The eight volunteers of MissInTech are joined by Melita, providing connectivity and logistical support to the group’s workshops, as well as other activities which promote science to both girls and boys, according to the press statement.

Melita has worked for the last years with the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) and has been certified with the Equality Mark Certification, which the telco has held since its introduction in 2010, according to a statement sent to BM.

MissInTech, an NGO seeking to bridge the gender gap in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, was founded by women during their ICT university studies in 2016.

The organisation has held seven workshops centred around a particular theme each to help get and retain the attention of the participating 20-25 children.

“It’s a magical moment every time a child uses robots for the first time. When they realise that they are the ones making the robot interact in the way they want it to, they are always incredibly proud of themselves. We look forward to creating more magical moments like these through which we are also helping young girls and boys fall in love with science and technology,” said Rowena Chappell of MissInTech.

Further information on the upcoming workshop, as well as the work of the organisation, can be found on MissInTech’s Facebook page.

Europe-wide, four times more men pursue ICT-related studies than women, according to a 2018 study by the European Commission. As a more worrisome figure, the number of women taking up ICT-related higher education had been dropping since 2011, the EC study found.

The share of men working in the digital sector is 3.1 times bigger than the share of women, the EC study found, while the European economy’s productivity loses approximately €16.2b a year due to women leaving their digital jobs to become inactive.

The 2018 EC study also found that despite women-run startups showing more likelihood to grow into successful businesses, women participation in leadership and investment in the entrepreneurial digital sector had been on the decrease.

“Data trends and qualitative analysis suggest that gender inequality in the digital sphere is essentially a result of the persistence of strong unconscious biases about what is appropriate and what capacities each gender has, as well as about the technologies themselves which require a fundamental cultural change,” the summary of the EC study says.

EDITORIAL NOTE: The present story has been updated with information about Melita’s collaboration with the NCPE.

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The workshop was held following the publication of Pillar 1 Regulations Consultation Document presented under the fintech strategy and issued by the MFSA earlier in July.

During the session, which was attended by over 120 delegates, the MFSA discussed its proposals on the Regulatory Sandbox as well as the framework for Regulatory and Supervisory Technology solutions being developed by interested parties. 

Attendees were asked to provide feedback and propose questions in relation to how the Regulatory Sandbox will operate in practice, the eligibility criteria and participation structure.

“In line with our vision to be a forward-looking financial services regulator, this consultation process is key to establish Malta as a global fintech hub. Through the proposed regulatory framework, our aim is to encourage businesses to apply new and innovative business models and give them the opportunity to test the commercial and regulatory viability of their innovations, while containing risks to consumers and the financial system,” said Christopher P. Buttigieg, Chief Officer Strategy, Policy and Innovation of MFSA.

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Entitled “Pillar 1 – Regulatory Sandbox and Other Strategic Objectives: Briefing and Consultation”, the workshop aspires to provide an in-depth overview of the Consultation Document and to engage with the audience and stakeholders for feedback. Prospective Sandbox participants, collaborators and stakeholders from finance, law and technology are all invited to attend this workshop and communicate their views.

The MFSA launched a public consultation on the first pillar of its six-pillar Fintech Strategy earlier in July. This regulatory pillar comprises of four key areas, one of which is the creation of a testing-ground known as the Regulatory Sandbox. Such a scheme acts as an attractive option for Malta to become a hub for financial service companies to test out (almost in a controlled laboratory setting), their regulatory or commercial projects with actual financial consumers, the press statement sent to BM says.

The workshop will start with an introductory speech by Kenneth Farrugia, FinanceMalta Chairman, followed by an overview on the Pillar 1 regulations which will be delivered by Christopher Buttigieg – Chief Officer, Strategy, Policy and Innovation at MFSA.

Other speakers during the FinanceMalta workshop include:

• Tom Bull – Associate Partner, EY UK Fintech Leader,
• Joseph Cini – Analyst, FinTech and Innovation at MFSA,
• Leonard Bonello – Partner at GANADO Advocates,
• Ian Gusman – Analyst, FinTech and Innovation at MFSA,
• Joshua Ellul – Chairman of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority,
• Abdalla Kablan – Director at wyzer.ai & Caledo Tech,
• Luciano Brincat – Senior Analyst, FinTech and Innovation at MFSA, Stephen McCarthy – CEO of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, and
• Ian Gauci – Managing Partner at GTG Advocates.

The event is open for registered delegates. The official website of the event carries further information about the workshop and registration process.

The post FinanceMalta, MFSA to hold fintech workshop on regulations first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

Furthermore, TradeMalta organised a training workshop on 11 July with the participation of 20 local companies. The sessions were led by Hannah Forster from Euromonitor, introducing a passport market research tool to the companies.

Euromonitor’s passport solution provides data about and insight into industries, economies and consumers worldwide, helping companies analyse market context and identify future trends. 

The seminar was co-funded through the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) — Operational Programme I 2014-2020 — “Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges”.

Euromonitor International represents an independent provider of strategic market research. Moreover, with offices and analysts in over 100 countries, and market research on key trends and drivers, the company provides access to data and analysis on thousands of products and services around the world, the press release sent to BM says.

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