The third edition of the Malta Maritime Summit was officially launched on Thursday and will take place in October 2020.
The summit will take place between the 5 and 9 October 2020, and will follow the theme ‘The Voice of the Industry’.
Speaking at the launch conference at the Lower Barakka Gardens which overlook Grand Harbour, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg said that the theme of the summit is important to keep in mind, meaning that the industry itself has to be kept at the centre of discussions.
He said that maritime success contributes 12% of Malta’s Gross Domestic Product and noted that some 23,000 people are employed in jobs which are directly or indirectly related to the maritime sector.
Borg noted that one always looks to Malta’s shipping register as an economic source, and noted that since the legal certainty of the country’s tonnage tax was confirmed, the register has grown by 6% on last year, meaning that there is now 82 million tonnes of merchant ship on the Maltese register.
“After all we also had great success in the superyachts niche, with 90% growth over five years ago. The government will continue investing in ports, marinas, appropriate high-quality infrastructure, and we will continue working hand in hand with the industry”, Borg said.
He praised the organisation of summits such as these, saying that they bring together industry players and governments from all across the world.
John Gauci-Maistre, organiser of the summit, said that it will be taking place during Malta Maritime Week and will involve different elements by looking at industry policy, finance, and sustainability among others.
He said that with international stakeholders present, the summit will discuss topics of international importance for this sector so it is truly the voice of the industry.
“Now a fixture in the international maritime calendar, the Malta maritime week comprises a summit and three conferences once again convening the most influential maritime stakeholders and specialists from all over the world”, he said.
“They will be airing and sharing their views on the most pressing concerns particularly policies, energy, sustainability, finance and yachting demands currently faced by the shipping industry at a time of notable geopolitical shifts and technological advances. Having posited itself as ‘The Voice of the Industry’, the forthcoming debates continue to enhance Malta’s reputation as a key maritime nation”, Gauci-Maistre said.
He said that in previous years, delegations from 21 countries including Australia, the UK, Georgia, Cameroon and a host of other European nations attended the summit, and added that he hoped for further improvement in this regard.
He thanked that government and Transport Malta for their support for the summit.