehicles which waste less fuel.

So, while crossover/SUVs may not be as fuel efficient as city cars and hatchbacks, they do enjoy better fuel economy than minivans and full SUVs. And there are hopes this will get even better soon as competition in the sector

gets fiercer and fiercer, especially as hybrid and gas-operated vehicles become the norm.

Finally, most crossover/SUVs are surprisingly competitive price-wise, which is what has really sealed the deal on their success. Because crossover manufacturing costs are lower than those of SUVs, and cars made from a single unit are less expensive to manufacture than body-on-frame vehicles,

costs are bound to be lower. This means that those keen to buy into the crossover market have been given quite a wide range of choices – from the cheap-and-cheerful Kia Soul to the high-end BMW X6 M. Yes, by keeping the driver in the driving seat, crossovers have certainly proved their worth, and their success only looks set to skyrocket. cc

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EEN Malta “best-positioned” network to help SMEs take operations to a higher level Established in 2015, Enterprise Europe Network Malta – which forms part of Enterprise Europe Network launched by the European Commission in 2008 – is aimed at assisting micro and SMEs with internationalisation and more. Martina Said speaks to the technical committee of the consortium to find out more.

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ver-present issues which appear to be on the minds of many a business person in Malta are those of insularity due to Malta’s geographical location, growth setbacks caused by barriers to trade and a lack of opportunities to extend beyond our shores, preventing companies from taking the necessary steps that will enable them to internationalise in Europe and beyond. This is set to change through the setting up of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Malta, the national branch of the EEN which is part of the EU’s strategy to boost growth and jobs, and help small companies, specifically SMEs, to access the EU single market.

APRIL / MAY 2015

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, the Malta Business Bureau, Malta Enterprise and the Malta Council for Science and Technology have collaborated and formed an unprecedented consortium of public and private organisations to run the EEN in Malta. It will operate from 2015 to 2020, with the aim of supporting companies, especially SMEs, to grow.

On behalf of Malta Enterprise, Brigitte Tanti says that the primary objective of the EEN is to help small companies make the most of business opportunities in the European Union and beyond, and to take their operations to a higher level in the value-chain. “Quite possibly, this network is the best-positioned one to do

this, since it brings together around 600 business support organisations from more than 50 countries. The organisations are connected through powerful databases and know Europe inside out. What’s more, they have been working together for years, some even for decades. So it is a very strong expert network that has been tried and tested over the years.”

Ms Tanti says the network’s mantra – Connect, Innovate, Grow – is reflective of how they wish to assist clients. “We strongly believe that in order to grow, a business operation needs to innovate itself especially by connecting to (international) partners on various levels: commercially, technologically or research-wise,” she asserts. “We also do acknowledge that this

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“We strongly believe that in order to grow, a business operation needs to innovate itself especially by connecting to (international) partners on various levels: commercially, technologically or researchwise.” Brigitte Tanti, Malta Enterprise

may prove to be a hurdle for SMEs and that’s exactly where the network comes in. Through our various actions, electronic tools and events, we continuously support our clients to go international, tap funding and procurement opportunities, improve their technical capacities through workshops, keep abreast of new technologies in their field and enhance the innovation management actions within their companies.”

Lino Mintoff from the Malta Chamber says EEN Malta will address the challenges being faced by Maltese enterprises, especially those with high-growth potential. “The actions being proposed for the immediate work plan will deal with the current lags in access to finance, improved access to markets, the low spend by companies in innovation and research and development, and improving competitiveness.”

EEN will operate within the framework of the Small Business Act but will take the ‘Think Small First’ principle to a higher level, adds Mr Mintoff. “It will evolve to ‘Act Small First’ and will intervene and attain the desired impact on the national economy through its services, namely market improvement, costs savings, creation and retention of jobs, quality improvement and innovation. This project will support the implementation of the Lisbon Agenda Strategy and the Europe 2020 strategy in Malta, recognising the crucial role of SMEs in delivering a high level of jobs and an energy-efficient economy.”

The network’s primary target audience 96

is micro businesses and SMEs, all of which are entitled to turn to the network for assistance, regardless of their size, sector or business cycle. Mr Mintoff says the target groups are comprised of micro enterprises that have the potential to make a quality leap in strengthening their organisational and marketing structure; start-ups with a potential to export within the internal market and beyond; and SMEs or large enterprises that are positioning, or positioned, to internationalise their operations.

Since joining the EU in 2004, it is arguable that numerous Malta-based SMEs have struggled to break out of the confines of the local market – are SMEs aware of the opportunities and benefits brought about my EU membership? Daniel Debono from the Malta Business Bureau says “experience shows that SMEs are not

fully aware of the opportunities presented

by EU membership. Just over 10 years since becoming EU members, the European single market remains largely unexploited and the uptake of EU direct funds by the private sector is very low,” he asserts.

“The Malta Business Bureau has been very active in this respect in recent years. On the 20th anniversary of the European single market, it conducted a report assessing the challenges of local SMEs to do cross-border business,” continues Mr Debono. “This report was even presented to former European Commission Vice-President Michel Barnier.

There were clearly elements that required EU intervention to continue eliminating barriers to trade, particularly in the area of public procurement for instance. There were also issues that were intrinsically local such as the double insularity import/ APRIL / MAY 2015

CC INDUSTRY FOCUS export costs due to Malta’s geographical location.”

As well as opportunities to penetrate the single market, are SMEs exploiting opportunities for EU funding? Mr Debono says the Malta Business Bureau is currently implementing a European Social Fund project entitled ‘Innovation leaders: Improving knowledge on EU direct funds’ which will address this matter. “Its

objective is to train managers from the private sector to develop project concepts and apply for Brussels-based EU funding programmes. In this case, the training is focused on Horizon 2020, Erasmus + and Creative Europe. We are hopeful that through these programmes, the tapping of direct EU funds by Malta’s private sector in the current programming period leading up to 2020 will increase.”

Key objectives of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Malta Lino Mintoff from the Malta Chamber outlines the objectives aimed at helping small businesses in Malta u Mentoring and coaching: Assist micro and SMEs to grow their business within the EU’s internal market and beyond by maximising the opportunities available. The assistance provided will be structured on a threefold approach: information, advice and support. u Maximising the utilisation of resources: Ensuring that Maltese enterprises tap into the financial and non-financial opportunities that are available to further strengthen their competitiveness vis-à-vis their European and nonEuropean counterparts. u Strengthening SMEs’ feedback function: Engage in closer relations with SMEs to ensure that dissemination and understanding of EU policies are better entrenched in an ongoing process of communication. u Provide support in participating in Horizon 2020: Consolidate a synergistic link with the national contact points to ensure a more effective way of encouraging SMEs to participate and cooperate in Horizon 2020 opportunities, and also of enhancing their internal innovation management capacities.

Get in touch via EEN Malta’s social network pages on twitter, facebook and linked in, or visit http://een. ec.europa.eu/about/contact for more information.

“The actions being proposed for the immediate work plan will deal with the current lags in access to finance, improved access to markets, the low spend by companies in innovation and research and development, and improving competitiveness.”

Lino Mintoff, Malta Chamber APRIL / MAY 2015

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“Just over 10 years since becoming EU members, the European single market remains largely unexploited and the uptake of EU direct funds by the private sector is very low.” Daniel Debono, Malta Business Bureau

“Those businesses that have the potential to grow and internationalise can best benefit from EEN services, which include guidance through the transition process, capacity-building and making the first contacts for fruitful cross-border collaboration.”

Stephen Micallef, Malta Council for Science and Technology 100

Stephen Micallef from the Malta Council for Science and Technology is in agreement, and adds “opportunities are vast, and although they often seem complex and difficult to many SMEs, they are attainable with the right information sought. The main hurdle is often the difficulty they face to identify the most suitable opportunities, which can be overcome with the right support that can be sought through EEN.” The coming year will see the first steps towards achieving the goals of the EEN put into place. Mr Micallef says the network’s priorities this year are to instigate active involvement of local SMEs through effective communication and broad outreach. “This would ultimately kick-start a process of exploration to better recognise their current and potential place on the

wider map through support and capacitybuilding, and to identify the most relevant opportunities,” he explains. “Those businesses that have the potential to grow and internationalise can best benefit from EEN services, which include guidance through the transition process, capacitybuilding and making the first contacts for fruitful cross-border collaboration.”

Ms Tanti from Malta Enterprise concludes that EEN’s main priority is to connect with as many clients as realistically possible, “and make them aware that the network services are available for them, free of charge.” Following this, the technical team’s next priority is to improve the presence of Maltese businesses on a European level and to identify suitable business partners for them depending on their planned ventures and initiatives. cc APRIL / MAY 2015

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Attrans – delivering more than just goods Since 1976 and under the guidance of its founder Philip Attard, Attrans has established itself as the leading transport company on the island.

Now, in its second generation and in the hands of Philip Attard Jnr, Attrans prides itself on being in a position to offer a wide range of services to a varied clientele, providing logistical solutions to and from any European destination to Malta and North Africa.

The company is based in Żebbug, Malta, within premises that measure over 25,000 square metres and that house offices, workshops and warehousing facilities. In addition, Attrans has subsidiaries in Italy (Attrans Italia), and two in the Netherlands (Attrans BV and Attrans North Africa), also fully equipped with administration offices, workshops and warehousing facilities.

The fleet of Attrans Ltd is currently made up of Volvo tractor units and over 300 trailers, suited for the different types of

services the company offers. Our trucks and trailers are strategically placed at our own depots throughout Europe, Morocco and Tunisia in order to serve customers efficiently and effectively seven days a week, 365 days a year. Attrans believes that the continuous investment in our fleet has placed us one step ahead of our competitors, providing Attrans

with the best possible transport solutions available. We are convinced that we have the experience and the ability, and that is why Attrans is delivering more than just goods. cc Attrans International Transport.

T: 2258 5500; E: info@attrans.com; www.attrans.com

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Celebrating 30 years of success On the occasion of our 30th anniversary, we are going to look back at our past. We were founded in 1985. This was the best era for property investors in Malta, and is often recognised as the time of opportunity. Following the demise of the British military forces in the late 1970s, the Land Department experienced a substantial rise in property stock.

Furthermore, during that time, the Government devised social housing programmes for middle class workers which saw the demand for property in Malta increase.

In the 1980s, the real estate industry in Malta featured only a handful of brokerage companies, one of which was founded by Sara Grech’s father. This paved the way for Sara to enter the real estate industry; however, some obstacles were in sight.

During this time it was unheard of for a woman to open a real estate company, and therefore the lack of female presence made Sara’s initial operations more difficult.

Marking the first anniversary of the Vilhena Global Balanced MultiManager Fund Valletta Fund Management Limited is pleased to announce that the Vilhena Global Balanced Multi-Manager Fund registered 15.4 per cent return to shareholders over one year from its inception in March 2014.

The Vilhena Global Balanced MultiManager Fund provides shareholders with the opportunity to invest in a balanced global portfolio of direct and indirect bonds and equities through collective investment schemes and can be accessed by a minimum amount of €2,500. Investors can also access the Fund by investing a monthly minimum

APRIL / MAY 2015

Backed with the right education and market knowledge, Sara’s philosophy was that the most important thing about running a company is to remember what it represents: people that need to be brought together as a cohesive team. Sara worked to instil one Golden Rule, that of treating others the same way she would like to be treated. She also emphasised the importance of respecting the individual, and on having a hands-on and enthusiastic approach.

The Sara Grech Ltd. adventure started off from Sara’s home in Naxxar on 29th March 1985. After a span of six months, Sara rented a second-floor apartment in Point Street, Sliema, and within a year Sara Grech Ltd. bought its first office in Abate Rigord Street,

Ta’ Xbiex (pictured above). Sara is forever thankful to Anthony Borg, who gave her the chance to buy her first office by offering her the time to pay the office and a block of 50 apartments to sell exclusively within six months. Sara worked hard and sold the 50 units within three months and bought her office outright. Hard work does pay off with innovate ideas and round the clock work. She engaged only one agent at the time. She remembers saying that she lost about 10 kilos during these three months because the block had no lift and three flights of stairs over five blocks. After buying her first office, the entire Sara Grech Ltd. operation took off, and, as they say, the rest is history. cc

of €50. The Fund which is denominated in Euro, distributes income* to shareholders twice a year, on 30th April and 31st October. Shareholders also have the opportunity to re-invest the distributed income.

The Vilhena Global Balanced MultiManager Fund is managed by Valletta Fund Management Limited and sub-managed

by Waverton Investment Management, winner of the Image and Reputation Award by Private Asset Managers Award in 2015. Prospective investors will currently benefit from a discount on the up-front fee reduced to 2 per cent.

Speaking about the VFM Funds, Mark Agius, Executive Head of Valletta Fund Management said “the Vilhena Global Balanced Multi-Manager Fund is one of the investment funds within the Income and Growth category, a category which provides investors with exposure to the domestic, Mediterranean and global markets. Our investment solutions are already extremely popular with investors with over €750 million invested across these funds as at 28th February 2015.’’ cc

*The income that the assets of the Fund generate in relation to their value or market, and the frequency of payment may vary and are not guaranteed.

Past performance is not a guarantee to future performance. The value of the investment can go down as well as up and any initial charges may lower the amount invested and the amount received upon redemptions. Investments should be based on the full details of the Prospectus, Offering Supplement and the KIID which may be obtained from Valletta Fund Management Limited (“VFM”), Bank of Valletta plc Branches/Investment Centres and other Licensed Financial Intermediaries. VFM is licensed to provide Investment Services in Malta by the MFSA. The Vilhena Funds SICAV plc is licensed by the MFSA and qualifies as a UCITS. Issued

by VFM, TG Complex, Suite 2, Level 3, Brewery Street, Mriehel BKR 3000, Malta.

T: 2122 7311; F: 2275 5661; E: infovfm@bov. com; Website: www.vfm.com.mt. Source: VFM

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HSBC Contact Centre bringing new career opportunities to Malta HSBC UK Contact Centre Malta (HBEU), the largest contact centre on the island, is bringing new career opportunities to Malta as it prepares to add an entire new team to its portfolio of services in the HSBC UK Contact Centre family.

The move comes on the back of a pilot programme that ran throughout the second half of 2014 when all personal loan applications were fulfilled by a specialist team.

The success of the programme has led to the establishment of a permanent Unsecured Lending Team (ULT).

The addition of ULT at HBEU is due to the Centre’s growing reputation of a provider of quality customer services which stems from rigorous mentoring and continuous development of staff.

HBEU’s HR and Recruitment Manager Fabianne Galea says: “HBEU first opened in Swatar in 2006 with a target of only 250

Have you heard about the Student Placement Programme?

The Student Placement Programme has just been launched and MITA is looking for employers from all economic sectors to join. This initiative facilitates reimbursable temporary job placements during the summer months within the private sector, public service, public sector and voluntary organisations. The job placements have to be ICT-related.

It is a cost-effective way of injecting additional resources to your workforce on a short-term basis through the temporary employment of students studying ICT and related subjects from a Malta Qualifications Level 4 and above.

From year to year, employers have offered numerous students return placements, and in many cases even a full-

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The addition of Unsecured Lending Team is due to HBEU’s growing reputation of a quality Contact Centre

employees. Today, we are looking at rapidly crossing our headcount of 430, thanks to the delivery of superior customer services that have become a hallmark of our Contact Centre in Malta.”

When HSBC customers call the Contact Centre, the Unsecured Lending Team will be able to offer a more customised response and directly handle all incoming lending requests such as personal loans, credit cards, flexi loans, and overdrafts.

“While senior staff will soon have the

opportunity to move into the Unsecured Lending Team, the vacancies on site will be filled by hiring new Customer Service Associates to handle other aspects of our regular contact centre services,” notes Ms Galea.

Apart from having a good command of English and IT skills, there are no other specific qualifications for the role. More information about opportunities at HSBC UK Contact Centre are available at www.hsbc. com.mt/careers. An age neutral CV can be forwarded to malta.recruitment@hsbc.com cc

time employment opportunity on completion of studies. The advantage of recruiting a new staff member fully familiar and fitting with your work ethos is un-measurable.

Still not convinced?

MITA provides 50 per cent co-financing of the wage cost for the private sector, and 100 per cent reimbursement of the wage cost for the public service/sector and voluntary organisations based on a 30-hour week for up to a maximum of 11 weeks.

Through our simple online application you can submit your skills requirements, and we will match a number of candidates to suit you. You will still retain the ultimate choice of recruitment as you are free to conduct your own interview process prior to confirming the student/s. Moreover, we can supply as many candidates as you wish for consideration.

This year we are also promoting flexibility in the programme. Maybe you would prefer to start your placement earlier or later?

You can come to an agreement with your student/s as to when to start and how to deliver. MITA will reimburse the maximum number of hours indicated (330 hours) and the rest is up to you and your student/s.

Following the end of the placements, and by the end of October 2015, all you would have to do is submit a reimbursement application and we will reimburse you by the end of the year. cc For further enquiries email spp.mita@gov.mt or contact Jacquie Cremona Crossey on T: 2599 2474. www.mita.gov.mt/spp

APRIL / MAY 2015

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Being the employer with the edge: Benefits which will make you a part of your employees’ future Once you jump the first hurdle of finding the best people to be a part of your team, you may find that you need to offer something extra special to get them on board and to keep them with you for as long as possible. This is probably even more important for those roles which are highly specialised or technical, and for which a limited number of qualified individuals are available. In such cases, your total package needs not only to offer a competitive salary but should also consider those additional benefits which are important to your employees.

MSV Life offers a number of solutions in this regard, with benefits providing for old age, death, business protection and others designed to suit the specific needs of your business. Replacing lost employees is a great expense in terms of time and money, so while keeping costs in mind it is important to consider the value you will receive from offering workplace benefits.

Individual and Group Retirement Schemes can be set up on an employer-sponsored or voluntary basis.

Through Group Benefit Plans you can extend your support to your employees’ loved ones by providing them with valuable life insurance at an affordable rate.

In addition, MSV also offers special Employee Assistance Programmes, where the company can visit your workplace to discuss generic aspects of financial planning on a one-to-one or group basis, encouraging

staff to think about personal financial planning, from the basics of household budgeting to long-term saving for retirement.

By offering workplace benefits, employees are likely to feel more financially secure. This means that they are likely to be less worried about their financial well-being, and more focused on and satisfied with their jobs.

For more information, visit www.msvlife. com/products/employee-benefits or send an email to info@msvlife.com.

MSV Life p.l.c. is authorised by the MFSA to carry on Long-Term Business under the Insurance Business Act, 1998. cc

CC make the headlines

Should my company have a corporate health plan?

What would happen if tomorrow morning none of your employees turn up for work?

How would you cope? How would your business survive?

Employees are the most valuable corporate resource, and looking after them is essential. Offering benefits such as a corporate private health plan, can make your staff feel valued, boost their motivation and help to attract new talent to your company.

There are a wide range of covers that you can choose from including hospitalisation benefits, day-to-day medical treatments and consultations, and even routine check-ups.

And as a corporate customer you will also be assigned an account manager who will look after your company’s needs and provide yourself and your employees with a single point of contact for any consultations.

What about financing the plan? At Citadel Health we have three options that keep

Hotelogique Riding the new opportunity of the boutique hotel trend These past few years have seen the birth of a relatively new concept in Malta’s hospitality sector – the boutique hotel. Investors seeking growth through hospitality can do so by opting for smaller properties, converting them into unique destinations and promoting them with tourists who are after a different experience from that offered by a standard hotel.

APRIL / MAY 2015

things simple for your company: – A company funded plan providing health cover to your employees as a benefit.

– Partially funded plans allowing you to offer a core level of cover to your employees, while giving them the option to purchase additional cover if they wish.

– Voluntary plans allowing you to negotiate a corporate package and giving your employees the option to buy in to the package.

At Citadel Health we offer a very flexible approach to health plans, ensuring you

“Entering this industry however is not only about investing in the property. It is about managing the property, making it work, promoting it and generating business out of it. This is where Hotelogique comes in and where we are gaining priceless experience and know-how about this very interesting sector,” explains JanKarl Farrugia, Founding Partner of the hotel management company.

Hotelogique offers a centralised management system where properties are managed independently but resources are shared where possible. Properties enjoy the sales and marketing effort provided by Hotelogique and this ultimately makes these boutique hotels profitable and successful for their owners and investors.

Hotelogique’s first property under its management was Palazzo Prince d’Orange located in Valletta’s St Paul Street. This 17thcentury palazzo has been expertly restored and converted in a way that marries the building’s noble past with its exciting future.

The property is made up of a number of luxury suites highly equipped with modern amenities, commanding magnificent city and harbour views, and meeting the demands of today’s discerning tourist who is thirsty for a new breed of hotels. A grand piano nobile can also be used for bespoke meetings for companies wishing to have privacy within a noble setting.

develop a scheme that is right for your company. Talk to us today on T: 8003 1000, or via email on E: info@citadelhealth.com.mt, and see how we can help your company make its employees feel more valued.

Citadel Health Insurance Agency Limited is enrolled under the Insurance Intermediaries Act 2006 to act as an insurance agent of SwissLife Prévoyance et Santé and is regulated by the MFSA. cc www.citadelhealth.com.mt

Future projects for Hotelogique are Quaint Boutique Hotels, a group of hotels on the island of Gozo and a hip 14-room boutique hotel in St Julian’s.

If done right in terms of design and finishes, these unique hotels can also enable the island to attract a higher-end traveller.

Valletta is striving to deliver a holistic high-end product through the regeneration of its streets and squares, restaurants and other singular venues. The rest of the island needs to follow suit and other locations that offer hotel accommodation can then attract higher-spending tourists. cc www.hotelogique.com; www.quainthotels.com 107

FOOD&WINE

01. Natural fat It seems the fear of fat has started to abate.

That’s not referring to trans fats found in highly processed foods of course, but natural, animal-derived fats that, according to the experts, have been wrongly vilified for way too long. Books like The Big Fat Surprise argue that natural fat is an essential part of a healthy diet, and foodies are rejoicing at its flavourful rise to glory. With butter sales the highest they’ve been in 40 years, cultured butter is also experiencing a surge in popularity, and high-end burger joints are also doing their bit by celebrating fat as an essential part of a better burger.

02. Poutine Originating in Quebec, Canada, poutine is a delicious comfort food made up of chips, gravy and cheese curds. Traditionally sold in small ‘greasy spoon’ style diners and pubs, as well as by roadside food trucks or chip wagons and hockey arenas, this comfort food is taking the road of many other fast food staples before it, and is moving into decidedly more upmarket territory.

Exciting extra toppings such as pulled pork, kimchi or coq au vin have raised the bar, and certainly tempt us to give it a try.

05. Pudding restaurants The new trendy outlets on the culinary scene are dessert bars which serve just one thing: pudding! These pudding-only restaurants are becoming wildly popular in hip foodie cities like London and New York, and are just the thing for your sweet tooth. From a wide variety of traditional puddings to puddingfilled cakes and frozen pudding pops, this trend is certainly one to watch (and try!).

01.

06. Chivas Regal Extra The newest member to the Chivas family, Chivas Regal Extra will satisfy the desires of the discerning whisky drinker with something exceptional – deep in aromas, rich in fruitiness and generous in sweetness.

Created with an exceptional blend of rare whiskies combined with malt whiskies aged in sherry casks from the Oloroso sherry bodegas in Spain, it possesses a luxuriant sweet finish and is sure to tickle the fancy of many a whisky enthusiast.

Chivas Extra is marketed and distributed

by Farsons Beverage Imports Co. Ltd. Trade enquiry T: 2381 4400. cc

03. Lobster Food capital London has seen a number of high-end fast food restaurants opening up in the last year, with a good number of them using lobster as their main ingredient. The New England-inspired trend has also spread to other areas including Norwich, Cardiff and Manchester, and has really got our taste buds tingling. Get a piece of the action by incorporating lobster into a dish at home, or experience the real deal by visiting an interesting eatery like Burger and Lobster on your next visit to the British capital.

02.

www.foodnetwork.com

Whether you’re a bit of a foodie or have a keen sweet tooth, the culinary world’s latest trends are sure to have something to pique your interest. Sarah Micallef brings you her pick of the season’s food trends.

In the news this year due to its adoption of the euro, Baltic state Lithuania has been thrust into the limelight – and with it, its cuisine. One of the most popular traditional dishes is cepelinai, or zeppelins, named so because of their shape. The hearty and delicious dumplings are made from grated and riced potatoes, and generally stuffed with minced meat (usually pork), while veggie versions comprise a dry cottage cheese or mushroom filling.

www.eatburprepeat.com

04. Lithuanian cuisine

www.bsinthekitchen.com

Glorious Food

03.

www.silk.com

06.

04.

www.surfingtheworldcuisine.com

05.

APRIL / MAY 2015

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CC INTERVIEW

The ‘Jamie Oliver of Wine’ Spanish wines have gained ground internationally and a recent event has helped to raise their profile in Malta too. Here Jo Caruana chats to SpaNiche Wines founder Roland Young and international wine expert Amelia Singer to find out more.

U

s Maltese know what we like. And, when it comes to wines, that is usually Italian and French brands, as well as our own well-loved options.

However, just because that is what we have always been used to, that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy a little shake up too. And, as experts have shown, there is a whole world of wine out there for us to try – and it may well be the perfect fit for our tastes.

Spanish wine, in fact, is one such example.

Although very well matched to our style and culture, its popularity has gained little ground in Malta. But, one man is keen to change that, and he has set the ball in motion by holding a Spanish wine event that really captured the attention of local wine lovers.

Having first come to Malta in 2003, and as a regular visitor and tourist ever since, Roland Young became aware of the limited selection of Spanish wines available locally.

“I grew up in Spain so I notice these things,” he says with a smile. “And, on my APRIL / MAY 2015

last visit over New Year, I realised that the selection of Spanish wines available on the island didn’t do justice to the quality that Spain produces.”

So, having set up SpaNiche Wines three years ago, Mr Young chose to do something about it. He organised a wine tasting event in March where people could sample a selection of Spanish denominaciones de origen (wine regions) of different ages.

“There was a selection of reds, whites and rosés, and the DOs represented included Somontano, Navarra, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Rueda, Rias Baixas, Montsant, Priorat and Tarragona,” says Mr Young. “The results were brilliant and all those present really enjoyed trying the different types, and tasting them alongside the food pairings that we had chosen.”

Another highlight of the event was the involvement of Amelia Singer, an international wine expert who has acquired a prestigious WSET Wine Diploma. Having 111

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worked in wineries all around the world (and particularly in Bordeaux, Rioja and Chile), as well as with well-known retailers, importers, online fine wine merchants and exciting new wine start-ups, Ms Singer now runs the UKbased Amelia’s Wines, which offers a range of authentic, fun, helpful and, ultimately, accessible wine tasting services and experiences for businesses and individuals.

“I first met Amelia through her father, who is a private customer of SpaNiche Wines,” continues Mr Young. “As a family of wine lovers, I felt I had to meet with Amelia, so we decided to hold a Spanish wine tasting night at her home one evening, where she invited around 18 people.

“In my opinion, the night was a huge success and I was extremely impressed

by Amelia’s approach. Wine shouldn’t be complicated but enjoyed. I found that she connects brilliantly with her audience, and, personally, I feel that is what made the tasting in Malta go so well too.”

Ms Singer, meanwhile, is equally positive about her experience locally. “I had worked with Roland’s wines before, at events in London, and loved them,” she says. “So, coming to Malta was a fantastic idea, especially as I have always wanted to visit.

I think the event was ambitious in terms of the scope and number of wines we wanted APRIL / MAY 2015

to explore, but we got some very positive feedback and it really showed just how varied and exciting Spanish wines are. It’s not just about Rioja! There are myriads of beautiful, expressive wines, in all colours made from all around the country, often at very commercial prices.”

On the day of the event, Ms Singer acted as the wine educator, enthusiast and ‘cheerleader’ for the wines on offer. While Mr Young was in charge of the ‘pouring logistics’, she was the one guiding everyone on their vinous journey throughout Spain.

And it isn’t just locally that she has made her mark on the wine industry. Having worked extensively in vineyards all over the world, Amelia’s Wines has served to provide empowering, creative and informative wine tastings, events and consulting to the industry and consumers. She is now also working as a TV presenter for an international wine TV show.

“I like to think of myself as ‘the Jamie Oliver of wine’,” she grins, “as a lot of what I do revolves around education. I have actually been working with Jamie for the last nine months now, and write regularly for his website and work on his social media channel

“Wine shouldn’t be complicated but enjoyed.”

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CC INTERVIEW Drinks Tube. My aim is to make wine fun and empower the consumer, which mirrors a lot of his work in the realm of food and healthy eating.”

Ms Singer says that she would have liked to have more time to explore the wine industry in Malta. “But I did get a feel for what is popular here, and I saw some fantastic wines from Sicily and certain parts of Italy that are firmly established. I also really enjoyed some of your local wine, and bought a couple of bottles at the airport to take back with me.

“However, I do think Spain could easily compete in terms of providing the styles of wine that match the Maltese climate, food and culture – and all at a similar price point. It would also be fantastic to see more elegant, cool-climate wines being enjoyed here, from Chile, Australia and South Africa, for example.”

Meanwhile, Ms Singer also believes that it is important for us to continue developing the Maltese wine industry, largely because it allows Malta’s tourism infrastructure to evolve and compete more with outside markets. “By engaging with international importers, external commercial drinks trends can be capitalised on and adopted in Malta, so as to provide a more dynamic drinks scene for the consumer, whether tourist or local,” she explains. “This could only have benefits economically.

“I also think it helps Malta to consolidate

its own identity in the international drinks scene. By engaging, interacting and making new directions in the drinks industry, this will ultimately allow it to reflect on what its identity and culture is all about, and to discover how best to express that internationally.”

Globally, Ms Singer believes that consumers are generally becoming more aware about where their wine is coming from and, thus, are more engaged with issues surrounding provenance, alcohol levels and whether their wine is natural or organic.

“I think people are also becoming more adventurous with their wine choices, they are keen to try bottles from both the Old and New World, as well as new regions, new grapes and new styles of wine. That is a great thing!

“This is certainly a very exciting time for the wine industry, and Malta is well-placed to embrace new types of wines that may not have been tried here before, as well as to make its mark internationally. Personally, I can’t wait to return to the island – you have so much to offer,” Ms Singer concludes. cc

“Malta is well-placed to embrace new types of wines that may not have been tried here before, as well as to make its mark internationally.”

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