The government planned to build factories taking up 24,000 square metres of space, commissioning Malta Industrial Parks, Austin Gatt, Minister of Investment, Industry and Information Technology said at the opening of an exhibition linked to a competition by MIP for the design of these facilities aimed to encourage new concepts in the development of industrial facilities.

10,000 square metres would be for general factories, especially medium tech enterprises, engineering and plastics, in Hal Far, which should create some 200 jobs; another 3,000 square metres would be in Hal Far for pharmaceuticals, creating another 40 jobs; and 11,000 square metres would be involved in an expansion at Mosta Technopark for the electronics sector, creating about 40 jobs.

Dr Gatt said MIP was the landlord for government factories, including the estates where SMEs operated. MIP factories employed 19,430 workers and MIP administered about Lm3 million.

The exhibition had to be considered as part of a programme the government was undertaking to renew its factory stock for offer. Over 80 per cent of the factories they had today were over 15 years old, and they cost more to maintain them, he said.

Hal Far comprised 128 hectares which lay between the airport and the Freeport. The specialised factories the government was commissioning there would make Malta more competitive in pharmaceuticals.

They were in effect developing into a pharmapark, creating a campus environment there, Dr Gatt said. Pharmaceuticals factories needed finer finishing than normal factories, and were particularly sensitive to dust and air pollution.

It was the government’s intention to complete specialised factories and the expansion of Mosta Technopark by 2009, he added. The exhibition could also serve as an invitation to the public to give a reaction before the start of the process for applications permits.