‘Malta’s small, nimble business environment and high quality of life are major advantages’ – George Gregory

As Malta’s economic development agency, Malta Enterprise attracts new foreign direct investment while facilitating the growth of existing operations. Since taking the helm as CEO in September 2024, George Gregory has guided the entity with a focus on sustainability, innovation and high-value-added industries. His vision for 2025 includes streamlining Malta Enterprise’s services, fostering a business-friendly environment and reinforcing Malta’s reputation as an ideal investment destination.

For George Gregory, it was Malta Enterprise’s team ethic, particularly the entity’s commitment to research and data-driven decision-making, that catalysed his career move to become CEO. “I knew that I was joining a good team that carries out a huge amount of research across economic, demographic and business data to create the organisation’s strategy and targets. The teams here do a lot of hard work and I’m learning as I go,” he shares, adding that learning is a key aspect of his ethos as CEO. “Every CEO has his own drive, and mine is my belief in the power of lifelong learning. I enjoy being at the forefront of developing something and gaining knowledge and experience along the way.”

George views joining Malta Enterprise as a landmark moment in his long career. “My first milestone was qualifying as an accountant while also playing water polo. Then, becoming a partner in a large accounting firm at the age of 30, and later founding a little-known accounting firm that grew to become one of the top five in Malta. Finally, I count taking on the role of CEO at Malta Enterprise – one of the key roles in the country – as a major achievement.”

Before this appointment, George served as one of the founding partners at RSM Malta for over 20 years. When the opportunity arose to join the country’s economic development agency, he felt the time was right to shift his career in a new direction. “Knowing that RSM Malta was in excellent hands, with a great team and a solid succession plan, I accepted this opportunity to become Malta Enterprise’s CEO. What better way to spend the tail end of my career than to serve the country in the best possible way?” he asks.

Reflecting on his early years, George recalls balancing studies with playing water polo – an experience that instilled in him a strong sense of discipline and teamwork. “Pursuing both sports and studies at the same time gave me structure, discipline and a love of working with teams – a foundation that has been key throughout my career,” he says. Today, he maintains his dedication to teamwork and passion for sports as President of Sliema’s water polo team, balancing his career with family time and sports administration. “My main ethos is ‘work hard and play hard’. You need both in life.”

Malta Enterprise has been instrumental in fostering the economic growth that the country has enjoyed, George highlights. “We facilitate foreign investment while always supporting local businesses.”

He reveals one of the biggest challenges of his role is finding time for everything. “I joined Malta Enterprise during one of the busiest seasons, with many conferences and commitments. But these are essential, as my role is to ensure Malta Enterprise is at the forefront of Malta’s economic development and always providing the best service to our clients. Every enterprise that interacts with us is vital to maintaining what we have today as a country and driving our continued growth as an economy.”

Other initiatives such as the Micro Invest Scheme continue to support local businesses in reinvesting in their operations to maintain competitiveness while investing in sustainable practices. In recent years, the agency has assisted startups to launch and scale through various targeted schemes and measures, such as the Startup Finance Scheme, while ensuring seed funding is available for smaller startups via the Business Start Scheme. Other initiatives include the Business Development Scheme, which supports projects such as business expansion, modernisation and digital transformation with cash grants or tax credits covering up to 75 per cent of eligible costs.

Recognising the importance of research and development, the agency also supports investments in this area. “Malta Enterprise has harnessed a collaboration between academia and the business world with great success,” he reveals, “and schemes such as the Research and Development (R&D) Support Scheme encourage companies to invest in innovative solutions that contribute to Malta’s economic growth.”

Promoting sustainability is another priority for the agency, with relevant schemes including Smart and Sustainable Investment Grants that cover up to 50 per cent of eligible investments, including waste minimisation, energy efficiency and sustainable digitalisation.

Looking back on 2024, George underscores Malta’s economic stability and Malta Enterprise’s role in retaining foreign investments. “Malta has sustained growth, with a strong and stable economy, even during global challenges. We tend to enter recessions late and exit early, manage economic storms diligently, and the IMF predicts stable growth,” he says. “Malta is well-located as a stepping stone to Europe and North Africa. The small, nimble business environment and high quality of life are also major advantages.”

With Malta Vision 2050 on the horizon – an initiative launched by the Government to shape the country over the coming 25 years – George states that “this is a vision for the country and we aim to align with Malta Vision 2050, setting the foundation for a prosperous future. We plan to kick off a digitisation process within Malta Enterprise in 2025 while streamlining customer-centric services, making it as easy as possible for businesses to navigate regulations and access the support they need.”

George also emphasises Malta Enterprise’s ongoing commitment to high-value-added industries, particularly those in the technology, manufacturing and sustainable sectors, amid Industry 4.0 – the next industrial revolution, integrating intelligent digital technologies such as IoT networks, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, robotics, and automation into business and industrial processes. “Over the next five years, I predict data and technology will play major roles, so business must embrace Industry 4.0,” he asserts.

Newly revamped schemes, including an updated Micro Invest Scheme and a share options scheme for startups, are slated to launch in 2025, reflecting Malta Enterprise’s focus on supporting a sustainable business ecosystem. “We encourage innovation across all enterprises in Malta’s business sector, so we are designing and updating our schemes to make sure we’re in sync with the way the economy is going and the direction in which we want to drive it forward.”

In that goal, Malta Enterprise is prepared to serve the country’s economic development today and tomorrow, as both the entity and its predecessors have done for decades. “I see Malta Enterprise maintaining and growing Malta’s economic development role, as we always have done, while streamlining and reducing bureaucracy as much as possible for our customers in the business community,” concludes the CEO. “Our mission remains to retain talent and support innovation, ensuring Malta remains competitive on the global stage.”