Malta Marittima Agency has been established by Legal Notice 41 of 2016 and 90 of 2017 with the primary goal of establishing the national maritime cluster in Malta.
One of the agency’s main objectives is to bring the industry and government stakeholders together to promote the enhanced development of the sector and to explore new, sustainable economic opportunities in the Maltese Islands.
In congruence with the National Integrated Maritime Policy, Malta Marittima brings business and non-business members together in sectoral ‘clusters’.
Each sectoral cluster is comprised of businesses, industry associations, government departments, academic and research institutions. Scholars tend to define clusters as a group of entities, business and public authorities that might share similar interest in a particular economic area. Moreover, clusters are renowned as associated with the effective co-operation and collaboration between competitors.
Clusters are defined as a group of entities, business and public authorities that might share similar interest in a particular economic area
Research and experience unequivocally demonstrate that maritime clusters are key to economic development and competitiveness. Clusters underpin an increase in productivity and operational efficiency, stimulate and enable innovations. Moreover, clusters’ density enables economic operators to identify innovative economic opportunities. They also facilitate commercialisation and formation of new businesses and offer opportunities for new entrants and new business lines that become apparent much faster than in a more fragmented environment.
Spin-offs and start-ups are encouraged by the presence of other companies, commercial relationships and concentrated demand. Clusters fit well into the Blue Growth philosophy and its implementation. To make Blue Growth really happen, there is a need to capitalise on existing initiatives on the ground, make use of synergies and generate additional economic activities for the benefit of the country and all stakeholders involved. This is what clusters’ development is all about.
Thus, the development of maritime clusters under the Malta Marittima Agency is most interesting and promising as it challengers the status quo in the sense that it invites competitors and entities to work together for the benefit of the sector.
Malta Marittima has developed maritime clusters under the four economic pillars of the integrated maritime policy, namely food, energy, logistics and services. Over 40 marine and maritime stakeholders from public and private sectors are already partners and form part of the clusters within Malta Marittima.
The agency will be launching the working groups on each economic pillar with the aim to support and strengthen the clusters as necessary, while maintaining open dialogue among these maritime sectoral clusters. This would ensure an integrated approach and that all relevant stakeholders have the opportunity to participate and voice their opinion.
info.mm@maltamarittima.org.mt