News

Business First is offering a number of new services aimed at helping businesses and boosting their potential to succeed. 

In keeping with the commitment to deliver a large number of services for businesses under one roof, the one-stop-shop facility is being strengthened with the presence of officers from the VAT Department at Business First.

Through their expertise, the officers will better equip Business First - which also hosts a MEPA officer on a weekly basis - and will ensure that an improved service is provided to clients.

Baxter will be creating 190 new jobs at its plant in Malta as a result of the company’s latest investment. The project, which is being supported by Malta Enterprise, will see the company increase its workforce by 160 within its manufacturing section, while the remaining 30 will be employed within the various research and development sections and will be complementing the work done at the company’s plants around the globe.

German company IBG Automation GmbH will be setting up part of its operations in Malta, thereby strenghtening even further the presence of German investment in Malta.

The plans of the company, which is supported by Malta Enterprise, were announced during the 2014 edition of the Deutsche Messe in Hannover and comprise an initial investment of 600,000 euro to carry out design, development, manufacturing and testing of its automation systems in Malta.

A total of 132 projects were approved by the Malta Enterprise Board of Directors in 2013. This is a record number of projects approved in a single year.

Between them, these projects mean investment of €166.3 million and over 2,600 new jobs within the coming three years.

Clearly, 2013 has been a strong year for Malta Enterprise that compares very favourably even with pre-recession years, exceeding the previous records for both FDI and Local projects.

The Government of Malta is investing heavily to create an ideal environment for companies operating within the life sciences sector to build up on the healthcare industry, the success of which is deeply rooted in the country's history.

Malta’s award-winning international airport has regular and direct flights to major cities in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The airport is located just 6km from the Freeport and only 15 minutes from the main industrial and commercial centres.

In addition, the country has invested €17 million in the Safi Aviation Park, a new aviation park of 200,000 square metres with direct access to the airport’s runways and housing an aircraft servicing cluster.

Malta’s strategic location has meant that it has fast become one of the most important logistics centres within the region. An excellent infrastructure and port facilities for cargo and passenger transport have also contributed to the recognition of Malta as a leading logistics hub on the international level.

Malta’s ICT industry went through a period of consolidation that resulted in an impressive expansion of the sector in recent years. With an approximate investment of almost €300 million, TECOM Dubai’s Smart City project has certainly placed Malta on the map within the global ICT arena.

The education system in Malta is based on the British model and comprises a large number of public, private and international institutions. The University of Malta and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology also work in close collaboration with the industry in order to tailor-make courses structured to ensure a highly-skilled workforce is always available.

As an island with no natural resources to speak of with the exception of its workforce, Malta has moved from low-end manufacturing to high value-added operations over the last twenty years. Today, the industry is focused on high-end manufacturing such as precision engineering and electronics, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.