Another DemoHubs workshop was held last week, on March 23, as part of Green Talent’s initiative to bring stakeholders, policymakers, and scientists closer together to increase capacity-building and connect international R&I. Hosted by Ecostack Innovations and the University of Malta, the event took place in Kalkara, Malta, at Villa Bighi, a 17th-century neoclassical venue near Malta’s grand harbor.
Dr. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, opened the meeting in a recorded address, highlighting the role of interconnected decision-making for advanced risk management, economic development, and coordinated actions across government bodies, industry, the research sector, and civil society. Silvio Schembri, minister of economy, enterprise and strategic projects, gave a speech emphasising the need for a shared national direction and broader measures for continuous progress.
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The workshop revolved around a series of panel discussions on how Malta can continue to grow and attract foreign investments while working within its environmental and spatial limits, including key figures and representatives of the European Parliament, the Ministry of Economy, Enterprise, and Strategic Projects; the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), as well as national agencies such as the Energy and Water Agency, the Gozo Regional Development Authority, the Malta Chamber of SMEs, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and the University of Malta.
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Participants arrived at the conclusion that evidence-based policymaking is crucial to achieve progress beyond GDP. In addition, there is a broader need for high-quality data, as economic indicators alone cannot capture societal well-being, environmental sustainability, and the various other constraints faced by small island economies. Along with fruitful discussions, attendees were also included in interactive group sessions focused on identifying priority risks, evidence needs, and coordination gaps. On the basis of their teamwork, practical next steps were outlined, pointing at different opportunities for collaboration between public authorities, the private sector, the research community, and civil society.
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Dr. Mario Balzan, director of Ecostack Innovations and coordinator of the Green Talent project, closed the event with final remarks, stressing the importance of a proactive approach necessary for developing technical solutions that will contribute to the reorganisation of the European policy priority. The conversations held during this workshop are part of the bigger mission of Green Talent to strengthen coordination and collaboration between the project’s Widening Countries - Malta, Cyprus, Greece, and Bulgaria.
