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PM opens SmartCity with promise of ‘renaissance’

Fireworks usher in “the realisation of a dream that sees Malta become a regional and global player in ICT”, as SCM01 takes shape. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Fireworks usher in “the realisation of a dream that sees Malta become a regional and global player in ICT”, as SCM01 takes shape. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

SmartCity Malta’s first office block was inaugurated yesterday, three years after the announcement of the ambitious project held out as the country’s “biggest foreign direct investment”.

The project at Ricasoli is some 12 months ahead of schedule, with the opening of the block marking the end of the first phase and paving the way for four new buildings.

Spread over 12,000 square metres, offering “smart” office space for international and local companies, SCM01 marked “the realisation of a dream that sees Malta become a regional and global player in ICT”, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said at the inauguration.

The milestone, he said, marked the “beginning of a renaissance period for the area, for Malta and for our economy”.

The state-of-the-art building was a symbol of Malta’s investment attractiveness, he said at the ceremony described as celebrating an “economic and national transformation”.

But SmartCity Malta also needed to be accompanied by strategic reforms at a national level that would allow the economy to embrace the transformation. Its success and the ability to continue attracting foreign investment depended on the capacity to continue providing skilled human resources, Dr Gonzi said.

Infrastructure and Communications Minister Austin Gatt thanked the many stakeholders, who “recognised Malta for what we believe it is: a place to do business, work hard, take risks, prosper and share that with employees, suppliers, contractors and the community”.

Malta, he said, was emerging from the financial crisis by inaugurating “a new city whose mission is business and whose vocation is jobs for those who want to do what the tough are good at: work hard and live well”.

With a minimum investment outlay of US$300 million, Smart­City Malta is expected to generate 5,600 jobs and create 158,830 square metres of office space for ICT and media operators. It was the first overseas project of Dubai-based Tecom Investments, which launched Dubai Internet City, its first business park, 10 years ago.

Tecom Investments is a subsidiary of Dubai Holding, whose CEO Ahmad Bin Byat yesterday said the building was testimony to the strong bond that existed between the company and the government.

The infrastructure, he said, was only the beginning and the work to reap the economic benefits had just started. The aim was to develop SmartCity Malta into a major new centre of excellence for knowledge-based companies.

It was equipped with the most advanced and reliable ICT and power infrastructure in Malta, with a network of dual fibre optic cables for telecom services and dual power supply installed throughout the township to ensure business continuity.

Following the inauguration ceremony, which ended with a fireworks display, the Prime Minister and Dr Gatt toured the building, accompanied by Tecom Investment Group CEO Abdullatif Al Mulla and SmartCity CEO Fareed Abdulrahman.

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T Camilleri

Oct 11th 2010, 23:37

mariopandolfino tahseb li n-nies jinsew pandolfino? Fi zmien il-PN tas-sittinijiet apparti l-hnizrijiet li kienu jsiru, Laburisti ma kinux jigi mpjegati u jinghataw priojorita biss fl-emigrazzjoni biex jehilsu minnhom minn Malta. Il-fabbriki u l-lukandi kienu jhaddmu l-haddiema bis-soldi u n-nisa bi kwart jew terz tal-paga ta' l-irgiel. Fis-sittinijiet il-PN kien gab biss il-lampik, distillatur biex jaghmel l-ilma helu mill-ilma bahar li kien jigi jiswa daqs il-whisky minflok ra kif jaghmel halli l-ilma tax-xita ma jibqax sejjer il-bahar kif qed jerga jsir issa. L-universita' ha l-art minghand sidha u lanqas hallsu ghax ried jaghtih is-soldi ghall-art li tiswa l-miljuni u s-sid kellu jiftah kawza u ghandi dubju jekk kinitx inqatet. l-ikbar progett kien l-emigrazzjoni biex jehles mil-Laburisti, it-tradiment tal-partiti l-ohra ta' taht l-umbrella, bazuzlizmu bhalma qed isir illum, biex jaghtuk ix-xoghol ommok jew zitek riedet tizfen ma xi hadd, is-sinjali homor maghmula mill-kappillani halli l-Laburisti ma jinghatawx xoghol....

Dion borg

Nov 4th 2010, 11:55

..inawgurajna Smart city fi 10/10/10..illestew r reception u l conference room..u l pastazata ta xoghol huwa "state of the art"...!!..kollox qed jerga jinqala' u jigi irrangat ghax m'hemm xejn sew..inkluz "l Injama" ta fuq r reception li suppost Arti li swiet £60,000 u li 99% se tinqala' u tintrema..!!..mela ma tghallimniex mill Mater Dei...x'hela ta flus..Viva Gonzi...!!!!!!!!!

T Camilleri

Oct 11th 2010, 13:21

M. Azzopardi let's wait and see whether it will employ Maltese workers or cheap third-world country imported labour.

N.Farrugia

Oct 11th 2010, 15:48

So very true. And the Leader of the Opposition together with his wife had the cheek to sit front row during the ceremony, as if it wasn't his party that was very sceptical about this great project! Maybe at last he saw the light!

C. Camilleri

Oct 11th 2010, 11:46

HAHAHA you made my day!!!!

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