About Us
The Wales Malta Initiative (WMI) is a not-for-profit group that aims to build economic, cultural, tourism, sports, research and education collaboration between Wales and Malta.
WMI facilitates ties between both nations for public, private and non-profit sector organisations to develop opportunities through cooperation, trade, investment, research and training partnerships, student placements, advisory services, promotions and conferences.
WMI also runs Wales Week Malta, part of a worldwide programme of events promoting and celebrating Wales, with a raft of events and activities covering business, culture, education and sports, over a one-week period around the time of St David’s Day (1st March), each year.
Our Mission.
The Wales Malta Initiative was founded through a meeting of minds at the heart of Europe, at a seminar in Brussels, by Dr. Alan Sandry, from Swansea University, and Maltese entrepreneur Edwin Ward.
From their conversations, it became clear that the distinct identities of their respective nations, Wales and Malta, and their complementarities, could be energised through innovation, knowledge transfer, leveraging networks and building on collaborative approaches.
The founders have been joined by other talented business people, academics, industry leaders, and an alliance of partners, who have added to the critical mass of the Initiative, in terms of their energy, ideas, connections, experience and expertise.
WMI's mission is to foster ties between Malta and Wales around internationalisation, digital, green tech, life sciences, knowledge transfer, culture and media. Bilateral visits, seminars and other activities are ongoing.
By organising events and setting up meetings, WMI helps you find contacts, partners and connections for your project or activity; whatever type of contact it is that you need. In addition to the initial connection, we help support initiatives through our continual engagement to ensure successful follow up and implementation of ideas. Our local expertise and presence in both countries makes sure that there are less unknowns when tapping an export market.
Opportunities.
WMI helps to build bridges between Welsh and Maltese individuals, entrepreneurs, sport, business, universities, NGOs, and the authorities.
We are always open to collaboration and we focus on what is strongest in each nation to balance skills, contacts, financial engineering, internationalisation and scaling-up.
Through our collective networks we have access to decision-makers at all levels as well as contacts at grass roots level; this spectrum of influence can be harnessed to help with whatever project you may be interested in working on.
Malta is a member of the EU, and WMI or its partners can act as a consortia member or lead partner in EU projects.
Wales / Cymru.
Wales, with its high-concentration of universities and skilled population, has long been a centre-of-excellence for engineering, mining, renewable energy, steel and semiconductor manufacture, health, education, climate and nature, producing a GDP of almost €90bn.
Through its universities, Wales has an internationally respected research and innovation environment, world-class education and a thriving international student population. In the latest UK-wide assessment of the quality of research in 2021, 89% of Welsh research was judged to be internationally excellent or world-leading for impact.
Malta / Melita
Malta is an independent nation, and EU member state, in the middle of the Mediterranean.
The country is renowned for its hospitality, and beyond the friendly faces there is an emerging economy built on company and tax structures, licensing, maritime, freeport, i-gaming, advanced manufacturing and a vibrant financial services sector.
Malta is a neutral non-aligned state and SMEs do business with a broad range of African and Middle-Eastern states, as well as with their European neighbours. Since joining the EU in 2004, economic growth has been robust and sustained, with Malta ideally situated at the crossroads between three continents for trade, internationalisation and logistics.
Like Malta, Wales has its own language Welsh, and English is the other official language; Malta has the Maltese language and English as the other official language. Communication is easy as everyone speaks English, which makes working together a pleasure.
Valletta, Malta
The Wales Malta Initiative meet at the Malta Chamber of SMEs
A visit to the British High Commission, Malta
Pen y Fan, Wales
Y Lliwedd, Snowdonia/Eryri, Wales
Rolex Middlesea Race - Valletta
The Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff