MALTESE FINAL EVENT HIGHLIGHTS RURAL INNOVATION IN MALTA
BIRKIRKARA, Malta – MALTESE consortium held its Final Dissemination Event on June 25, 2026, at the Malta Digital Innovation Authority – MDIA, bringing together project partners, participants and local stakeholders to present results and discuss the future of rural innovation in Malta.
Organised by PAMEA, SEMABLU and SELFHOOD, with support from AcrossLimits and collaboration with MDIA, the event focused on the main outcomes of the MALTESE project: digital tools, training and mentoring results, circular agri-business ideas, stakeholder engagement and rural-urban cooperation.
The event was opened by Dr. Eng. Daniel AMARIEI of PAMEA, MALTESE project coordinator, together with Thomas ABELA from MDIA. Maria Elena MUSCAT of AcrossLimits presented the wider PoliRuralPlus Malta pilot context and linked MALTESE to broader rural and digital innovation priorities. Then, Dr. AMARIEI presented the project’s main activities and results, showing how MALTESE combined digital innovation with capacity building, mentoring and practical support for farmers, young entrepreneurs and rural communities.
Gianluca VALENTINO of SEMABLU led the technical session, presenting a live demonstration of the MALTESE digital tools, including the JackDaw GeoAI Chatbot, Map Whiteboard, Rural-Urban E-Market and SMART irrigation-related outputs. The demonstration showed how local data, such as soil, moisture, protected-area and funding information, can support more accessible decision-making for rural users.
Dr. Krisztina TOTH of SELFHOOD presented the training and mentoring results from the Malta activities. The sessions included digital tool demonstrations, community mapping, circular economy exercises, business model development and pitching preparation.
The event also featured short presentations from the MALTESE pitching winners. MD ASANUL HOQUE RATUL presented the MD SMART ECO-POND FARM MODEL, while DORIAN BUGEJA presented GROW BOX. JUSTIN CAMILLERI, the third selected pitching winner, was unable to attend because of illness and sent his apologies. Certificates were handed over during the event.
The stakeholder round table, moderated by Dr. AMARIEI, focused on what MALTESE leaves behind for rural Malta. Participants highlighted that low interest among some farmers is linked to limited incentives, skills gaps and lack of confidence. They also stressed the need to introduce agriculture, sustainability, entrepreneurship and digital literacy from an early age.
The event concluded that MALTESE leaves behind a practical pathway for connecting local data, digital tools, training, mentoring and stakeholder dialogue. Future work should focus on local ownership, continued engagement, education, incentives and long-term use of the project results.
Keywords/tags: MALTESE, rural innovation, Malta, digital agriculture, PoliRuralPlus
Meta description: MALTESE final event in Malta presented digital tools, training results, participant pitches and next steps for rural innovation.
