ICT R&D cluster of excellence in Gozo

The Gozo Business Chamber has been vigorously advancing the prospect of an ICT Research and Development Cluster of Excellence in Gozo. To this effect, it has established an ICT sub-committee. Furthermore, the Chamber has exchanged a memorandum of understanding with Synaptic Laboratories Ltd to underline their mutual commitment to develop a Gozo-centred ICT industry to support wider economic development and other business initiatives on Gozo.

Gozo has already attracted ICT companies that appreciate the island's internet connectivity, natural beauty, excellent living standards and very secure environment for R&D activities. This confirms the Gozo ICT potential, clearly articulated in the Malta Information Technology Agency vision statement.

The Gozo chamber has already demonstrated its strong interest to support Synaptic to establish its activities in Gozo by having arranged and been in supportive attendance at a number of meetings with government ministers and senior executives of government agencies, including the Prime Minister, the Minister for Gozo, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, and Malta Enterprise.

Having secured initial expressions of strong interest from all these meetings, the Gozo Chamber has also established an ICT sub-committee including both the president and CEO of the GBC. "The mission of the sub-committee is to further support the proposal for Synaptic to establish R&D activities in Gozo and for these activities to be at the core of a new R&D virtual cluster," Joe Grech, president of the GBC, said.

The GBC ICT sub-committee coordinating member David Pace added: "This concept of an ICT R&D Cluster in Gozo is a Gozitan initiative. The very rapid responses and interest expressed at government ministerial level and by senior executives in various government agencies is appreciated and clearly demonstrates the strong interest of the government and those agencies in the potential to seed a Gozitan ICT R&D industry to support the future economic development of Gozo."

Synaptic Laboratories Ltd chairman and CEO Ron Kelson said: "We appreciate the strong groundswell of support Synaptic has received from the GBC and the Gozitan business community, the British Computer Society - Malta Branch and Government innovation agency EuroMedITI.

"We have chosen Gozo as our home for more than three years and there is the strong potential to launch a range of exciting technologies for banking, e-government and e-commerce, assisted by our international collaborators from the proposed Gozo-based Cluster of Excellence in Post-Quantum Security."

Enquiries may be directed to Mr Pace on pace@paceit.net and Mr Kelson on r.kelson@synaptic-labs.com.