In November 2022, ten million people celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) through 40,000 different events in over 180 countries around the world. With an international network of 20,000 partners, events during the annual GEW initiative are designed to stimulate, inspire and encourage entrepreneurial activities through different stakeholder groups. These events aim to promote originality, creativity and ingenuity through local and global activities. The Edward de Bono Institute has proudly been the official National Host for this event in Malta since its inception in 2008, and collaborates each year with various partner organisations to put together exciting programmes of activities to join this global celebration of entrepreneurship.
Feel the Pulse 2023: Strategy Workshop for QLZH Leaders
'Feel the Pulse 2023', was a strategy workshop for QLZH (Quick Lets and Zanzi Homes) franchise owners and managers, and the first event to kick off GEW 2022 in Malta on Tuesday 8th November. This workshop included an interactive session named 'Unleash Your Ideas, Maximise Your Innovation', moderated by GEW National Host, Dr Leonie Baldacchino. During this session, Dr Baldacchino introduced participants to SCAMPER, a simple but effective creative thinking tool that facilitates the identification of changes that may be made to an existing concept (e.g., product, service, company, business model, industry) to generate new ideas. This was followed by a motivational talk by Chris Vassallo, Strategic Director of Vassallo Group, who shared his story and expertise on how to strategise effectively and pursue the organisation's vision. The workshop was wrapped up with brainstorming breakout sessions where participants worked in teams to identify challenges and opportunities for their company.
MBA Business Concept Pitching Event
This event, which has become an annual feature of the GEW Malta programme, offered Executive MBA final year students enrolled in an entrepreneurship elective study unit at the University of Malta an opportunity for peer-learning, discussion and expert insights at an early stage of their business concept, by pitching to a select panel of experts and practitioners involved in the field of entrepreneurship. Project deliverables of the elective programme shall require the students to engage in an extended feasibility study to assess the potential of their business ideas, as a prelude to potentially pursuing the concept and entrepreneurial opportunity further. This event was organised by Dr Nathaniel Massa, Senior Lecturer at the University of Malta' Department of Management, in collaboration with , and was reserved for Executive MBA students.
Start Up at TAKEOFF - A Visit to UM's Business Incubator
On Tuesday 15th November, University of Malta students enjoyed a visit to the campus-based TAKEOFF incubator for presentations by the manager Ing. Joe Bartolo about the services offered to start-ups, and by entrepreneurs Steve Zerafa of PIXAM, Aaron Buhagiar of Fortify Meals, and Godwin Borg of MycoMalta about their entrepreneurial journeys.
Get Inspired: A Visit to Invent 3D Print Farm
University of Malta students were inspired to consider entrepreneurship as an exciting career option during a visit to the Invent 3D Print Farm, on Wednesday 16th November 2022 between 12.00 and 14.00. This company was founded in 2018 by young entrepreneurs David and Alexandra Sciberras, as has since become a household name in Malta for 3D printing. It is currently expanding its operations through partnerships with European customers and worldwide exports.
Ideas and Innovation: Presentation of Certificates
The Embassy of the Republic of Malta in Turkey organised an activity on Thursday 17th November to present participation certificates to 14 students from Bilkent University who completed an online course on 'Ideas and Innovation' with The Edward de Bono Institute, University of Malta. This course entailed 20 hours of lectures and workshops on creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation management, delivered by Dr Margaret Mangion, Dr Leonie Baldacchino and Prof Sandra Dingli during the 2022 spring semester. It is the result of a joint initiative by the Bilkent University's Faculty of Applied Sciences and the University of Malta’s Edward de Bono Institute for Creative Thinking and Innovation, made possible by support from Malta Ambassador Theresa Cutajar.
National Ecosystem Showcase: Resources, Incentives and Support
The aim of this online session was to provide information on the funding opportunities, facilities and support measures that are available for entrepreneurs in Malta. It was held on Thursday 17th November 2022 from 17.00 to 20.00, and featured presentations by various speakers representing key players in the local entrepreneurship ecosystem, including University of Malta's TAKEOFF startup incubator, Malta Enterprise, Malta Council for Science and Technology, Trade Malta, Malta Chamber of Commerce, Malta Chamber of SMEs, Social Entrepreneurs Association Malta, Malta Co-operatives Foundation, ZAAR Crowdfunding, BusinessLabs, Basement2Boardroom, and Fe/male Switch Startup Game. This session was targeted primarily towards entrepreneurship students at the University of Malta but was also open to the general public, free of charge.
Postgraduate Research Seminar
The Edward de Bono Institute hosted its eighth Postgraduate Research Seminar on Friday 18th November from 09.30 to 13.00 (GMT+1) as part of GEW 2022. The first part of the seminar included an introduction to the Institute's research pillars and an overview of the Master in Creativity and Innovation dissertation requirements by Dr Margaret Mangion. This was followed by a one-hour guest lecture on 'Creativity - A Space and Time Continuum' by Professor Giovanni Corazza, Director of the Marconi Institute for Creativity at the University of Bologna, as part of a series of lectures by renowned scholars to mark the Edward de Bono Institute's 30th anniversary. The rest of the seminar included presentations by the Institute's academic staff on their research interests, an overview of the funded mobility opportunities available to students through the Erasmus+ programme, and presentations by postgraduate students on their recently completed dissertations or ongoing research. This aim of this seminar was to inform University of Malta students about research opportunities and to provide a space for scholarly debate with peers and academic staff.
Go Global: Innovation
When looking to internationalise their operations, enterprises must think strategically and acquire all the necessary skills and knowledge to take the first step in their overseas target market. TradeMalta had set up the 'Go Global' programme so that novice exporters can attend an internationalisation training course complete with interactive sessions delivered by renowned academics and industry professionals. The session on Wednesday 23rd November from 16.00 to 17.30 was an interactive workshop on Innovation, conducted by GEW Malta National Host Dr Leonie Baldacchino. The course is supported by HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c. and organised jointly with Malta University Holding Company.