Investment, Industry and Information Technology Minister Austin Gatt yesterday welcomed the announcement by SmartCity Malta Ltd that they have begun preparing the Ricasoli site for the development of SmartCity Malta.

Within a space of a few months, the negotiations between the government and SmartCity have borne fruit and the project, now announced on a global level, has started to materialise.

“We have started building a new city from scratch,” Dr Gatt remarked. “This will transform in the first place an under-utilised, polluted and half-abandoned industrial zone into a highly sophisticated township that thrives on the creation, accumulation and generation of knowledge. SmartCity will also catalyse the transformation hoped for by this government for the southern towns of the Grand Harbour area and the harbour itself. SmartCity will also signify the realisation of our ambitious dream for our country to be the capital of the Mediterranean region in the ICT industry.”

Dr Gatt hoped for the continuation of the successful cooperation from the genesis of the project developers with various ministries, departments and public entities, the local councils and especially the planning and environment regulator.

Following the finalisation of the cleaning works, the next step for the project will be to commence the actual knocking-down of buildings and carting away of waste to be disposed of at sea and in landfills. This work is expected to commence in the coming weeks.