Malta at the Forefront of Digital Innovation – Gavril Flores

Malta at the Forefront of Digital Innovation

BY CARLA ZAHRA

Chief Officer for Strategy, Policy and Governance at the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, Gavril Flores, speaks about the newly launched organisational strategy that will cement Malta’s position at the forefront of digital innovation.

In 2018, the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA) was set up to enable innovation while fostering trust in technology. Just four years later, the MDIA has earned a reputation as a leader in the field of digital innovation, implementing a regulatory framework that is internationally regarded as the first of its kind. Moreover, the Authority transformed its vision into action by putting forward legislation to regulate the Digital Ledger Technology (DLT) and smart contract sectors, which were previously operating in an unregulated manner.

Now, Malta’s approach is being advanced by the European Commission for adoption across the European Union. The MDIA is also well positioned to lead the implementation of an overarching EU regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and to act as the national cyber security certification authority.

When asked about the lessons that the team at the MDIA have learned in this relatively short period, Mr Flores highlights three points. He says:

“Firstly, balance is key to creating an effective regulatory approach that builds trust in innovation while also acting as an enabler. The second lesson was that, to succeed, we need to embrace an expansion of our remit and be a beacon for an array of innovative technologies. Finally, we learned that our portfolio of services needs to continue to cater for both big and small players in the industry.”

With these lessons in mind, the MDIA developed a strategic plan for the next three years which will seek to position the Authority as an enabling leader that directs and facilitates the secure and optimal uptake of digital innovation.

“We aim to be the national contact point for the private industry in technology assurance, particularly when deploying innovative technologies. Ultimately, we are guided by our ambition to have a digital, green, and inclusive society,” says Flores.

“We aim to lead as the national focal point which directs and facilitates the secure and optimal uptake of digital innovation.”

Through the strategic plan, the MDIA outlines four main pillars that the organisation will be focusing on between now and 2025, namely Service Provision, Policy, Governance and Public Relations and Communications. The strategy contains 61 actions ranging from strengthening research capacity, to facilitating public-private collaboration, building a high-performance computer and launching an entrepreneurship hub. “One can expect an MDIA focused on the needs and expectations of stakeholders – an Authority which inspires, transforms and enables,” says Flores.

One of the key aspects of the future of the industry is the investment by foreign technology companies, which has proven to be a large contributor to the local economy in recent years. The MDIA will continue to collaborate with foreign direct investment entities such as Malta Enterprise and Tech.mt to focus on maintaining constant innovation. On an international level, the MDIA is seen as an exemplary framework by countries seeking to set up similar institutions. The Authority is collaborating with other entities to be proactively involved in policymaking and standards development on a global scale. A recent example of the international endeavours of the MDIA is a report co-designed and facilitated by Open Loop, which is a global program supported by Meta.

While ensuring that Malta remains attractive as a base for international startups, the MDIA is also focusing on harnessing homegrown talent.

“We have some great success stories, and our 316 square kilometre island never ceases to impress,” says Flores. In December 2022, the MDIA also finalised a €5.2 million project plan to create a European Digital Innovation Hub which will serve as a one-stop shop supporting companies to respond to digital challenges and enhance competitiveness.

“One of the roles of the European Digital Innovation Hub in Malta is to enable homegrown digital start-ups to succeed through access to technology for testing in a supportive learning environment. This investment is being carried out as we foresee a growth in the number of start-ups and scale-ups. We believe that for start-ups to be sustainable, they need access to the right expertise. In this regard, the MDIA is acting as a bridge between academia and industry to build capacity and apply knowledge in real-world scenarios. Recently, we supported 19 projects in fields such as AI and digital health. We also have grants opportunities aimed at further diffusing innovative technology arrangements,” says Flores.

Within the strategic plan, the MDIA identifies its team as one of its major strengths. The organisation places human resources at its core, ensuring it is an attractive workplace through a combination of state-of-the-art offices, employee engagement, company culture and a learning environment which invests in people and sees employees as its primary asset.

“As a public entity, our role is not to compete for a limited talent pool. We introduced a hybrid approach based on internal capacity and engagement of external technical expertise to positively impact people’s lives through technology and policy development,” explains Flores.

Despite the national ‘brain drain’ that many sectors are experiencing, Flores notes that total employment in the sector increased by approximately 70% in the last 10 years, exhibiting growth in both local talent employment and non-Maltese workers. The MDIA is focusing on investing heavily in the future workforce through specialised scholarships, traineeship programmes and the implementation of a wide-ranging strategy.

Over the next few years, the MDIA will continue to focus on making inroads within the field while acting as a base for local and international talent to flourish. Among the initiatives launched by the MDIA is the technological sandbox, an innovative concept which provides a safe environment for individuals or companies developing solutions to enable the correct nurturing of such solutions in line with recognised standards. The sandbox aims to align technology with international standards to reduce the risk of failure, provide a degree of assurance to users and investors to create a competitive advantage, and enhance legal certainty in a sector which is becoming more regulated at a European level. n

The full Strategic Plans for 2023-2025 can be accessed through the MDIA website mdia.gov.mt/publications.

“One can expect an MDIA focused on the needs and expectations of stakeholders – an Authority which inspires, transforms and enables.”