Malta is rapidly evolving into an international hub for artificial intelligence (AI) startups and a destination of choice for aspirational AI entrepreneurs due to a clearly defined national AI strategy and the streamlined process of registering a company in Malta. Let’s explore the main arguments for why Malta could be the ideal place to establish your innovative AI business.

Government Support for Your Innovative Startup

Success is more likely to occur in a nurturing atmosphere. That’s just what you’ll find in Malta. The Maltese government is fully committed to creating a vibrant AI environment. In addition to making investments in R&D and developing a legislative environment that promotes responsible AI innovation, Malta has introduced a clearly defined national AI strategy. For startups, this translates into real advantages. Access to priceless resources, an obvious development path and the assurance that the ecosystem is supporting your efforts will all be at your disposal.

Thriving AI Community

Malta has a remarkably high concentration of AI startups. In actuality, the ratio is closer to one AI startup per 9,500 residents in comparison to the US, where it is one every 14,000 people. It implies that you’ll be encircled by an active group of like-minded AI enthusiasts, encouraging cooperation and a lively exchange of ideas. Consider the possibilities for networking, exchanging experiences and forming beneficial alliances that will help your startup advance.

Variety of Financial Aid Programmes

In order to support the growth of AI startups, the Maltese government and such organisations as Malta Enterprise provide a range of financial assistance schemes. These initiatives have grants available up to €200,000, which can provide the necessary financial push for your creative concept to take off. In addition to government assistance, Malta’s thriving AI ecosystem is attracting the attention of an increasing number of venture capitalists, which facilitates the funding of innovative business models.

Streamlined Success Route

Starting a business and navigating the challenges can be overwhelming. Malta offers a business-friendly climate that simplifies the process of setting up a company. Clear legislation, favourable tax advantages and streamlined incorporation procedures pave the way for you to concentrate on what really matters: realising your AI vision.

Malta welcomes businesses from foreign nationals and makes the process of setting up and running a business easy with its pro-business policies. The country has no restrictions on foreign ownership, creating a favourable environment for entrepreneurs to thrive.

As a licensed agent, Papilio Services can help you with company formation and registration in Malta, as well as supporting the company by offering all the business support services to make the business compliant, such as bookkeeping, VAT returns and audit coordination.

Vast AI Talent Pool

The success of any AI startup is dependent on access to a knowledgeable workforce. Malta is deliberately fostering a larger pool of IT expertise in order to satisfy the needs of its thriving AI sector. There’s an abundance of AI-savvy individuals coming out of universities and training programmes, so you’ll have the workforce to develop and expand your creative solution. Malta’s advantageous location also draws talent from throughout the world, and executive search firms, such as AIMS International Malta, are expanding the pool of qualified candidates for your AI team.

Malta’s Strategy & Vision for AI

The primary goal of the national AI strategy is to establish Malta as a leader in the field of AI on a worldwide scale, giving it a strategic competitive edge in the world economy. Three strategic pillars support the strategy:

Investment, Startups & Innovation: This pillar seeks to attract investment, position Malta as a hub for AI applications and specialised R&D, and support a thriving startup scene.

Public Sector Adoption: This pillar investigates the broad application of AI in public administration with the goals of improving citizen experiences, increasing accessibility to public services and enhancing well-being in general.

Private Sector Adoption: This pillar addresses programmes aimed at raising awareness and facilitating the usage, development and integration of AI applications by businesses of all sizes. Financial aid, toolkits and access to technological know-how are examples of support initiatives.

Now, under the new EU’s AI Act, which seeks to achieve a compromise between the AI industry’s need for innovation and the imperatives of upholding fundamental rights – as well as guaranteeing the security and reliability of AI systems – businesses must also consider the EU’s AI Liability Directive, which addresses the inadequacies in establishing liability stemming from an AI system throughout EU Member States by creating a link between the damage caused by the AI system and the fault of the user or provider of the AI system.

Conclusion

Malta outlined a vision to be the Ultimate AI Launchpad by 2030. The goal was for Malta to become a place in which local and foreign companies and entrepreneurs can invent, develop, prototype, test and scale AI, and ultimately showcase the value of their innovations across an entire nation primed for adoption.

If you are interested in having an initial consultation to discuss your business requirements, schedule a call with our experts. If you want to discuss this in more detail and require more technical information, we can arrange for a local expert to be on the call.