Minister Cardona said that he believes that the productivity of innovative companies will increase who will be able to grow and provide new jobs. This might drive change to established businesses, health and care, transport, energy, built environment and creative industries.

HandsOn mainly develops software that allows GPS tracking of vehicles and fleet management. The company has strengthened and diversified its business through government grants and incentives and made international contacts through Trade Missions organised by Trade Malta and Malta Enterprise, according to the DOI.

Between 2014 and 2017 the company has experienced a 57% growth increase. It has recently moved to a new facility within the Mosta TechnoPark that allowed for more workspace to research and develop their products, as the press release says.

“Our economy has grown steadily and has reached unprecedented levels. Our next challenge is to aim for better, not bigger. To move away from mere economic growth and toward equitable and sustainable well-being. Success will be judged in new ways and the government acknowledges the importance of innovation and technology in the shaping of that future,” said Mr Cardona.

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MRO19 was previously known as the Malta Robotics Olympiad — hence the abbreviation MRO — and will feature six competitions including the Robo Sumo, the Malta Robo League, DiY Bots and the E-Sports festival. These events are aimed at giving students, their families and gamers the opportunity to showcase their skills against international competitors, says the press release.

The Digital Careers Expo and the Gadgets Expo are two new expos which will be featured in MRO19. The Digital Careers Expo aims at bridging the gap between digital education and digital recruitment and will feature information about employment opportunities from large digital industry recruitment agencies. The Gadgets Expo will feature the MRO19 in the consumer digital world.

Entrance to this event is free and their opening times are as follows; Friday, 10 May, from 16:00 to 22:00, Saturday, 11 May, from 9:00 to 22:00 and Sunday, 12 May, from 9:00 to 18:00. The MRO19 will be helping raise funds for the Alive Charity Foundation and the visitors who make a donation will be able to try out an electric car or a Segway.

The post Malta’s renamed tech and gadgets expo opens today first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

The MoU was signed by Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy, and Innovation Silvio Schembri on behalf of Malta, and Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Communications and Information, Janil Puthucheary, on behalf of Singapore, in the presence of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion Carmelo Abela.

“It is an honour to see both countries ready to strengthen and develop their relationship through a Memorandum of Understanding. We look forward to sharing our internationally-recognised achievements in the blockchain, innovative technologies, and AI sectors based on the credibility and positive reputation to doing business,” said Mr Schembri.

“Malta and Singapore may be geographically distant, but we are united by our similarities,” said Minister Abela. “We are both island states with small domestic markets and an important export sector. Being a strategic regional gateway, Malta can be used as a platform to European and North African markets. On the other hand, Singapore is increasingly assuming the role of a strategic gateway to Asia and Australasia. Moreover, we are both former British colonies, and both members of the Commonwealth of Nations and of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). All this shows there is ample scope for further cooperation between our two countries. Areas of mutual interest such as trade, maritime affairs, and education are obvious, but we can explore and look beyond this too,” the minister added.

“Today we have made another significant step forward to further enhance the economic and commercial relationship between Singapore and Malta. Singapore is an important Asian hub for financial services, maritime affairs, logistics, and the digital economy,” said Anton Buttigieg, Chief Executive Officer of Trade Malta. “The Business Forum and the B2B networking session have helped to continue strengthening Malta’s reputation as an ideal partner in Europe and in the Mediterranean,” he added.

A delegation comprising 60 representatives from Malta-based companies and Maltese agencies visited Singapore, right after another mission to South Korea, headed by Mr Schembri.

Both sector-focused missions focussed on promoting commercial opportunities in virtual currencies and innovative technologies, cybersecurity, digital games, and esports, and were organised by Trade Malta and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretariat for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, and the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise, and Industry, according to the DOI press release.

The post Malta and Singapore sign MoU on tech cooperation first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.