MONEY ISSUE 64

Editor’s note — This issue of MONEY magazine deals with architecture, interiors, and design—and as always, we look at these issues from different perspectives.

A bill to set up a new construction regulator intended to render the Building and Construction Authority operational is currently being discussed in parliament. This was prompted by the lax regulations surrounding the construction sector.

We’ve heard about buildings collapsing and people losing their homes and all their belongings, and their lives in the most tragic cases, for the past few years. Yet, it always takes a long time to do anything about these tragedies. Thankfully we’ve just witnessed a glimmer of hope in these situations thanks to the recent ruling against the construction company that was deemed guilty of causing the death of a 19-year-old tourist due to their shoddy construction work of a wall that fell on the man. While the ruling will not bring the man back to life, it should be a wake-up call and a warning to those who think they can make money by delivering inferior products or services.

Another issue arising from the construction industry is the apparent need to build everywhere unabated, seemingly paying no heed to the environmental and social impact of these buildings. The mayors of Gozo are up in arms about this issue, complaining that the once tranquil island is now being overrun with construction and development. The Planning Authority and Environment Ministry have said that they will be meeting with the Gozo Regional Council, which gathers each locality’s mayors to listen to their grievances. It’s a start, I suppose, but let’s hope that listening isn't the only action that will happen.

Within this issue, you can read an interview with Professor Richard England, one of Malta’s foremost architects who has left his mark all over the island, with notable structures such as the Manikata Church. Sustainability is a keyword that has been bandied around a fair bit over the past few years as we slowly come to terms with the realisation that the earth’s resources are depleting. Luca Caruso, a warranted architect and academic with robust professional experience, explains MEDmeUP, which he co-founded, and his views as an expert in sustainability in architecture and building construction.

Sustainability is necessary across different sectors, not just construction, as is evidenced in JP Fabri’s article on the EU Green Deal. The European Union is very aware of the environmental issues affecting the world and is trying to encourage its members to participate in sustainable practices and develop innovative ways of promoting and living a sustainable lifestyle. This train of thought is also delved into by the Central Bank governor, Prof Edward Scicluna, as he speaks about the role of the CBM within the Network for Greening the Financial System. We also take a closer look at the impact of copper on the environment. It is crucial in achieving a healthier climate and the longterm environmental goal for this metal.

The world is advancing at an increasingly rapid pace, possibly faster than we can keep up, especially if we intend to reduce and reverse the adverse effects humans have caused over the years. David Attenborough has proposed 7 actions to save the planet: (1) Put people and planet before profit. (2) Replace oil with renewable energy. (3) Embrace a sustainable lifestyle. (4) Create no-fishing zones in the ocean. (5) Farm smarter and eat less meat. (6) Protect the forests. (7) Raise people out of poverty to slow population growth.

It would be life-saving (literally) if we were to follow these steps and work together to save the planet that we live on; from a local perspective, it doesn’t seem like we’re anywhere close to implementing any of these changes. This begs the question: do we even want to?

COVER Ian Ritchie

Something’s Brewing

Read the full story on page 22

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EDITOR Anthony P. Bernard anthony@moneymag.me

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British author Chris Abel describes Richard England’s contribution to the post-war culture of Malta as unique. Visionary architect, artist, critic, poet and landscape designer, England is the personification of the fusion of the arts promised by the modern movement, but rarely delivered. Amongst his best-known designs, his masterpiece, Manikata Church, stands amongst the most original regional modernism works of its time.

Lea Hogg talks to Malta’s internationally acclaimed architect Richard England about the past present and how his work brings him closer to God.

In today’s globalised and digitalised world, soft power is seen increasingly as the prime benchmark of a nation's appeal. Whichever way you look at it, in a post-Trump world, soft power will matter increasingly more. Gone are the days when hard power, manifested through military and financial might, was the prerequisite for global political leadership and influence. Thankfully, humans have evolved from when the country with the largest army and most deadly hardware led it. Ray de Bono explains.

A globally acclaimed architect, and the future of a rural Mediterranean island. Dayna Camilleri Clarke met with Hili Ventures to understand the new proposed Comino Hotel project’s scale and what steps must be undertaken to bring this ambitious proposal to life.

Chris Meilak, economist and Associate Partner, and Maria Giulia Pace, economist and Senior, at EY Malta, address how disruptive climate change underscores the urgency of limiting and capturing carbon and turning it into a valuable source.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has been optimistic about Moneyval's final ruling on Malta. His government had “ticked all the boxes”, he said, ahead of their final report, and as when the right answers are given in a test, one is entitled to expect the desired results. Manuel Delia looks at some of those boxes.

DESIGN THERE’S NO TIME LIKE THE... TIMELESS

Developing a timeless design is much simpler than anyone thinks. It’s not easy, but it’s straightforward. Andrea Meli looks at what it takes to be timeless.

The European Commission is inviting ‘creative minds’ across Europe to contribute ideas to the New European Bauhaus, an initiative to design new ways of living to meet the European Green Deal’s goals. JP Fabri explores its advantages and why Malta should use it as its next economic catalyst.

Federica Tadiello speaks to Luca Caruso, a warranted architect with robust professional experience and now a researcher at the University of Malta. Luca is also the cofounder at MEDmeUP and is an expert in sustainability in architecture and building construction.

Pure love for books and the art of bookmaking is the driving force behind bookbinder Glen Calleja and publisher Zvezdan Reljic Veronica Stivala falls in love as she reads between the lines.

BANKING BANKING ON IT

The Central Bank of Malta has a new Governor, but certainly not a new face to the industry, as Giselle Borg Olivier speaks to the former Minister of Finance, Prof. Edward Scicluna, who has taken the helm of one of the most bureaucratic institutions on the island amid a pandemic, discussing the way forward for the adoption of the digital euro, the economic impact of climate change, and what’s going to happen with the banking industry in Malta.

SOMETHING’S BREWING

Copper is a crucial element in achieving a healthier climate goal. Jordan Portelli takes a closer look at the long-term environmental goal.

MONEY takes a glimpse at the latest project between Angela Sciberras, Angie The Architect, and Michael Azzopardi, Miko Design. Build., two leading names in the design and build arena.

Express undying love with MONEY ’s selection of fashion pieces.

MONEY speaks to Ian Ritchie, founder of worldrenowned Ian Ritchie Architects, on his latest project: Trident Park and The Brewhouse.

THE MASTER ARCHITECT

British author Chris Abel describes Richard England’s contribution to the post-war culture of Malta as unique. Visionary architect, artist, critic, poet and landscape designer, England is the personification of the fusion of the arts promised by the modern movement, but rarely delivered. Amongst his best-known designs, his masterpiece, Manikata Church, stands amongst the most original regional modernism works of its time.

Lea Hogg talks to Malta’s internationally acclaimed architect Richard England about the past present and how his work brings him closer to God.

In his book ‘The Architecture of Happiness’, Alain de Botton says, ‘A good building can enhance your life, and a bad building can ruin it’. And England firmly agrees with this.

In the quiet residential part of St Julian’s, an area where families settle and stay put for an entire lifetime, close to the busy nightclub area and yet so peaceful, one finds Professor Richard England’s spacious home, which he designed and built, and where he has lived with his wife Myriam for the last 57 years.

Richard and Myriam sit side by side at ease on the large sofa in their airy living room, discussing Myriam’s forthcoming virtual international ikebana conference. They are a team. Myriam describes their home as a real work of art, very peaceful and excellent for meditation. ‘This is where we unwind, entertain, where we have watched the children and grandchildren grow up, and where we find sanctuary and connect with the people closest to us,’ she says.

‘I have been influenced by relationships with two extraordinary people in my life,’ England says. ‘One was Father Peter Serracino Inglott, who was my mentor for many years. Of course, the other person is my dear wife, Myriam. Her spirituality has engaged me in

further research, and her encouragement and support have allowed me to focus on my works.’

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed architect Richard England has many talents. His natural ability fused with years of pouring hard work and passion into every project he has designed brought him outstanding success in several different artistic fields. Quentin Hughes OBE, known for his preservation work of Liverpool’s Victorian and Edwardian architectural heritage, described Richard England as ‘an architectural sculptor with a respect for the past and an admiration for the present.’

When he was 23, England returned to Malta after studying in Milan and an internship with Gio Ponti. At that time, his father, Edwin England Sant Fournier, also an architect, was commissioned to design and build the Church of St Joseph in the northern village of Manikata. England’s father gave him ownership of the project as a reward for his successful studies abroad.

Despite the Manikata church being England’s first work, it remains one of his best-known ones. England says, ‘The Manikata church was a fascinating process because it was

built by voluntary labour. This meant that I had to conduct the whole issue, almost in a mediaeval way. I always say to my students, occasionally, make a building with your hands.’

England firmly believes that apart from an architectural assignment’s apparent objective to create a building to its maximum use, a good architect must feel an element of love and dedication and commitment towards a building project. He adds, ‘The building absorbs an architect’s love for the materials he uses, and this positivity is then passed back to the people who will use the building.’ →

Lea is a TV producer and hosts a daily evening current affairs and lifestyle show. She produces multi-media content for several international corporates.

The building absorbs an architect ’s love for the materials he uses, and this positivity is then passed back to the people who will use the building

England confesses that he feels uncomfortable when owners change the design of a finished building. He says, ‘I prefer it if buildings are destroyed rather than changed. When they are changed, they almost look deformed to me. As an architect, you cannot help but feel a bit possessive towards each building project and even experience a sense of loss when one sees that changes have been made to the building, which may sometimes result in a clash of styles. You somehow feel that a building is yours. Once it is completed and passed back to the owner, it is a little bit sad to see unexpected changes, but it is an acceptable part of the process of architectural design.’

There are a lot of construction projects taking place on the island, bringing about many changes. ‘We may think of architecture as something which does not change,’ says Richard England, ‘but what is extremely interesting is that permanent architecture does not exist.’ He explains that architecture is transient and remains the only form of art that people feel they can change. ‘Nobody

would touch a painting after it is finished, nor add a pair of wings to a sculpture.’

When a building project is complete, the onus is no longer on the architect but entirely on the owner. ‘The time comes when the architect hands over a building to the client. The property now belongs to the client, and he can do whatever he likes with it. The owner may even choose to demolish the building if in time the land happens to cost a little bit more than the purchase price.’ England refers to the new developments we see on the island. ‘Of course, the change in Maltese architecture is a constant necessity, and there are many changes on the island. Some of the changes are necessary. The change in Valletta is necessary. For example, the Renzo Piano project is necessary. It's a tremendous work of art, and it has brought Valletta into the 21st century.’

In his book ‘Eupalinos and the Architect’, Paul Valéry describes three types of buildings; the ones that are mute, buildings that speak and there are buildings that sing. England says

that the buildings which sing are the ones which touch your heart and refers to the great modernist master, Le Corbusier, who said, ‘You use tone, you use concrete, you build a house—that is construction. You touch my heart—that is architecture.’

Craig Macdonald, co-founder of Te fitTazza, has produced a showcase of Richard England's architectural vision in a recent collaboration with him. Craig explains, ‘Sadly these days we see less of Richard England’s approach to architecture which is aesthetically beautiful and yet retains its regional influence. This will harm our architecture and will undoubtedly fail to preserve Malta's unique identity.’

Richard England describes architecture as functional art. A building needs to be well made and designed by how different materials are put together in a valid construction methodology. Commodity and firmness belong to construction. What lifts that building is beautiful, and it isn’t easy to define beauty. He says, ‘What I have always tried to do is to create architecture which enhances the spirit and lifts the soul so that when you see a building and go into it, you feel what that architecture is all about. The aesthetics of architecture are important. But what architecture should do for us is far more important.’

Winston Churchill said, ‘We shape our buildings, and after that, the buildings shape us.’ England concludes, ‘There are many roads to God, and I have chosen architecture.’

There are many roads to God and I have chosen architecture

ID Chair Concept, Antonio Citterio, 2010/2016

Good design is not synonymous with good looks. Good design successfully solves a problem. The design process at Vitra seeks solutions in functionality, ergonomics, structural strength, durability, comfort, and aesthetics.

The ID Chair Concept offers countless customisation options to suit individual users. Different variations of the FlowMotion mechanism, a selection of backrests, armrests, seats, and bases, along with a broad array of colours and fabrics, enable every user and company to find the perfect ID Chair.

Over the last two decades, Ray has directed businesses in the media, marketing and IT fields, focusing mainly on the international market. [raydebono.com]

Awakening Malta’s Soft Power

Where is Malta in these rankings? Malta oozes potential, yet it remains absent from soft power indexes. Despite its blessings, the island nation keeps missing the boat, where creating a sustained and coherent national brand identity is concerned. There seems to be a leadership vacuum for championing this field; there's no ‘opera conductor’ to lead the nation’s brand harmonisation to a worldclass level.

This effort is a multidimensional one and cannot be construed to a specific medium. There needs to be work done to adopt a cohesive, multimedia design and urban planning policy that does not remain on paper but translates into a more pleasant living space in both the physical and natural sphere, as well as in cyberspace.

a

appeal. Whichever way you

at it, in a post-Trump world, soft power will

increasingly more. Gone are the days when hard power, manifested through military and financial might, was the prerequisite for global political leadership and influence. Thankfully, humans have evolved from when the country with the largest army and most deadly hardware led it. Ray de Bono explains.

The measurement of a nation’s power is nowadays more sophisticated than that. This explains why it’s not the super ‘hard’ powers such as Russia or China that occupy the top place in the soft power rankings, but France (Portland and Monocle’s surveys, 2020).

Apart from a country’s ‘brand identity’, its global diplomatic stance, ease of doing business, eco-friendliness and the quality of the public service, the criteria for determining a nation’s soft power ranking focus on its citizens’ trustworthiness, friendliness, education and digital readiness. In doing so, soft power projects a more ‘human’ image of a nation, highlighting its liveability and attractiveness in the world’s eyes. More so in today’s digital age, soft power reflects and effects the flow of ideas and human and financial capital, serving as the tipping point for decisions across the board.

Portland’s ‘The soft power 30 Report 2019’ Country Rankings

For an English-speaking nation, the internet should be a fantastic platform to boost Malta’s image. People seeking online information or services from the island often complain of the poor-quality website content, slow customer response and outright lousy design. This problem seems to be more confined to the private sector, as the government e-services have been running for many years and ranking amongst leaders in the EU. Most companies have a website, yet only see regular updates and do not offer any significant engagement opportunities. They’re just brochure sites.

Enacting and sustaining Malta’s soft power to compete in today’s world requires a multidisciplinary approach. Academics, artists, entrepreneurs, architects and dedicated politicians pool their talents towards a common goal.

It is disappointing to see that Malta still has no official typeface (like the Swiss have their Helvetica), no set criteria for representing its official national image across different media. ‘In a world where speed beats size, Malta stands to gain so much more by harnessing its soft power by even outperforming larger nations in this field,’ comments Eman Pulis, leading start-up entrepreneur in the Gaming and International Events behind the SIGMA fame.

The last few years were not easy for Malta from an international image perspective. The

In today’s globalised and digitalised world, soft power is seen increasingly as the prime benchmark of

nation's

look

matter

murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia cast a long shadow which time and justice can and will heal. Other countries too, have taken their brunt and lived through similar, dark moments. Take Amsterdam, with Theo van Gogh’s slaying in September 2004: nobody will say that nowadays the Netherlands is not a liberal, western democracy. The same can be said of London soon after the July 2007 terrorist attacks, or Paris after the Charlie Hebdo massacre of January 2015. The cases made international news headlines, and for a good reason. These cities saw their prestige dented by terrorism, yet they have levered their soft power to help reinvent themselves and refresh their long-standing identities.

Some will argue that Malta is too young and small to compete with fellow EU states, even in terms of winning charm—or boosting its soft power. History, however, has proven otherwise. When faced with this challenge, Malta can punch well above its weight. It’s all a question of resilience, and Malta has a good track record in reinventing itself and faring well on the world scale.

‘The Maltese people can make all the difference,’ stresses Eman Pulis. ‘About a century ago, for instance, Maltese maritime scholar Arvid Pardo became known as the ‘Father of the Law of the Sea’. More recently, Malta was noticeably proactive in establishing new legislative frameworks in gaming and blockchain and ethical Artificial Intelligence. The historic Bush and Gorchakov summit held in Malta in 1989, just a few weeks after the Berlin Wall fall, marked the end of the Cold War. Not a small milestone for the EU’s smallest state, was it?’

There are many more examples. From the world of academia and business, Edward de Bono, the creator of lateral thinking

and the expression ‘thinking outside the box’, is probably one of the most famous, living Maltese citizens. His studies have helped change generations of thinkers and entrepreneurs. His publications have sold millions.

Joseph Calleja, the world-renowned lyric tenor, is a perfect living testimony of Malta’s potential and national brand. He is young, talented and energetic.

Culturally and historically, Malta is a haven. Boasting potentially over six UNESCO World Heritage Sites within a 122-square mile space, and typically attracting millions of visitors annually, Malta has a lot to offer. The once conservative Catholic island, the impenetrable British fortress in the centre of the Mediterranean is now an independent nation, a leader in gay rights, and a frontrunner in promoting world peace.

When it comes to attracting foreign investment and personnel, the least Malta can do is to ensure that it can offer a quality level of life, good services and lifestyle and a pleasant environment; however, we are not there yet. A survey assessing countries’ attention to the environment and sustainability conducted by the expat’s organisation InterNations ranked Malta 52nd out of 60 destinations in 2020. Successive governments have been way too politically expedient and always ready to compromise on environmental issues. Excessive building and the wanton destruction of the few remaining green areas are a growing concern.

Will we ever rank in the top 30 nations as far as soft power is concerned? The challenges facing whoever undertakes to champion Malta's soft power are quite daunting, but there are many signs of hope.

Bank of Valletta chief officer and leading finance expert Kenneth Farrugia spoke about the importance that, at the national level, Malta’s brand image is enhanced through soft power initiatives effort is treated as one of strategic importance.

‘The impact of soft power on a national brand remains unattended to by several countries, Malta included. It is my view that we have a strong proposition to put forward across many soft power angles, particularly in the ESG space, which will elevate the strength of the national brand. Taking this forward requires ownership and commitment at the highest political and industry level as the key stakeholders in this process.’

When asked about how he sees the country’s prospects, leading entrepreneur and philanthropist Anthony Guillaumier enthusiastically said, ‘there has never been a better time to work on Malta’s identity. Our country needs a global, recognisable image, a distinguishable style and above all, consistency in its promotions across the board.’

Despite the recent pandemic, Malta’s economy remains among the top performers regarding job creation and growth in the Eurozone. The Central Bank did revise its economic forecast downwards, expecting the economy to shrink during the COVID-19 saga; however, it expects GDP to exceed pre-pandemic growth levels in 2022, once a vaccine is rolled out.

Malta’s reliance on real estate and construction as the traditionally preferred investment comes with mixed blessings. The impact of construction goes beyond the environment, poor aesthetics and mediocre design impact quality of life. Our country’s →

Left to right: Eman Pulis; Kenneth Farrugia; Anthony Guillaumier; Konrad Buhagiar; Louis Olivier

resulting shabby image characterised by concrete towers mushrooming all over the place—a quasi-permanent state of construction wherever one looks—may not be a plus when it comes to auditing Malta’s soft power credentials.

When asked to explain how Malta’s can—if not restrain—at least curtail and eventually reverse the construction sector’s adverse impacts on our towns and villages, leading architect and university lecturer Konrad Buhagiar stresses that Malta has not yet recovered from its ‘post-colonial hangover’. He added that ‘monetary affluence alone is not a catalyst for improved quality of life, and people with money do not necessarily make the best choices. The prevailing greed (especially in construction) comes at a price. Our education system, including university, can help a lot if it’s brought more in-line with mainstream European models and designed to be congruent with our historical and cultural characteristics.’

Buhagiar maintains that education has a direct bearing on the long-term improvement of the people’s life, by determining the type of choices they make in life, mainly where building aesthetics and style-consciousness are concerned. ‘We’re not there yet,’ he concludes.

Echoing the architect’s observations, the European Commission’s latest report on Malta, published in 2020, stresses that Malta needs to improve inclusive education and training. Persistently high student underachievement and early school-leaving make it challenging to meet the need for skilled labour. This also has long-term implications for social inclusion. Children from socially-disadvantaged families are less likely to benefit from the best education opportunities and are more likely to lag behind their more advantaged peers.

‘The average performance of Maltese pupils remains below the EU average, and an increasingly diverse student population poses challenges for the Maltese education system.’ — The European Commission Country Report on Malta, 2020.

Leading business director and former president of the Institute of Accountants

Franco Azzopardi also sees education as part of the solution. ‘In many ways, Malta is a victim of its success: it attracted some €3.3 billion in Foreign Direct Investment in 2019 (NSO) and saw a surplus economy. On the other hand, it still behind fellow Schengen states where bureaucracy and ease-to-dobusiness are concerned. In an era of global turmoil, Malta must strengthen its human capital, while addressing problem areas such as improving its fiscal integrity and business ethics culture through better education. If it fails to do so, we risk denting not only our nation’s reputation but also its future economic prospects.’

Finally, Malta’s transition to greener and more sustainable growth requires a longterm, comprehensive strategy. The quality of a nation’s environment is a core issue where soft power ranking is concerned. The environment, people’s friendliness, honesty, culture, cuisine and the arts, and the country’s lack of bureaucracy, are all part of the many building blocks forming a nation’s soft power picture. It’s a collection of attributes, and the better a country scores in these attributes, the higher its score in the rankings.

A lot of good results have been achieved these past five years in the sphere of culture. Take the organisation of Valletta 2018—when our capital enjoyed Euro-wide promotion as the EU’s Culture Capital for the year; this was a resounding success which left a positive imprint on Malta’s identity on an international scale.

There are more reasons to be positive. Malta keeps on enjoying success in the sphere of film production, thanks to the Malta Film Commission. Our island continues to attract outstanding international productions from Hollywood to Bollywood. Considering the size of the island, this is no small achievement.

‘In formulating a coherent brand identity, the island is a work-in-progress, but many of the necessary building blocks are already there,’ states leading marketing advisor Louis Olivieri. ‘It hurts me when international investors comment that Malta’s glossy advertising material may not always reflect our product. The fact is that our international brand identity remains fractured. Malta is not just history, gaming, tourism or financial

services; it’s much more than that. My question here is—and I can understand that it is controversial—how can we leverage our talents to forge one national brand identity that encompasses these facets altogether. Would this yield better results than having multiple sectoral identities?’

What is stopping Malta from taking its image (more) seriously? What can be done at governmental, academic, business and public levels to help create improved awareness about this country’s soft power arsenal?

Here are some recommendations to help bring out the change that will up Malta’s soft power a few notches:

Education

1. Revise Malta’s education system; particularly by promoting ethics, especially where fiscal integrity is concerned. Children need to be thought that paying taxes is a winwin solution.

2. Correct Malta’s history textbooks replacing age-old myths with facts backed by science, such as DNA-studies. The Maltese are not Phoenicians (that’s a debunked myth) but Europeans, mostly Italian and Sicilian origins. Knowing where one comes from helps in cherishing our nation’s heritage and saving it for future generations.

3. Invest in more specialised education for media professionals. Malta needs journalists specialised in law, economics, the environment and international affairs. As the fourth pillar of our democracy, we need to see that Maltese journalists

Enacting and sustaining Malta’s soft power to compete in today’s world requires a multidisciplinary approach

and media professionals are better qualified and better paid.

Politics

1. Revise how political parties are funded and make it easier for smaller parties to be elected to parliament.

2. Give fellow EU citizens permanently based in Malta (for at least five years) the right to vote in national elections.

Government

1. Create an interdepartmental committee to discuss a homogenous branding exercise for Malta, creating Malta’s Brand Guidelines. The building blocks are all there. Let’s use our success stories, such as FinanceMalta, Malta Enterprise and VisitMalta and the like, to forge a common front where Malta’s identity is concerned. Enough with the ongoing cacophony of brands overlapping each other. Let us integrate and orchestrate our nation’s image, once and for all.

2. Appoint an independent panel of experts to select annual brand ambassadors for Malta; people from the arts, music, theatre, literature, academia, business, science etc.

3. The environment is in severe crisis. Deal with it as you would deal with any other national crises: use professional advice, and be open to advice from European experts in the field. We’re already late.

4. Permanently halt all construction outside the development zones (ODZs). Make changes in ODZ areas illegal.

5. The English language is ours too, just like the Maltese one. The authorities need to promote and improve the use of the English language at all levels—it is Malta’s bridge to the world on many levels, but it’s a neglected asset.

6. Promote and provide incentives for eco-tourism: Malta can and has a lot to offer in agritourism and travellers interested in the local flora and fauna.

Media

1. For an English-speaking nation, Malta ought to have at least one dedicated, English language (only) TV and radio channel. People can follow the news, debate and share ideas in English. With over 100,000 expats and well over 2 million annual visitors, we can’t do without.

Lifestyle

1. Malta’s environment is a national crisis: the island’s outdoors is mostly filthy and mismanaged. Just look at Miżieb, Aħrax or Buskett. We need more vigorous enforcement and ongoing cleaning efforts in towns and villages and across the countryside.

2. Where is the greenery? Afforestation and efforts to make Malta green should be a priority and not just during elections. We need more trees in our village cores and in Valletta, which is probably Europe’s most impoverished capital as far as the number of trees is concerned. Plant more trees in piazzas, next to schools, public building and churches. Malta can learn a lot from nearby Sicily and other Southern European states in this regard. Perhaps the environment minister should visit Israel and see how this small nation managed to turn a desert into a lush green state. We need less PR-talk and more action. Where there is a will, there's a way.

3. Promote our national cuisine. It is rich and varied—and we should be proud of it. It will help give our visitors a more lasting taste of Malta.

Transport

1. Malta is probably the EU Schengen area’s ‘Wild West’ where driving is concerned. It’s chaotic and dangerous to drive here. The authorities must create a more robust Traffic Police Squad that is active 24/7, 365 days a year. It must be a vigilant and strict team that helps create a safe driving experience for all. What are we waiting for?

2. It is not only expats who complain

about Malta’s poor level of public transportation systems. While the bus service has improved, Malta is dying for alternative modes of mass transport: trams, an underground rail or a metro linking critical areas like the airport, Valletta, Sliema and Gozo. We can’t afford to wait.

3. Promote and ease the use of electric vehicles, including scooters.

4. Increase and police bicycle lanes.

Culture

1. We are located within a mere 20-minute flight from Italy, the global hub for culture, fashion and the arts. Most people can already speak Italian, and we can learn so much from our dear old neighbours. While respecting the island’s uniqueness, Malta's closer affinity with Italy in the field of arts, culture and history can only up our chances for global visibility and success.

2. Revisit Malta’s archaeology: the government needs a boost its team of archaeologists. Get digging! We need more talent at work in this field as we have so much wealth under our feet, quite literally. We’re sitting on ancient remains, yet it appears that— if we're not careful—the construction industry will soon have swallowed most of what is left.

3. Put Malta on the international map where operatic music is concerned.

4. Rebuild the Royal Opera House in Valletta—within our lifetime, please.

5. Promote Malta and Gozo as a haven for international artists – the more we attract to live here, the better.

As a professional marketer, having worked in this sector for over 20 years, I believe that the ideas above can help spark a healthy debate on Malta’s soft power potential. We may not all see things in the same way, but I’m sure that our sense of national pride and the desire to improve Malta's standing in the world will help us forge a path forward from the current state we’re in. Malta is a fantastic product— with many facets— but we need to work all together to succeed, and the time to start is now.

BUILDING FOR TOMORROW, TODAY

Federica Tadiello speaks to Luca Caruso, a warranted architect with robust professional experience and now a researcher at the University of Malta.

Luca is also the co-founder at MEDmeUP and is an expert in sustainability in architecture and building construction.

The Malta Sustainability Forum opened its virtual doors at the end of January for five days of debate about some of today’s most significant sustainability opportunities and challenges. Following a pandemic that took the world by surprise, the need to understand what is happening to our planet and society has never been so strong.

“The Time is Now” was this edition’s theme. It brought together an online panel discussion of more than eighty international and local

speakers to discuss “sustainability” in all its possible variations: from ocean plastic pollution to climate change and, of course, architecture and the construction sector.

F So, Luca what is MEDmeUP?

L MEDmeUP is a network of passionate architectural and engineering professionals, green marketing consultants and climate coaches operating across the Mediterranean and beyond. Our final goal is to make a

tangible impact in our local economies by placing the Mediterranean habitat back at the core of the current debate around sustainability, regenerative design and environmental impact. What is the meaning of “sustainable architecture”, and why is sustainability important in architecture?

In general, sustainability is the capacity to thrive today without reducing future generations’ chance to meet their own needs tomorrow. To understand this better, though,

we must look back into our history. Finding a comfortable shelter has been paramount for the human species, and when we stopped being nomadic, we developed the idea of “dwelling”. With time, we created an industry that could fulfil this basic need, but this came at the cost of increasing demand for finite resources. Now, these resources were sufficient until the Industrial Revolution kicked off, changing the game forever. Also, the world population skyrocketed from the ’50s onwards, with a consequent change of lifestyle in the Western countries that led to massive consumption of planetary resources. Architecture and building construction play a key role in our lives (we live indoor 90% of our time), and have a relevant environmental impact. It’s easy to understand why we must act immediately and work hard to make sustainability in construction an industry standard.

F Is sustainable architecture a benefit that only wealthy people can afford?

L Not anymore. It is now a necessity for every building to have some of these features. After the Second World War, we started building cheap and fast thanks to new technologies and affordable materials. An entire industry developed with this approach in mind where the focus was on quantity and not quality. Nowadays, every little effort to change this mindset finds resistance to change.

Building differently from the “accepted” standards is an innovation that introduces potential risk and increases the upfront cost of construction and design. Here is why the average man thinks that sustainability is (wrongly) a fancy and expensive add-on. It is up to professionals to transform forwardlooking clients’ ideas into reality and make people understand that sustainability is a synonym of quality. With MEDmeUP, we want to accelerate this transition by sharing knowledge and stimulating the discussion.

F What are the benefits of “green buildings” for the people and the environment?

L A “green building” is a catchy term coined in the 90s to identify a resource-efficient building in water, energy and waste. When

we understand this definition, most of the doubts should disappear regarding the benefits for the people and the environment.

If a building has a low energy demand for heating and cooling, artificial lighting will have lower operational costs. Freshwater is scarce globally, especially in Malta, where the necessity to meet the demand has driven significant investments to the Reverse Osmosis plant. This infrastructure can convert seawater into high-purity drinking water. But this process comes at relevant energy costs. A well-proven strategy is the exploitation of the greywater re-use for toilet flushing and irrigation, for example.

These years of economic growth have seen a steady increase in demolition activities to make space for new constructions. In 2019 a report provided by the local Environmental Resource Agency (ERA) had disclosed that

Construction Demolition Waste accounts for roughly 80% of all the total waste generated every year. This model of taking, making and disposing of is depleting the precious local resources by creating tons of debris with minimal reclamation scope. Being Malta an island country, where land is scarce, solving the waste issue is a national problem as crucial as the stable drinking water and electricity supplies.

F During your speech at the Malta Sustainability Forum, you talked about regenerative buildings. Can you tell us more?

L MEDmeUP has a statement to raise awareness and stimulate a regenerative building market based on our Mediterranean cultural heritage as sustainability pioneers. A regenerative building is a green building that enhances human indoor health and wellbeing by exploiting the use of less harmful building materials to benefit the indoor air quality. It also performs better in terms of daylighting, thermal and acoustic comfort. It introduces a human-centric approach on top of resource efficiency. Also, Regenerative Buildings consider the topic of embodied carbon, namely the C02 emissions released in the process of procuring raw materials, manufacturing and installation of building materials, because so far we have focused only on operational carbon released into the atmosphere. →

IT IS UP TO PROFESSIONALS TO TRANSFORM FORWARDLOOKING CLIENTS’ IDEAS INTO REALITY AND MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT SUSTAINABILITY IS A SYNONYM OF QUALITY

F Is there anything that we can do, to make our houses (and our way of living) more sustainable?

L Apart from the things that we can do immediately, like reducing our energy demand, investing in renewable energies and choosing alternative forms of transport (other than cars), we all should re-think our approach to life in general and be more minimalistic. We should ask ourselves: do most of the things we possess spark joy for us? Another thing is having an active role in this society by asking for better solutions from the local industry to create a market

transformation. A good input comes from the significant ex-pat community here in Malta, who is open to new opportunities.

F What do you think is needed to shift the local mentality and make people act more on a long-term basis?

L We must say no to property speculation and start focusing on the community’s interests, not just on our individual needs. The current developers’ mantra is to make a profit by building fast and cheap only for the sake of reselling a property straight afterwards at an inflated price. They should focus on the needs of future users and the overall quality instead. I believe that changing this mindset by providing evidence for the

regeneration thanks to a forward-looking brief developed by the Valletta Design Cluster team: they intend to turn it into a community space for cultural and creative practices. In the past, the Knights used to build by quarrying the stone on-site and, thus, the void underneath became a rainwater cistern. The Valletta Design Cluster project is trying to redesign this good old practice to meet our current needs, and I have great expectations from them.

Other interesting case studies have been the restoration of the Malta Stock Exchange in the early 2000s (pioneering natural ventilation strategies to cool down the building) and the Valletta City Gate hosting the Maltese Parliament.

In terms of private business initiatives, Trident Park and Avenue 77 in Birkirkara are currently being built by following a rigorous green rating scheme ensuring sustainable strategies and experimenting with innovative technological solutions used worldwide. These are just significant examples, in any case. I know many passionate professionals share the same values as MEDmeUP, putting their effort to raise our built environment’s overall environmental quality, even in smaller projects.

F Do you think the Government is doing its part? Are we on the right path?

L There are mandatory policies like the Energy Performance Certification, building rainwater cisterns in new and refurbished buildings, and some other minor schemes like introducing green walls and the Green Public Procurement.

business case of sustainability in construction is a good starting point.

F Are there any remarkable projects going on in Malta that you want to mention?

L One good example is the Old Abattoir (Il-Biċċerija) in Valletta. This historic building is currently under restoration and

Unfortunately, there are still barriers to improve efficiency during construction, and no policies are mandatory to exploit the re-use of secondary raw materials from demolition waste. The reason is simple: again, it’s easier to build fast and cheap without any environmental features raising the quality.

Today, there isn’t a full set of legally robust building regulations, which is the benchmark for quality in buildings. I hope in the Kamra Tal-Periti and its efforts to influence policymakers to have a new set of tools to provide a robust and sustainable impact.

WE MUST SAY NO TO PROPERTY SPECULATION AND START FOCUSING ON THE COMMUNITY’S INTERESTS, NOT JUST ON OUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS

SOMETHING ’ S BREWING

MONEY speaks to Ian Ritchie, founder of world-renowned Ian Ritchie Architects, on his latest project: Trident Park and The Brewhouse.

M What attracted you to take on this project?

I For an architect, the client’s qualities are always of paramount importance to a project’s success: good projects require good clients. When we were invited to enter the competition, I was impressed by Farsons for several reasons. They had engaged an experienced international company to find the right architects through an international competition, which showed they were seeking the best professionals in the industry and were interested in quality. They travelled to see us, which indicated they were interested in getting to know us and how we worked and being active and involved in the design process. They also appeared open to new ideas and seemed to share our design and environmental values. These last points were remarkably attractive. Although Farsons are a renowned and very successful brewery in Malta, they had never embarked on a significant real estate property development before. The project was of a scale that would provide scope for expressing new design thinking. The project also interested us because it was in Europe, and we are a European firm with experience in France and Germany, Spain, Italy, and other countries.

M What inspired the design, and what was the main goal you set yourself to achieve?

I As we had sensed and hoped, the client was part of the inspiration from the beginning of the project, which allowed us to design something with them that would be unique not just to Malta but also new on the international real estate scene. They were consistent in their willingness to set sustainability standards, respect for Malta’s cultural and architectural heritage, the island’s landscape, and quality of life. The design was inspired by Malta's historical evolution—its architecture, urbanism, and the

influence of European traditions, particularly from Italy—and its geology and climate. These offered the potential of engaging with landscape and water on an island that has historically treasured both because of their degree of scarcity. The design was informed by the recognition that creating a working space is not only about responding to the client’s desire for a good return on investment but fundamentally about creating a beautiful, diverse environment in which workspace is only part of the equation. People need and want a combination of facilities to give them an overall sense of mental and physical contentment. Farsons were open to exploring ways to achieve such an environment.

M What are the core elements the project is based on regarding the project’s environmental impact and what sustainability initiatives were taken (such as carbon output, recycling water, BREEAM certification, etc.)?

I The first move in a sustainable design approach was retaining the 200m long Art Deco façade and Art Deco colonnade of the original building and repurposing and retrofitting Farsons’ Old Brewhouse. The seven new ultra-low-energy office buildings orientated east-west are relatively shallow in plan (c.15 m), help shade each other, and have opening windows to allow cross-

ventilation, views out, and natural light throughout the day. This eliminates the need for air-conditioning and reduces electricity use, as does efficient, bespoke low-energy lighting designed by us in collaboration with Brandi Licht and Castaldi. The office buildings are clad in white concrete panels and vertical solar shading screens. This helps reflect and reduce solar gain while increasing the thermal mass, providing stability against temperature fluctuations. The six courtyards are planted with colourful flowering trees, climbers, and bushes, including herbs. They will be partially shaded by the office buildings, contributing to the cooling effect, as will water features in some of the gardens. Two reservoirs will store over 2500 m3 of rainwater for reuse, and washbasins will be fitted with low-flow rate taps and infrared technology to avoid water waste.

M What is/are, in your opinion, the most unique/differentiating factor/s in the project’s design?

I The Trident Park and The Brewhouse developments are unique because they combine the essential qualities of Maltese architecture, urbanism, and landscape with the central paradigm of sustainable and healthy environmental design. Everyone who works in Trident Park will enjoy natural ventilation, perfumed with the flowers and vegetation typical of the Mediterranean climate. Courtyard gardens, spaces to meet and engage in conversation with others, indoor and outdoor exercise space, and places serving good food and beverages combine to create a campus for living. This is a different approach from the high-rise, air-conditioned and hermetically sealed allglass developments now being built, which are currently destroying the beautiful built heritage of Malta that survived World War II bombs.

M Were there any particular challenges in designing the project, and how did you address them?

I When working abroad, we always have collaboration topmost in our minds, and we were fortunate to have been introduced to Alex Torpiano and his company, TBA. Without them, the project would have been much more challenging to realise. Designing with Professor Doug King, we brought some thinking about environmental innovation, new ways of envisioning natural and artificial lighting, and re-interpretations of sun shading, which were quite demanding upon Malta’s industry. For example, the design introduces Malta state-of-theart environmental technologies such as thermo-active building systems through water-based floor slab cooling. Perhaps the most demanding, and not just in Malta, is achieving the rigorous quality of construction we are used to as a practice when building our designs. Our practise prides itself on prioritising quality over quantity and, in doing

so, often exceeds the client’s expectations. This requires motivating local industry and demonstrating that we can—and want to— work openly with them. Open collaboration with the industry, the consultants, and the client is central to the entire design and realisation process. We invested considerable time and effort in trying to achieve this. The project’s success will be measured by the quality of the outcome and the perception and experience of those who will enjoy the space.

For more information on Trident Park and The Brewhouse office leasing options, get in touch by calling 9953 9007 or 9945 5694, or emailing info@tridentparkmalta.com or info@thebrewhousemalta.com.

Ian Ritchie is the director of Ian Ritchie Architects, a Royal Academician and member of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin. He is Honorary Visiting Professor at Liverpool University and advises Backstage Trust. He is a former Governor of the RSC and advisor to The Ove Arup Foundation. He has chaired many international juries, including the Stirling Prize. He has written several books, and his art is held in several international museums.

BECOMING COMINO

‘As part of its strategic vision for growth, Hili Ventures is constantly seeking to enter sectors and markets where it can establish a strong, competitive presence.’ Melo Hili, chief executive officer of Hili Ventures, informs Money magazine.

‘One of its newest subsidiaries is HV Hospitality, a dedicated investor in landmark hospitality projects: projects that will withstand the test of time, that meet the highest industry standards, be genuinely respectful of their environs and local communities, operate with a deep understanding of the wishes of today’s traveller, and ultimately, be extraordinary.

To this end, the group was searching for a significant, meaningful opportunity that would allow it to venture into the hotels and

A globally acclaimed architect, and the future of a rural Mediterranean island. Dayna Camilleri Clarke met with Hili Ventures to understand the new proposed Comino Hotel project’s scale and what steps must be undertaken to bring this ambitious proposal to life.

Dayna is a senior speech therapist by day and feature writer by night. When she’s not busy fixing words, she is travelling the world to add to her fridge magnet collection.

resorts space and leave its mark with its very first project. HV Hospitality recognised the Comino Hotel’s potential to meet all these objectives.’

When it comes to how the group intends to transform the area Victor Tedesco, chairman of HV Hospitality, explains ‘The hotel and villas sites will be completely transformed. We have engaged world-renowned Italian architect Antonio Belvedere, who people in Malta will know for his stunning work at Valletta’s City Gate, as lead architect for the project. He immediately understood what we aimed to achieve and set to work on plans that not only met our expectations but exceeded them.

Antonio has developed a profound knowledge of the heritage of the Maltese islands, and

for the sake of this project, of Comino. He has studied Comino’s geology, topography, climate—practically all that makes Comino so

extraordinary—and designed builds that do away with everything unnecessary. He shares our determination to restore the integrity and natural beauty of these sites. He is committed to ensuring that we deliver a hotel and villas cluster that reduce disturbance to the island.

Antonio has adopted a subtraction process and presented a project that will not intrude on the island but rather blend into it. We are very proud of what Antonio’s conscientious vision will help us achieve: a responsible project with Comino's interests as its primary priority.’

When it comes to the complex logistics of taking resources to Comino, the pair explain.

‘Logistics have been a primary consideration throughout the planning process, and the →

The new Comino Hotel & Villas will occupy the same square meterage as the current properties; however, disturbed land will be reduced by nearly 5,000 square metres

team believes it has devised some optimum solutions. All material will be transported by boat or barge, and deliveries and removals will be planned to ensure maximum loadings for every trip.

The construction process revolves around a prefabrication strategy so that the material is processed in factories that are offsite and only the final product will be shipped to the island. It will also significantly reduce the pressure on waste management.

The new Comino Hotel & Villas will occupy the same square meterage as the current properties. However, disturbed land will be reduced by nearly 5,000 square metres. There will be no land reclamation whatsoever.

The new Comino Hotel will be smaller than the previous 95-room hotel. The new build will feature a central foyer and restaurant, with an underlying basement for an electromechanical plant, a hotel spa and a total of 70 hotel rooms with swimming pools at ground

floor level and terraces on the upper floors. Plans for the new villas will consist of a cluster of 21 residences.

The Comino Hotel and villas investment’s total value is projected to reach €110 million to €120 million. Work on demolition and construction will commence after planning permission is obtained. From this point, we estimate the project will take approximately two years to complete.’

Sustainability at every step

For a project to be truly responsible, it must be sustainable by all accounts. Sustainability has been factored into every single process of the journey until the project’s completion. The project aims to attract environmentally conscious travellers, one with a passion for a luxurious island lifestyle. As a selfsustainable, carbon-neutral, LEED platinumcertified building, the hotel is set to increase tourism’s economic benefits to the local community. It should encourage socially and environmentally responsible travel-buying decisions on a broader level.

The group explain they are working with all relevant authorities, stakeholders, volunteers and organisations to ensure they collectively have a fair say in how tourism will be supported long term for the benefit of Comino.

‘We have engaged with ARUP, one of the leading engineering practices in the world, with a brief to capture modern sustainable design strategies. Our scheme aims to be ‘Zero-Net-Carbon’. It is a crucial commitment requiring recognised scientific knowledge and sense of responsibility.

The strategy combines two significant actions: develop a passive building and use the local forces to produce energy. The energy consumption is reduced thanks to the ‘natural cross ventilation’, thermal mass, and low consumption devices. The objective is to minimise the need for turning on the cooling systems drastically. A photovoltaic array will produce a large amount of power while the total requirement for hot water for sanitary uses will be satisfied by solar thermal units.

We have set out to respect all aspects of the Natura 2000 management plan and all other plans that are relevant to Comino. In response to every issue raised by the Management Plan, a holistic design strategy starts from a careful dismantling of the existing structures. It continues with the least impacting prefabricated timber construction and ends with the regeneration of essential portions of disturbed land, restored to its original condition. This will be backed by a LEED Platinum certification.

As part of our design process, we are carefully looking at the exterior lighting design and light pollution. The dark sky will be preserved thanks to a minimal external lighting strategy. In the meantime, the ensemble of overhanging terraces/canopies will prevent the interior light from spilling out and from polluting the night sky.

We plan to adopt extensively Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) technology, reducing concrete trades, maximising erection speeds, and minimising impact to the surrounding areas during construction. It is a dry construction process that requires low quantities of water and reduces the amount of dust projected in the air. Since timber is a low embodied carbon material, it will play a vital role in the LEED Platinum certification and the Zero-NetCarbon strategy.

An Environmental Impact Assessment will be carried out, which will highlight any specific areas to protect. In any event, we will ensure that we procure all eco and marine consultants throughout the entire process to provide protection. An appropriate dismantling/demolition process followed by a prefabricated timber construction technique will minimise the impact of construction on, and not only, the marine life.’

As a self-sustainable, carbon-neutral, LEED platinum-certified building, the hotel is set to increase tourism’s economic benefits to the local community

REVOLUTION

The European Commission is inviting ‘creative minds’ across Europe to contribute ideas to the New European Bauhaus, an initiative to design new ways of living to meet the European Green Deal’s goals. JP Fabri explores its advantages and why Malta should use it as its next economic catalyst.

On January 18, the European Commission unveiled its plans for the New European Bauhaus initiative—an environmental, economic and cultural project aimed to design ‘future ways of living’ sustainable. In a statement, Commission President von der Leyen said that ‘the New European Bauhaus is about how we live better together after the pandemic while respecting the planet and protecting our environment. It is about empowering those who have the solutions to the climate crisis, matching sustainability with style.’

The Bauhaus was arguably the single most influential modernist art school of the 20th century. Its approach to teaching, and the relationship between art, society, and technology, had a significant impact both in Europe and in the United States long after its closure under Nazi pressure in 1933. Durability, aesthetics and inclusiveness remain the stated guiding principles of the project, inspired in the early 20th-century style of the German architect Walter Gropius, combining different elements from both fine arts and design to reflect the unity of all the arts.

Therefore, it is very apt for the Commission to see the recovery and relaunch from this pandemic as a new Bauhaus and to use this concept to implement the European Green Deal truly. We need design, architecture and artful experimentation to help create the conditions necessary for the European Green Deal, a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050 and with a budget exceeding €540 billion, including the design and delivery of our institutions, cultures, social support and natural environments, as much as our technologies, materials and built infrastructures.

Design-led approaches to such societal challenges can be the vehicle for this work, shaping finance, governance, and social innovation-oriented around public purpose, but this will require a much deeper exchange between the design and economics fields. Knowing how to design an economy to be more inclusive and sustainable begins with understanding markets as design decisions. The New Bauhaus can be this intellectual,

cultural and practical snowplough, clearing the way for these innovations and transformations. It can do this in at least three ways.

First, and most obviously, the imaginative capacity of design, art, and architecture actively creates possible futures making tangible and motivating the numerous diverse and complex scenarios implicit in the Green Deal.

Secondly, the New Bauhaus can help develop widespread literacy and toolkits for design, architecture, technology, and culture at all levels. Creating better clients, collaborators, and better designers can help transform businesses, organisations, civil service and public sectors and governments.

Thirdly, the New Bauhaus can help re-work the cultures that shape public life, such that our public and civic institutions are capable

to simultaneously provoke discussion, derive insights, and shape the directions of possible futures—is fundamental to design and architecture practice, yet still rarely used more broadly in public life. The New Bauhaus can be the prototyping engine for almost any aspect of the Green Deal, enabling participation in far more successful and more inventive subsequent outcomes from this ‘New Wave’.

The EU Commission launched the first phase of the New Bauhaus concept in January. I genuinely believe that Malta should pioneer this and embrace the movement itself as a country and society.

The EU Green Deal offers Malta a unique opportunity to transform itself and embrace the green revolution in its new economic renewal and growth era. This could be the right opportunity as we start rethinking the new normal and embracing the future’s

of equitably delivering resilient, healthy, vibrant and culturally rich technologies, infrastructures, cultures and places. Accessing art and design’s capacity will be vital to ensuring that we do not shirk from complexity but embrace it.

Design, art and architecture have fundamental roles to play here. They produce new ways of seeing and doing, informing and inventing new economic, cultural and political practices. A new emphasis on deep collaboration and dynamic evaluation, necessary at the core of these new practices, can draw deeply from architecture and design expertise in this regard.

The act of prototyping—of creating tangible experiences within everyday life,

new economic sectors. To this end, Malta can serve as a European testbed in which technologies, ideas and concepts inspired by this New Bauhaus supporting the EU Green Deal can be prototyped and tested in Malta. Prototyping the New Bauhaus itself, as a project, would enable ideas to emerge very soon, creating waves within months. Using the principles and practices of design and architecture is a sure-fire way to move quickly, practically, and in highly tangible ways.

Systems theorist Ilya Prigogine once said, ‘in an unstable complex system, small islands of coherence have the potential to change the whole system.’ Malta, it is our time to embrace the New Bauhaus and use it as our next economic catalyst.

The EU Green Deal offers Malta a unique opportunity to transform itself and embrace the green revolution in its new economic renewal and growth era

A LEAF OUT OF THEIR BOOKS

Pure love for books and the art of bookmaking is the driving force behind bookbinder Glen Calleja and publisher Zvezdan Reljic. Veronica Stivala falls in love as she reads between the lines.

Veronica is a freelance writer and editor. She won the IGM Award for her work on Ethical and Positive Disability in 2016.

So, what makes a book?

bookbinding with the aim to deconstruct the book, “for if you can make a book you can also dismantle it and therefore, be able to conduct autopsies of the power they represent”.

This passion grew into a fully-fledged business some five years ago, and Kotba Calleja is now synonymous with bespoke and unique books and paper products.

Glen Calleja

Bookbinder & founder, Kotba Calleja

Is it the pages between two covers? Is it text or pictures or just paper? It was these questions that set bookbinder Glen Calleja on his journey of bookbinding. “I loved books and alternative book structures and poetry, the weirder, the sexier to my eyes,” he muses. He admits to at one point being curious, “perhaps a little pedantically obsessed by ‘what makes a book?’” The book, he notes, is a powerful symbol of authority and power, a political symbol that one can wield for all sorts of ends and purposes. You can also use it to validate morally dubious choices and injustices. “I wanted to engage with it and see where it takes me,” he asserts.

Calleja found a teacher: Ms Lori Sauer, who runs the binding redefined courses in the UK and started learning the basics of traditional

At the heart of Kotba Calleja’s identity lies the pride it takes in experimenting with contemporary materials and design principles while using age-old techniques. They use traditional skills in tandem with modern binding solutions. What does that mean? To Glen, that often means that the book is treated as a platform for thinking rather than a container of knowledge. “The book structure speaks about itself; a metastructure as it were. If it’s a sewn book, then it shows the sewing on the outside, just to give you a little example,” he explicates.

This, he confides, doesn’t mean that exposing the sewing is anything new to the world of traditional bookbinding, far from it. Using a technique to create a reflection about the

book’s structure itself is, however, a more contemporary conceptual preoccupation. It’s another facet of his interest in deconstructing the book structure as a locus of power. Furthermore, mixing contrasting materials, say organic paper with acrylic rods as spine supports, gives the book a bold new identity which wouldn’t have been possible a few decades ago.

Kotba Calleja’s portfolio features a wide variety of books from journals with a cloth and patterned paper covers, a hardcover journal with collaged wooden covers, a pamphlet journal with handmade paper covers and exposed sewing to a photo book with a cloth spine, to name just a few. Speaking about the binding process, Calleja reveals how some elements of the process are always the same. The more ambitious projects may involve considerable technical challenges, and such projects come with severe labour pains which, by time, one learns to expect and accept. The process starts by looking at what the book is intended for, who will be using it and where it will be used. From there on, they decide on the structure and create a few designs on paper.

It comes as no surprise that no one project is the same, but Calleja generally tries to commit for three to four weeks for conventional book structures. For some others, the process is more open. It can take several months, especially when sourcing unusual materials that may need to be imported from abroad or encounter unexpected challenges in the prototyping process.

Does Glen have any books he is incredibly proud of? That’s a secret, he discloses bemusedly. “I will tell you that my favourite book is the perfect book that I will never manage to make the book which I aspire to achieve whenever I am at my workbench.” →

I loved books and alternative book structures and poetry: the weirder, the sexier to my eyes

The thing dreams are made of

and poems online. “Publishing, like many other industries, was stalled because of the pandemic and is still in a terrible situation, so the urge to start something new was the only way forward,” he confides.

To quote the publisher, “Ede Artisan Books are not just stitched, bound and trimmed by hand, but are made with by-products of fruits and nuts. These natural raw materials are saved from landfill and used to make these distinctive papers.” For this, Zvezdan adds, he has Chris Galea to thank, his paper supplier at Arrowswift, who always has some very distinctive paper on offer. “He showed me some samples of these beautiful paper types, and that was it for me.”

one of them. During these years, Relijic also learned to print on offset presses, and after college, he worked as an offset printer for a few years.

Silkscreen printing then became his immense love, and he set up a small silk screen printing venture. A semi-automatic machine and a darkroom served as his office for several years before leaving the country for Malta.

Zvezdan Reljic Publisher, Ede Books and Ede Artisan Books

“Paper, the thing dreams are made of.” Publisher Zvezdan Relijic has coined an apt quote for his trade. While he always starts with an initial idea, it is the paper that guides his creative process: “they show you how they take ink, how they fold, which glue they like, how they pierce, which thread... ideas just start coming as if the paper is teaching you...”

Ede Artisan Books is a sub-branch of Ede Books, a small local publishing house. Ede Artisan Books are small handmade editions of books and are, in Reljic’s words, “a testament to Ede Books’ continued commitment to craft, or traditional printing and bookbinding”.

The idea for these books came about during a Covid-imposed quarantine, while Zvezdan was engaged in daily online correspondence with authors who had already collaborated with Ede Books and was getting in touch with others who started sharing short stories

Zvezdan graduated from the Graphic Arts School in Belgrade long before computers started being used in publishing. They had a printing house as a part of the campus, so in four years they had to go through all the relevant stages and departments, from prepress to finishing… and bookbinding was

Technically, his diploma states, ‘Reproduction Photographer’—a job quite close to the occupation of ‘litho-film planner’, which is a pre-press job that has since become obsolete with the advent of computer-toplate technology and PDFs. It was Reljic’s job in Malta in the early 90s, before the industry made the complete switch to desktop publishing.

Speaking about the process of making handmade books, Reljic reveals how every single book is different. “The common thing is that you have preparation, printing and binding/finishing. Any of these three parts can take from a day to weeks—it all depends on what you are making.”

For the small artisan books, when the inside pages are printed (if they are text-based he prints them on his laser printer), he folds spreads one by one into sections; same with the cover, which needs to be folded separately. He then sews them with a needle together and trims every book with a scalpel on three sides. “Every part is important.”

Does he have any books he is incredibly proud of? “I love them all,” he reveals, adding that “I mostly notice the things that don't come out ‘perfectly’ and that bugs me, but realising that people love them—particularly the ‘nonperfect’ ones—really feels good.”

They show you how they take ink, how they fold, which glue they like... ideas just start coming as if the paper is teaching you

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BANKING ON IT

G The Central Bank of Malta (CBM) was active during COVID-19 by rolling out measures such as the moratorium issuance and increased payment limits for contactless payments. How important is it for the CBM to take a stand in times like these, and are people aware of the work done by the CBM?

E The CBM took an active role in seeking to minimise as much as possible disruptions in banking services to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. It updated and issued several measures while keeping abreast with ongoing developments. Possibly the measure which was most impactful for several businesses and households alike was the introduction of Directive No. 18 on Moratoria on Credit Facilities in Exceptional Circumstances issued in April 2020; and which has been reactivated in January 2021 subject to certain conditions.

Another measure to ensure that the public remains well-served by banks during the pandemic in terms of cash services and other paper-based instruments, while at the same time minimising the need for visits to a branch, particularly for the more vulnerable in society—such as pensioners—was the issue of Directive No. 17. This Directive allowed cheques marked as ‘only’ for use by

the beneficiary to be deposited by trusted third parties, which enabled further social distancing for vulnerable people, limiting their need to visit bank branches.

Subsequently, in agreement with the domestic banks, the contactless limit on EPOS terminals was increased to limit as much as possible human contact in the provision of banking services and hence reduce the likelihood of the spread of the virus and protect both the public and bank staff.

These initiatives have a common theme— an attempt to avoid as much as possible economic and financial disruptions, which in turn, is what financial stability is all about. This is the most important motivation for the CBM’s actions during such difficult times.

In terms of awareness, central banks’ activity is quite complicated for the public to comprehend. However, financial markets follow the European Central Bank (ECB) statements and actions like a hawk. In a sense, the developments of the pandemic and the CBM’s response have shown how the Bank’s actions could directly affect people’s lives. The Bank took various initiatives to ensure that people understand these measures and how they can make the best

in Malta.

use of them. Apart from using social media and simple ‘Q&A’ guides to disseminate this information, the Bank made itself available for physical interviews with the press. For the future, I intend to see that the Bank’s strategic direction will be towards making itself more accessible. This direction is also in line with the ECB’s renewed emphasis on reaching out to the public to explain better its role. In this regard, last year, the Central Bank also organised a series of outreach events to explain the European System of Central Banks’ role, of which the CBM forms part. You can expect a much more extensive programme for the future.

G How is the Central Bank managing the banking crisis in Malta regarding the lack of correspondent banks?

E A banking crisis is marked by bank failures, unpaid debt and loss of confidence. However, Malta did not experience this even during the international financial crisis of 2008. This showed our banking system’s resilience and good management.

The issue of correspondent banking is a complex one. In recent years, the number of banks offering correspondent banking services worldwide has been dwindling as several international banks have been →

The Central Bank of Malta has a new Governor, but certainly not a new face to the industry, as Giselle Borg Olivier speaks to the former Minister of Finance, Prof. Edward Scicluna, who has taken the helm of one of the most bureaucratic institutions on the island amid a pandemic, discussing the way forward for the adoption of the digital euro, the economic impact of climate change, and what’s going to happen with the banking industry

Giselle is a marketing professional, and independent writer and proofreader. She runs Content for Success.

retreating after several of them—such as Deutsche Bank, ING and Danske, among others—were slapped with hefty fines by regulators for money laundering. These banks have had to de-risk. Several small jurisdictions, such as Malta, where turnover is relatively small compared to the costs and risks involved, were no longer sufficiently profitable for such business offered by the correspondent banks. Indeed, this problem affects several countries and many banks as evidenced by various reports and studies from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Stability Board.

During Malta’s EU presidency, the topic was even on the G20’s meeting agenda. Last October, the Small States Forum under the auspices of the World Bank issued a communique where it expressed its concerns that increasing pressures in the provision of correspondent banking services is threatening the external trade business and inward investment of small states.

While the maintenance of correspondent banking relationships is ultimately up to individual banks to deal with, the CBM has been taking various actions to ensure that domestic banks maintain their correspondent banking relationships. The CBM, in collaboration with other authorities like the FIAU and the MFSA, has been very active in organising a series of meetings with international banks to explain the evolution of the local regulatory framework, its implementation and resources devoted to the oversight in respect of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism activities. The aim is to reassure banks offering correspondent banking services that Malta as a jurisdiction has undertaken several reforms in Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Financing Terrorism field.

On their part, domestic banks have also undergone significant de-risking and stepped up their investment in KYC compliance processes as requested by the authorities. This approach is yielding positive results. We are now seeing interest from some banks in offering correspondent banking services in currencies other than the euro which are in discussions with Maltese banks. Although this is good news, nevertheless

the global supply of correspondent banking services remains challenging. Both the local authorities and the domestic banks need to keep the momentum of upholding the standards of governance, risk and compliance management required by correspondent banks for such services.

G What is your short-term and long-term vision for the CBM, in terms of modern payment systems?

E Statistics in Malta show that the local community still makes extensive use of both cash and cheques at the retail level. However, card usage—especially for online purchases— is growing fast. In the coming years, the Bank will continue to promote credit transfers and direct debits at the retail level, which have a much broader reach through SEPA compliance. Through their automated processing, they are highly effective and efficient for users and processors alike. Indeed, this was another reason why the Central Bank of Malta, through its payments hub, is providing payment processors located in Malta with a viable link to the euro area clearing system for both products.

In the future, direct credits and debits need to be complemented with a possible point of sale solution using instant payments to reduce delivery delay. In this regard, the Bank will also evaluate the possibility of providing instant payment services to public sector entities. Instant payments can change the retail experience and, from now on, become

the mainstay product that consumers will need as part of their retail experience. Together with its euro area partner central banks, the Central Bank already offers credit institutions in Malta a clearing system for instant payments, known as TIPS. However, more work is required through legislation to ensure that such a service becomes practical for both vendors and consumers and provides a suitable alternative in faceto-face and digital interactions. Indeed, in the eventuality of introducing a digital euro, this would ensure that central bank money, whether in cash or digital form, entertains all the requirements of users in the euro area for their payment needs, within an infrastructure without traditional borders.

Up to 2019, Malta had no automated clearing house, with banks relying on foreign correspondent banks to clear even domestic payments in euro. Back then, the CBM had decided to embark on an ambitious project to modernise its payment systems infrastructure and offer new services to financial market participants and public sector entities regarding euro payments, which until then only required the use of costly correspondent banks. In 2020, the CBM launched its payments hub project by first becoming a direct participant in the EBA Step2-T platform, which is a panEuropean automated clearing house within the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), to remove the reliance on foreign commercial banks and the CBM taking over the role of representing indirect participants and clear

SEPA payments for them. Today, participants in the CBM’s payments hub can undertake credit transfers and direct debits of eurodenominated payments through the CBM without the need for a correspondent bank. The infrastructure allows for the clearing of both euro payments within Malta and those cross-border. Over the past year, the Bank has already onboarded three participants. A fourth is in the testing phase before participation, while other financial market players have expressed interest in joining. The project is still ongoing, and this year the Bank will be implementing an automated tool to strengthen further its AML and FATF monitoring capabilities for such transactions.

if there is a decline in banknotes and coins, as is the trend in several countries, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the pace in the use of electronic means of payment.

The introduction of a digital euro is not free from challenges. First and foremost, the system needs to ensure a high degree of security, especially concerning cyber-attack attempts, to instil confidence in its use by European citizens. Secondly, there are issues concerning privacy protocols. The use of cash offers the highest level of privacy and anonymity, and therefore European citizens may expect the same degree of privacy from a digital euro. However, one needs to consider AML/CFT regulations and considerations in designing a digital euro to ensure traceability of payments.

CBM has already been on the path towards greener investments in its portfolio as it had begun doing so for the last few years. In the CBM’s investments strategy, the Bank has already included Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) considerations. We are focusing on thematic bond investing, where some three years ago, we had invested in green bonds, which account for almost 4 per cent of our assets under management, excluding cash.

E Technological developments in retail payment systems have prompted central banks worldwide to explore a digital currency’s issuance. The Eurosystem is also exploring the possible issuance of a digital euro. In October 2020, a report was published by the ECB that examines a central bank digital currency’s issuance from the Eurosystem perspective. A digital euro would complement the current offering of cash and wholesale central bank deposits. However, the ECB Governing Council has yet to decide whether to introduce a digital euro.

There are undoubtedly benefits for European citizens from a digital euro as this could make their daily payments fast, easy and secure. Indeed, a digital euro may become essential

Another challenge is that a digital euro must address the issue of financial inclusion. Other challenges may arise from a digital euro that concerns the banking sector and financial stability through monetary policy. Much will depend on the strategies adopted in the design of the digital euro to address these challenges.

G The CBM forms part of the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS); are you as committed as ECB President Christine Lagarde to raise awareness of climate change’s economic impact?

E Our participation in the NGFS stems from our belief that even central banks can do their part in contributing to addressing the challenge of climate change, which is indeed one that requires immediate action. Indeed, the CBM agrees with the ECB stand that although central banks are not in the ‘driving seat’, they cannot ignore the impact of climate change on economies and—more directly within their remit—its impact on financial stability and monetary policy. This goes beyond embarking on policies to reduce the CBMs carbon footprint in how the Bank conducts its business.

What is happening within the Eurosystem is developing a common stance on climate change—related to sustainable and responsible investments in national central banks’ non-monetary policy portfolios. The

Furthermore, the Bank is also adopting a negative screening approach by excluding specific sectors, such as those engaged in coal production, nuclear weapons and tobacco among others, from its portfolios, based on internationally recognised exclusion lists. In this regard, the Bank will be gradually divesting from investments in such sectors, although such holdings currently are minimal and account for about only 0.3 per cent of our portfolio. The Bank also adopted a positive screening approach, wherein 2020 it invested in a Sustainable Response Investments compliant externally managed fund. Currently, we have also stepped up our monitoring of ESG related metrics for our externally managed funds by requesting and monitoring such ratings of these funds.

G What do you feel that you should contribute to the Central Bank as the new governor? Will you ever retire?

E I see the coming five years as an excellent opportunity to use my professional experience to serve my country through the Bank, as I did as Finance Minister for the last eight years and before that. Before that in my various other headship roles. I will join my ex-colleagues and friends now central bank governors in the ECB’s Governing Council at the European level. Together, we take important decisions that leave an impact on all of us. There are significant issues at the Eurosystem level—like reviewing our policy instruments, facing climate challenges, and introducing the digital euro. At the local level, I look forward to co-ordinating the long overdue task to bring the two financial regulators, the CBM and the MFSA closer together as has been done in the rest of the Eurosystem.

If I manage to do all this successfully, I will seek to retire and not seek an extension.

G What is the Maltese stand on the adoption of the digital euro?

The aim is to reassure banks offering correspondent banking services that Malta as a jurisdiction has undertaken several reforms in the AML/CFT field

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FINANCIAL INJECTIONS

M What benefits will the new partner Kris Bartolo and the rebranding exercise bring about? What changes do you foresee as a result?

K The rebranding exercise is more than a new logo and represents what Zampa Debattista stands for. We aim to raise the profession with integrity, honour and passion, which is reflected in our new branding. Furthermore, Kris Bartolo's appointment as a Partner within the organisation reiterates the firm's commitment to the fundamental core values of quality and best practice. A new partner's appointment will ensure that the firm will continue contributing towards the profession by raising the bar in such challenging times.

Zampa Debattista continues to reinforce strategies to offer the highest quality services and positively impact the clients' businesses.

M How have you changed your stance in terms of advising clients amid the pandemic? Has a lot changed in your formula to up the game for businesses? Is it much more challenging?

K It is fair to say that COVID-19 hurt many businesses. More than ever, we are required to assist clients in managing business continuity and in planning well to avoid falling behind in these challenging times.

No one is sure when this pandemic will be over, but you must continue to manage today's challenges effectively. We assist our clients by providing quality service to meet regulatory requirements and identifying opportunities, improving processes, and ensuring that businesses tap into any available funding or avail of any potential financial incentives to ensure continuity, exploit potential and help companies to grow.

M Do you think that businesses failing due to COVID-19 would return to trade one day, or is it all doom and gloom for some? How are companies in retail coping amid online shopping? What is your advice for these businesses?

K Despite the uncertainty, we all hope for a better future – imminently. This was a rough patch for many businesses, but we trust that many severely hit companies will soon return to 'normal' operating levels. Economic support measures are available for business; however, making the turnaround from surviving to thriving postCOVID-19 requires excellent leadership and management. Positive work culture is key to every successful business and emphasises companies' importance in looking after their best resource, human capital, which is a vital investment.

Zampa Debattista assists clients by providing specialised professional services. Such services include, amongst others, advice for effective cash flow management to improve flexibility and capacity to grow as well as advice to improve inventory management. We can help clients seek various financing options and be on the lookout for opportunities whilst carrying

out a robust feasibility analysis for capital expenditure decisions or proposed business diversification.

M What current schemes are in place, which will help businesses raise the bar in financial help?

K Fiscal incentives and funding opportunities are in place for start-ups or business aiming to grow, innovate or diversify their business. The Business Enhance ERDF Grant Schemes seek to support enterprises through several aid schemes in grants from EU and national funds. One of the schemes is the SME Consultancy Service Grant Scheme, which aims to help enterprises engage external consultancy service providers to support their decision-making processes, such as preparing a business plan or a feasibility study to assess and evaluate a proposed investment initiative.

Furthermore, Malta Enterprise provides wide-ranging assistance to attract Malta's foreign direct investment and facilitate existing businesses' growth. It also provides incentives for enterprises demonstrating commitment towards growth, an increase in value-added and employment. Enterprises engaged in manufacturing, ICT development activities, call centres, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, aviation and maritime services, education and training, logistics and more may benefit from these incentives. Malta Enterprise also updated its guidance for certain incentives to help minimise the effect of the instability brought about by the pandemic and introduced additional support measures.

At Zampa Debattista, we provide guidance and expert advice to identify the best funding source to support your business idea.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has caught businesses largely off-guard. Zampa Debattista and their new partner Kris Bartolo guide COVID-19-hit companies on how to keep head above water during such challenging times.

FOCUSING ON TRADITIONAL INVESTMENTS, BOTH ON THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

D Many businesses end up going around in circles when marketing their products and services. Does your firm reinvent the wheel when it comes to unique ways of promoting a service or product?

S We tend to reinvent the wheel in terms of the campaign’s approach, pitch and strategy. MYC’s strength is knowing both business and strategy. We are equipped with a fully-fledged studio capable of creating any visual and written content for any business or campaign. We value strategy and budgets, more importantly, how the funds should be allocated to maximise campaigns. We prioritise the must-haves over the good to have in the clients’ best interest.

We define who the client’s customers are through meetings and brainstorming. We discuss potential development within that sector and ensure that its image can correctly reflect the objective. Next, we ascertain that our client is digitally well-exposed—mobilefriendly website, social media platforms are on top of the list. Finally comes the objective. What campaign is in the discussion? Launch of a new business? Showroom? Offers?

D Which in your opinion, is the best marketing tool?

S No doubt, digital is where everyone is, where everyone works, lives and breathes. We have developed more websites and created incredible amounts of digital campaigns than any other traditional medium. We have completed over 90% of our audio and visual productions for digital, very few for TV (as an example). Nevertheless, campaigns can access different niches through different media and methodologies. I still believe that with the right partnership, traditional ways

ON THE SAME PAGE

of marketing and advertising such as printed media, radio and television are beneficial for a business’s exposure.

D Brainstorming plays a vital role to emerge with ideas to convey a message to the public for a business. How does your team go about this? Do you feel brainstorming is the secret to a successful marketing campaign?

S Brainstorming helps both strategy and creativity. This is MYC’s strength: we discuss concepts and design ideas. However, the most crucial part of any business department is strategy and direction. Our clients experience what data, analytics, research and analysis, together with the strategic and creative team’s experience, can deliver when connected to one vision.

D Do you feel websites are gradually dying out and replaced with posts on Instagram and Facebook, or do businesses still require a website as their primary platform?

S The answer is no. Social media is visited for so many hours daily, which leads to the idea that the rest of the digital sphere might be less significant. Your website is your virtual showroom. Your social media platforms are your virtual display window. Would you invest in your display windows and close your shop?

Social media is the place your business needs to be always present, to keep contact with your audience, invite people to visit your website to have a better idea/experience of your business, service or products.

D Overall, how have your campaigns performed so far? What happens if the results are not as expected?

S We proudly state that we have a client retention rate of 90% since 2012. This comes through hard work, understanding our clients, sharing their vision and executing effective strategies. The company boasts a 35% business increase year after year, also during the Covid-19 pandemic. This, apart from being our priority for business sustainability, also assures positive results to our clients and potential clients.

What happens if the results are not as expected? Financial planning, sales, and marketing are entirely different, yet have one objective—better business. You can have great marketing with fewer sales, and vice versa. You can have great results with little marketing budget allocation. These can make an impact on the outcome. When we consult a campaign or a project, we discuss the entire process, which includes:

Product development sales plan; Marketing budget marketing plan; Timing.

We rarely fail our campaigns as we plan diligently. We know the business, and together with our clients, we cover every detail before executing a project.

We plan, we execute and more importantly, we deliver.

Duncan Barry speaks to Simon Attard, founder and director at MYC, on their strategy to help clients market their business and unleash their full potential.

BRAINSTORMING HELPS BOTH STRATEGY AND CREATIVITY. THIS IS MYC’S STRENGTH: WE DISCUSS CONCEPTS AND DESIGN IDEAS

FROM CRISIS TO A CATALYST FOR CHANGE

MONEY sat down with Benji Borg from digital experience agency ANCHOVY. and Matthew Sammut, executive director at NIU, a web design and development agency, to talk about the disruption and acceleration of the e-commerce sector brought about by the pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for change in the eCommerce sphere, completely changing consumers’ shopping behaviour. This is bound to have a lasting effect on how businesses conduct online transactions.

M Covid-19 has been a massive catalyst for change and has accelerated the digitisation of most sectors. What was the most significant shift in the eCommerce landscape locally?

MS Yes, I think Covid-19 restrictions have urged and encouraged the consumer to go online. Food delivery, high street apparel, domestic appliances and ride-hailing are all great examples of how things have changed in the past months. Consumers now expect to find almost everything online, have the relevant information at hand, and conclude in the shortest time possible.

We’ve also seen how having a website is no longer enough. Consumers no longer visit your shop, and too often neither your website. They expect sellers to reach out to them with the right product at the right time and the right price point. You need to

know your customer well, have excellent SEO optimisation and continuously capitalise on social media tools.

Over the past months, we have seen many local businesses forced to revisit their whole business and digital strategy and become digital-first. Previously we saw technology adoption; now, we see a shift in mindset.

BB The most significant shift locally has been awareness and realisation. We have always had three types of people: those who did not adopt digital strategies, those that semi-adopted them and the full adopters. Pre-Covid-19, the first two buckets were the largest, but post-Covid-19 has made everyone shift to a digital-first mindset. I work digitally every day of my life, and I still consider myself a semi digital-first adopter pre-Covid-19. I now find myself searching, booking and buying everything online first, with a mix of offline methods to have the full experience. Customers’ buying journeys have become so complex, multi-channelled and diverse that you are already at a loss if you are not present across all these touchpoints as a business. eCommerce is just a puzzle piece in the whole digital ecosystem.

M How do you see the eCommerce sector’s evolution in Malta in a post-Covid-19 economy?

MS It is hard to generalise, as different businesses will apply various technologies in different ways for other objectives, but I do expect growth, consolidation, specialisation and aggressive competition. Economies of scale will favour those who play smart and leverage automation and efficiency, and specialists will use technology to reach out to previously unreachable markets. I think Maltese companies will start to sell beyond our borders and vice-versa.

I also predict growth in the ecosystem that serves the eCommerce value chain. New players will emerge within the eCommerce value chain, including logistics, payments, packaging, digital marketing, insurance, and solutions development.

BB Adapt or be left behind. It’s that simple. This goes beyond having a goodlooking website to a fully immersive digital experience. If you were building a race car, you would want to have a great car, a fast engine, a skilled driver and an even better

support team. The same goes for business. You cannot merely have a striking website; you need excellent customer care, fast and convenient delivery, and in-store experiences that keep your customers coming back for more.

M What new skills will workers need to embrace and absorb to survive in this new eCommerce world?

MS First, a valuable worker in an eCommerce environment needs to grasp technology, how to use it, and its limitations. The ability to manipulate and interpret complex sets of data will also help. Companies sit on so much data that will require strong analytical skills to take advantage of. Too often, this goes to waste.

Digital marketing, social media use, SEO and maintaining the sales funnel are also highly sought-after skills. Finally, as customer interaction shifts to email and chat, the ability to attend to customers in a fast yet effective manner is also highly desirable.

BB Running an eCommerce business requires an entirely new mentality and skillset. The reality is that there is still a shortage locally when it comes to technically capable people to perform such tasks. Companies will need to start forming partnerships with firms or look towards employing remotely. The HR shortage needs to be tackled at a national level. Skilled workers in this field are young and generally do not follow traditional education routes, making them efficient at specific tasks but very hard to manage and control. This means that organisations will need to invest more time teaching their new teams on how to function both technically and socially.

M Have digital solutions become more attractive for older generations, and has Covid-19 created new audiences for eCommerce?

MS We had seen this in the past when computers, broadband internet, and mobile phones emerged. Sections of society adopt before others for many reasons, including fear, ease of use, availability, priorities, and costs. However, as history has shown time and time again, eventually, technologies

become mainstream. This is what is happening now with eCommerce adoption in Malta.

I think that it is essential that we encourage the elderly to embrace the internet and eCommerce. They stand to benefit so much from technology and the opportunities it offers.

BB Digital has become more user friendly, but there is still a long way to go. My aunt recently asked me if she will get charged when using WhatsApp to call her cousin in England. This shows that there is still a noticeable gap in educating some generations of how digital truly works. I believe there is a window of opportunity for a business not merely to sell products but also to educate. If you take the time to inform your customers, you will generate loyalty and repeat business. Older generations generally have fewer people to talk to, so there needs to be an easier helpline for this generation to tap into the fast-moving digital world.

This also applies to eCommerce. For example, online stores should ask customers for their age, and the website’s layout should change depending on that. If the customer is over 60 years old, the font could become enlarged, the navigation is made easier, and help features become more prominent.

These are minor changes that have a significant impact on the customer.

M What do you think is the key to unlocking success in eCommerce and online sales conversion?

MS First, eCommerce should not be viewed as a parallel sales channel to an existing bricks-and-mortar setup. This is an unprecedented opportunity to rethink your business. From redefining your market and product, redesigning your processes, overhauling your stock management, fulfilling demand faster and smarter, or systemising customer support, mention some examples.

As to conversions in the digital age, this is both a science and an art form. Irrespective of your industry, you need to understand and harness digital marketing through social media campaigns, SEO, and other traditional

modes. You need to leverage data and continuously test your gut feelings, measure the outcomes, learn, and then execute.

Finally, we have found that successful online businesses can strike the right balance between what is done in-house and what gets outsourced through experience. Whilst you must remain at the helm of your operations, you will need outside specialists to support you with tech solutions and expertise. By teaming up with the right partners, you will be securing the best solutions for your needs whilst your resources remain focused on where it matters most—running the business.

BB Once again, it’s quite simple. Spend enough time listening to your customers and learn how to interpret that data. You would be surprised by how much you can learn from reading complaints and Facebook messages and doing the casual in-person delivery here and there. You, as the business owner, cannot take your product and your purchasing journey for granted. You live and breathe this every day. However, new customers see all of this for the very first time. You need to make sure that you are getting their attention and then giving them what they need at the right time. Companies need to invest more time in research and data to optimise the customer journey.

Another important aspect is having a strong company ethos and sticking to it. Above all, and now more than ever, customers want to trust and support the brands they are buying from. The brand is an extension of who they are.

ADAPT OR BE LEFT BEHIND. IT'S THAT SIMPLE.

FULL METAL JACKET

Over the past years, the practice of looking at the ‘E’ within the environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) ideology has increased in popularity. Today, the push towards the achievement of a healthier and more sustainable climate dictates the agenda of many governments across the globe.

Traditionally investors have looked at precious metals as a class that offered a haven niche, with gold being the most valuable. On the contrary, industrial metals were always seen as a critical input for various industries in their production or operations, and highly sensitive to economic trends. The primary precious metals are gold, palladium, platinum and silver, while

the well-known industrial metals are copper, aluminium, zinc and nickel. Today selective precious and industrial metals have emerged as crucial inputs in achieving the sustainable climate goal.

Let’s refresh our memories. In September 2015, the automobile industry was shocked by the news that Volkswagen (VW) had intentionally programmed their diesel engines tests to satisfy the ‘Clean Air Act’ set by the United States, designed to control air pollution. A scandal that tremored the credibility of VW and other auto manufacturers. The said scandal has triggered an unprecedented demand for palladium, a precious metal that has become

more precious than gold over the past years.

Palladium is used in catalytic converters, a device which controls and reduces exhaust emissions and other damaging gasses. Indeed, the scandal triggered a two-fold demand for this precious metal. Firstly, auto manufacturers themselves shifted from the traditionally used platinum to palladium, given its more effective in reducing emissions. Secondly, since the emissions scandal, the automobile industry has also experienced a shift in consumer demand. More are considering buying a petrol-driven vehicle which predominately uses palladium in their catalytic converter.

It is no secret that electrical vehicles (EV) will eventually become the new norm in the coming future. However, in the short to medium term, we will continue to experience a shift from diesel to petrol engines, which in turn continues to show how vital palladium is as an input in lowering carbon emissions. Thus, no surprises that palladium has surged by circa 350% since 2016, while gold was up to circa 45%—clearly conditioned by different dynamics despite usually considered within the same basket. (See Figure 1)

A long shot is the use of both platinum and palladium in the development of lithium-ion batteries, which should enhance battery performance amongst electronics and within the EV space. Thus, a demand which should continue to support the metal per se.

Copper is a crucial element in achieving a healthier climate goal. Jordan Portelli takes a closer look at the long-term environmental goal.

Jordan is an economist and a portfolio manager for a local asset management company.

Figure 1: The price of palladium

More interestingly, from the industrial metals front, copper is a crucial element in achieving a healthier climate goal. Traditionally, copper was a very sensitive metal to economic outlooks for growing economies. Case in point, China which is one of the main drivers in terms of demand, had harshly negatively conditioned the price of copper when in 2015 woes surrounding China’s economic growth prevailed. The said sensitivity comes to no surprise when considering that China’s demand for copper is just over 50% of global demand. (See Figure 2)

However, looking more at its use within the smarter environmental goals, copper seems to be a key input in three key areas.

The electrical vehicle (EV) space

As mentioned earlier, selective precious metals are crucial in reducing emissions, while copper is a more long-term play within the EV space. The demand for electric vehicles is expected to grow remarkably in the coming years. Selective governments have committed themselves to eliminate the use of diesel engines and shift to EV soon.

Copper is a crucial input, and its use within the EV space is more explicit compared to the traditional vehicle. Indeed, it is interesting to note that the traditional internal combustion engine uses 23kg of copper, while a hybrid electrical vehicle uses 40kg of copper. Moreover, when looking at the long-term trends, battery electric vehicles, copper is 83kg. By 2027, an estimated 27 million electric

cars will be on the road, a clear shifting trend from the traditional vehicles with crucial inputs such as copper emerging as a necessity to fulfil such achievement. (See Figure 3)

Renewable energy systems

Within the renewable energy space, copper also emerges as a critical input in achieving the long-term goal of shifting from traditional energy. Copper is one of the few materials that can be recycled without any loss in performance. It reduces CO2 emissions and lowers the amount of energy needed to produce electricity. Within the renewable sector, copper is used in solar heating, wind energy within the coil winding elements, and photovoltaics in its technology cabling.

Greener buildings

It is no secret that the shift of people from the rural areas to big cities has created the demand for buildings, which has also triggered sustainable issues, from quick resource consumption and overuse to growing waste and pollution. Thus, the greener buildings ideology has over the past years increased in popularity.

Also, in this segment, copper emerges as a critical input. More than 100 copper applications are practically contributing to green and healthy building construction and improving overall environmental performance. Apart from its traditional use in buildings through wiring, plumbing, heating and cooling, lighting and roofing of buildings, there is then the greener building proposition. In fact, at the design stage, buildings are also looking at elements that minimise negative impacts on the environment or even offer positive contributions, such as photovoltaics and other smarter resource usage, which all require copper as input.

Moving forward, it is no secret that Governments hold specific targets in achieving a more sustainable climate. The said transition is not an option, but an obligation for the benefit of all. In this regard, selective metals will continue to be crucial for these long-term goals, and thus the demand should continue to outweigh supply, plausibly, over the medium to longer term.

The cohort move towards a greener world will inevitably push selective metals to be more precious than others.

WITHIN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SPACE, COPPER ALSO EMERGES AS A CRITICAL INPUT IN ACHIEVING THE LONGTERM GOAL OF SHIFTING FROM TRADITIONAL ENERGY

Figure 3: EV copper demand

Figure 2: Demand for copper by region

FLIP the CARBON SCRIPT

perspective on what a low-carbon future could look like. As the world recovers and vaccines are rolled out, we are now challenged with whether we should revert to the old habits or otherwise.

The science is clear

In the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, Malta committed itself to the ambitious but necessary target of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Countries around Europe and the world embarked on similar pledges, signalling a global shift towards developing greener, more sustainable economies that protect the planet we all inhabit. Achieving this was never going to be easy, but few would have predicted the hurdle that 2020 would bring.

The COVID-19 pandemic strained health care systems all over the world to breaking point. The economy was put on an indefinite hiatus, and societal norms and interactions were almost instantly radically reshaped.

Developments that seemed far off arrived immediately, undermining common assumptions and placing leaders in unusual situations requiring unique solutions.

Disruption does not come from technologies and business models alone. It can occur through elections, climate disruption or, in this case, a pandemic. The crisis has accelerated transformation and thrust the entire global economy onto a new S-curve pattern—this is when a model or technology is at first adopted somewhat gradually, then rapidly, before slowing again as the model matures and delivers diminishing returns—

one focused on using innovation to create a better world.

We have been on the last curve for decades, arguably built on increasingly unsustainable societal, environmental and business outcomes. The next S-curve has been visible for a while now, and while it does not have a name yet, it is essentially the future. A new renaissance, making possible what was once unthinkable, is underway right now. Changes that had been sporadic or resisted, such as remote working, have been implemented by necessity, suddenly proving more effective and sustainable.

Interestingly, the crisis is providing a new

The Paris Climate Agreement goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels.

In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a special report (www.ipcc.ch/sr15/) on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. The report identified the human factors behind climate change and mapped out the likely trajectories of increasing temperatures and their impact on our planet’s health. It concluded that we should aim for temperature increases in line with 1.5°C.

Failure will result in wide-reaching social and economic disruptions. Success depends on decarbonising the global economy—an

Chris is an economist and Associate Partner at EY Malta, leading the Valuation, Modelling and Economics sub-service line. Maria is an economist and Senior at EY Malta.

Chris Meilak, economist and Associate Partner, and Maria Giulia Pace, economist and Senior, at EY Malta, address how disruptive climate change underscores the urgency of limiting and capturing carbon and turning it into a valuable source.

Source: EY, EYQ 3rd Edition – Megatrends 2020 and Beyond (2020)

COVID-19 and the migration to a new S-curve

economic transformation on the fossil fuel-driven First Industrial Revolution scale. Bold action by countries and leading global companies is what it will take to avoid catastrophe.

Getting to net-zero

In 2020, The EY Malta Attractiveness Survey found that 53% of investors here believe the focus on sustainability and climate change will accelerate over the next three years due to COVID-19. Additionally, per the EY Generate Survey, Gen-Z, the largest generational cohort with rapidly growing influence, expects to see bold action on environmental issues.

The initial targets of reducing carbon have now been amplified to neutrality. Net-zero targets are an essential step on the path to decarbonisation. Still, given the nature of some organisations and the technology available, it might be some time until countries and companies can achieve it.

Notwithstanding these limitations, longerterm targets do little to drive the urgent action needed now. It means that some organisations will need to do even more by becoming carbon negative to protect and restore the planet as soon as possible.

Corporations and their CEOs must lead on global challenges. At the end of 2020, EY— an organisation that spans more than 150 countries and includes 300,000 employees— became carbon neutral. EY achieved this by focusing on reducing travel emissions, sustainable procurement practices and purchasing more renewable energy to power EY offices. We began removing and offsetting

emissions equivalent to our carbon footprint each year.

In 2021, we announced an ambition to be carbon negative (reducing more carbon than emitted), by setting targets to significantly reduce absolute emissions and removing and offsetting more carbon than we produce.

By 2025, we aim to reach net-zero—the point at which an organisation has achieved its 1.5˚C science-based target (producing only unavoidable or residual emissions) while removing the equivalent amount of emissions from the atmosphere.

Indeed, EY’s emissions aren’t as high as those generated by other types of economic activities. However, it’s still essential that we do everything we can to minimise our impact on the climate. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it will also help inspire others to do the same. Our most significant impact on the environment will be made by helping each other decarbonise and create value from sustainability.

Flip the script by capturing and turning carbon into a source of value

New carbon removal solutions are emerging for decarbonising business models, driving long-term value and demonstrating climate leadership. The main forces behind this transformation

are cost-competitive renewables, the “electrification of everything” with clean energy (transportation, heating, industrial operations, etc.), digitally optimised efficiency and the adoption of decentralised energy generation, particularly by corporates.

An emerging suite of carbon capture and sequestration solutions allow companies to change these fundamental forces to not only avoid emissions but reverse them. These can be split into two categories: engineered carbon removal solutions, such as direct air capture, conversion of waste gases and sequestration in the built environment (construction); and natural solutions, such as soil sequestration, reforestation and afforestation. Every one flip the script on carbon, capturing it and turning it into a valuable source.

These sequestration and reuse solutions provide another tool to accelerate the drive to carbon neutrality for the heaviest emitters. But for many global companies, the ability to capture and revalue carbon opens the path to going carbon-negative, removing more CO2 than they emit or cause to be emitted.

In our climate emergency, the ambition of neutrality—doing no climate harm— is insufficient when there is a way to do climate good.

OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BE MADE BY HELPING EACH OTHER DECARBONISE AND CREATE VALUE FROM SUSTAINABILITY

TICKING ALL THE BOXES

The festering wound that attracted the world’s attention has been Malta’s apparent inability or unwillingness to enforce its laws. The country dragged its feet when implementing anti-money laundering directives. Still, given how older versions of the law were not enforced, there was never much hope updated provisions would make much difference.

Billions of euro are pumped through Malta’s financial system. They go in one end, slosh around the 30 international banks that have an address here, and come out the other, leaving behind small margins that justify the entire operation. With all that money coming through, Malta should have clocked dozens of prosecutions against money laundering by the rules of probability, but there had been none until recently.

That has changed over the past few months. Statistics for anti-money laundering prosecution have shot up. The provisions are a favourite of the police force, and asset

freezes are being handed down like there’s too much money in people’s pockets.

But a closer look shows that the statistical shift is not in itself a paradigm shift. There are still zero prosecutions for anti-money laundering through Malta’s financial system. Instead, the police clamp down on village shopkeepers who accept payment in countersigned social security cheques addressed to their impoverished clients. The “proceeds of crime” they are having frozen is the singledigit commission they charge for informally cashing cheques.

Technically, that’s money-laundering. The operative word is “technically”. The local authorities apply laws intended to capture millions of euro laundered from international drug trafficking, industrial-scale tax evasion, bribery, arms dealing, and latter-day slavery to clamp down on people helping old age pensioners and unemployed immigrants dodge punitive banking fees for non-account holders.

In the meantime, the people against whom anti-money laundering laws are designed, continue to get away with it. The courts have seen any number of local grocers, village butchers, and small-town bazaarkeepers. But the directors of Pilatus Bank and Satabank have still faced no charges.

This is not just unfair. It perverts the intention of the law, and it refines the impunity of the real financial criminals. It makes a bad situation, worse because it takes the pressure off law enforcement agencies and the prosecution service because they’re looking like they’re doing something about financial crime. When in fact they aren’t.

This is not an unexpected policy failure. It is a conspiracy perpetrated by the powerful.

Consider how the government first considered, then discarded adopting the UK model of using unexplained wealth orders to clamp down on people who display money they should not rightly have. Why did they do

Prime Minister Robert Abela has been optimistic about Moneyval's final ruling on Malta. His government had “ticked all the boxes”, he said, ahead of their final report, and as when the right answers are given in a test, one is entitled to expect the desired results. Manuel Delia looks at some of those boxes.

Manuel is a political blogger who writes for The Sunday Times and manueldelia.com.

the early 1990s, there has been bipartisan consensus on financial services laws and policies.

You can face that like any other divorcee. The Opposition did the breaking, so it must be at fault. The Opposition says the relationship hasn’t been working for a while. John Mamo refused to express regret for his CEO Joseph Cuschieri’s conduct in office. Joseph

that? Because unexplained wealth orders are not needed to go after the village groceries. Those small-time businesses have nothing to show but hours of hard-work and slim margins.

But unexplained wealth orders can be awkward for government ministers, members of parliament and other people in power who own properties that seem to have fallen into their laps like rain from an unclouded sky.

The Commissioner for Standards in Public Life has asked MPs to account for wealth in their spouses’ names, information they are not obliged by statute to publish. The majority of MPs—all MPs of the Labour Party—have refused to provide this information. Not all of them have something to hide. Some of them do.

Now local MPs are to organised criminals using Malta’s financial system to launder their money what village groceries are to local MPs. But if the country administrators are unwilling to write and enforce laws that could expose themselves, anyone doing worse than they are will get away with it.

Something very fragile but very crucial at the heart of policy-making in the financial services sector broke in the last weeks of the box-ticking campaign the government has led. The parliamentary Opposition withdrew its support for the confirmation of John Mamo as chairman of the financial services’ regulatory agency. It is traditional for the parliamentary Opposition to disagree with nominations made by the government. But it is customary for the parliamentary Opposition not to do that in matters related to financial services. On the contrary, since

Cuschieri travelled to Las Vegas with Yorgen Fenech, at Yorgen Fenech’s expense, as his “advisor” or his wingman on a double date. That’s while Yorgen Fenech’s 17 Black saga was giving everyone to understand that he was greasing the palms of Joseph Cuschieri’s pals in government Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi. This incident lies at the heart of the collapse of Malta’s global reputation as a financial services destination.

Joseph Cuschieri's appointment—hiring a political crony and a partisan facilitator—to the MFSA, hurt financial services. You’d expect them to learn from that. But consider some other appointments.

Edward Scicluna was the finance minister who in 2013 inherited Malta’s golden name in the industry and who in 2021 retired in disgrace while Malta scrambled to tick boxes to avoid being black-listed as a financial services destination altogether. His has been the most ignoble stewardship of Malta’s USP in this trade since we've ever presented

ourselves as bankers for the outside world.

He signed off on the licensing of Pilatus Bank and Satabank, defending his decisions with dogged obtuseness even as European regulators moved to shut them down. He admitted in open court of having been kept outside of a ‘government within a government’ that took major financial decisions he claimed never to have been aware of. In the process, corrupt deals such as Electrogas, the hospitals’ privatisations and others went ahead unchallenged by the finance ministry.

And now, the man who failed to restrain the government when he was serving within it, is supposed to control the government from the seat of the governor of the Central Bank at an arm and a half’s length from it. If it weren’t so tragic, it would be funny.

Almost as amusing as the appointment of a teenager who has just scraped through his ‘A’ levels to sit as governor of Finance Malta, the agency with the job of promoting Malta to the rest of the world as a serious, reliable, competent, safe and clean financial services destination. His only qualification? His membership of the ruling party’s youth wing.

This amounts to box-ticking: updating laws, starting prosecutions, hiring people to head enforcement and regulatory agencies. But if laws are unenforced except to punish the easy targets, and cronies are hired to clip the wings of agencies supposed to fly to catch the real criminals, our financial services industry will remain just that: boxed in.

THERE ARE STILL ZERO PROSECUTIONS FOR ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING THROUGH MALTA'S FINANCIAL SYSTEM

There’s no time like the... timeless

Developing a timeless design is much simpler than anyone thinks. It’s not easy, but it’s straightforward. Andrea Meli looks at what it takes to be timeless.

If the last few decades have taught us anything, is that we should be doing what we can today rather than leaving it until tomorrow. If we don’t, never mind; it’s not the end of the world—oh... wait. Some of our best-laid plans can often go askew, and that could prove to be a boon. If these unexpected life-changing (or world-changing) curve-balls

don’t prompt us to be agile and quick to react in full force as one collective voice, then we don’t know what will. Reactive agility is the backbone of every revolution—design-related or otherwise.

Design that is well established does not need to change based on how an audience

consumes it. Products and services naturally go through their life cycles that are governed by emerging technologies and cultural shifts. But the core of everything we do—our identity—merits the groundwork of a well-thought-out strategic blueprint that is equipped to adapt to the times while maintaining its integrity creatively.

Andrea likes the colour yellow. He is also design lead at Switch, a digital and brand agency. The two often coincide.

Developing timeless design is much simpler than anyone thinks; it is far from easy, but it is straightforward. It starts and ends with unequivocal commitment. Explicit commitment is the bedrock of every successful relationship. That is something that (though intangible) can be felt by the individuals who identify with a brand to the point where they feel like they own part of it. This is probably the closest we get to ’magic’.

But what do we mean by commitment? We are referring to the soul-searching process we go through when building and committing to an identity along with every visual element we deliberately choose to call our own. Sometimes it might take a few false starts— not everything works out fine on the first try. Some relationships don’t work from the getgo; some need tweaking, and sometimes they might need to be thrown out of the window to rebuild over the mistakes of the past.

We see the success of visual commitment in brands like Omega or National Geographic. Every article of design these brands produce strikes a sublime balance of functional form and approachable exclusivity. National Geographic makes a simple but bold statement through its minimal yellow square that frames the highlighting subjects. This essential element works so well that some think that the viewers might miss it—but they do not miss it at all. These brands’ visual aspect takes on the trends of the times in their application, but the vital core elements anchor the visual changes back to the original design DNA.

Timeless means looking back at the classics and extracting their core to fit the past, present and future. Our recent work with The Athenaeum Spa saw us building upon the

Corinthia Hotel brand’s design legacy. From the core logo to every bit of collateral, every material, ink and foil were hand-picked to fulfil one purpose—uplifting guest’s lives by carving out time to themselves. The mark we created was built to live as part of the Corinthia heritage, yet keeping its voice. This then evolved into seamless patterns which were embossed on boards and stitched onto robes. We created a strongly-branded experience through the subtle application of these core elements, which is almost invisible at first glance, but evident the moment you look for it. It is more about feeling than it is about seeing.

Another example that comes to mind was Switch’s journey with eCabs to build their refreshed brand and design. Even though the company had been on a constant evolution, eCabs required the final step in the progression of its visual voice that would stand the test of time. Stripping any

unnecessary ornamentation and reducing the design elements’ kit to leave the bare fundamentals to reaffirm eCabs’ identity was essential. Design-wise, eCabs must ooze functional and beautiful ‘mass production and mass adaptation.’ It’s a bit like Bauhaus. The fantastic thing about that design movement is that the fundamentals they produced almost live in a time-vacuum— they are visually relevant (and, importantly, looks good) within any context at any time in history, from their origins until today. And they will likely do so until the end of time.

We future-proofed the eCabs visual language for any opportunity related to mobility and beyond. And time has shown us that the decisions we took are already fulfilling their purpose. During times that challenged us to be reactive daily, the solid foundations we built for the brand made adapting and reacting a walk in the park. Part of us— secretly—can’t wait for the next curve-ball life throws at us and we’ll be there, hand on the holster, ready to fire back.

Timeless means looking back at the classics and extracting their core to fit the past, present and future

HOME AWAY FROM HOME a workplace reinvented

MONEY takes a glimpse at the latest project between Angela Sciberras, Angie The Architect, and Michael Azzopardi, Miko Design. Build., two leading names in the design and build arena.

In a year when the concept of working from home, or WFH as the internet would call it, has become almost the norm for businesses in the country, Kafe Rocks stands out as a pioneer of this modus operandi.

As a brand, Kafe Rocks is dedicated to capturing their clients’ stories and developing them into intriguing content for readers to enjoy. The firm’s founding members had an evident vision for the company from day one. They were providing their employees with the flexibility to work from home. They identified this as an effective way to help the environment by reducing travel pollution, enabling their team members to maximise their days, and reaching talented individuals overseas, thereby expanding its international workforce.

The management team recognised a growing need to give Kafe Rocks its official base. A retreat for think-tank sessions, collaborations and visits from their international workforce. But for a brand so dedicated to such a dynamic and remote workforce ethic, the concept of searching for a ‘standard office’ wasn’t a direction they were willing to go down.

The solution was to take the concept of ‘working from home’ and enhance it, making it an intrinsic part of the new head office environment. They wanted to create a ‘home base’ instead of office space for employees to enjoy and feel comfortable working. They looked for features such as an outdoor area for get-togethers, a pool that staff could use in the evenings and weekends, a game and a

relaxation room. Even a private room where visitors could spend the night when other accommodation wasn’t available.

Partnering up with the right people for the job

Kafe Rocks eventually set their eyes on a relatively large corner property in one of Malta’s quiet residential areas. This house could comfortably host up to 25/30 people working at a time with lots of character and possibilities. As it was a rental agreement, Kafe Rocks had to consider how to upgrade the interior to fit its needs, without making irreversible alterations to the structure.

They teamed up with Angie The Architect to discuss and design the space to maximise the

Photography Sean Mallia | Styling Formadeus

property to suit their requirements and Miko Design. Build. to turn Angie’s design vision to fruition—from material sourcing to finding the right contractors for the respective trades, to organising and managing the entire build in-line with the client’s expectations and respecting the design solution while adding value to the overall property and project.

Discovery stage

Over a three-day workshop held at the Golden Sands Resort in Malta in 2019, Angie Sciberras and her team met and interacted with Kafe Rocks representatives from around the world.

It was an opportunity for the team to enjoy a brief tangible touchpoint with this otherwise predominately virtual brand. Armed with valuable insight about their needs and their vision for this new ‘home away from home’, they started to feel what employees were looking for from a ‘head office’.

The space needed to be conducive to writers, thinkers and creatives. By their own nature and the brand, people were used to working from home and at varying hours of the day who needed relative silence and quiet areas to focus. At the same time, they also required occasional meetings and conference rooms where collaboration was vital.

Design and planning

Sketchbooks in hand, both Angie’s design and Miko’s planning teams explored the space, understanding what modifications could be made that followed the landlord’s wishes and the rental contract while infusing the building with the Kafe Rocks brand.

The house wasn’t new and needed specific interventions to bring it in-line with the design vision, upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems, repairing and treating some ceilings’ poor state and replacing AC units. Miko ensured the house’s core was functioning correctly and could serve the client’s needs. They also identified areas where mould was an issue and treated it accordingly with moisture-resistant wall lining with adequate ventilation to allow the stone to breathe.

Given most Kafe Rocks staff were writers, a library-themed workspace fit snuggly into the brand concept. A room previously used as a large living/dining area, located just to the main entrance’s right, was large enough to cater for several desks on the ground floor. The room was split in two, with an archway which formed part of the library concept cladding the walls with corkboard which gave staff the option to place prints, photographs and other items. It also helped to reduce noise levels. →

Against the back wall that ran across both rooms, there was a door and a window Angela wanted to use. The solution was floor to ceiling and edge-to-edge custom-designed shelving, in line with a traditional library. At the points where the window and door were located, backing to the shelves was avoided. It helped infuse the room with natural light, retain the library concept and offered the staff the option to enjoy views to the outside. Smart blinds reduced daylight glare, which could be raised when preferred. For contrast, they opted for dark ceilings which counterbalanced the whitewashed shelving and parquet wood flooring. A customfabricated, square-shaped light profile for each room provided balanced lighting.

Upstairs they transformed an existing room into a private boardroom—the location allowed for meetings to be left undisturbed by movement amongst the staff on the ground floor. Using the brand’s black and red colour scheme, the designers chose a black wood desk brought to life with bright red chairs’ popping colour. Custom-designed storage in the same wood as the desk against one wall helped the room remain clutter-free. Miko custom-fabricated, 3D branded signage of the logo and tagline which added a corporate and professional feel to the space.

The landlord had recently refurbished one of the bedrooms and en-suite bathroom. It was ideal for overseas staff members who might have a late/early flight to catch back home and need a place to stay. Should the library be full or inaccessible, a separate room where people could also work in or hold smaller brainstorming and strategy sessions was catered for. The remaining room upstairs was selected for the same purpose, and three more workstations were included, two of which were mechanical and could be raised. Building two custom-designed archways with shelving for storage brought in elements of the library downstairs by building two custom-designed archways with shelving for storage.

The property featured two garages, one that could be accessed from the main entrance and another from the corner house’s other side. Connecting the two, the designers redesigned another large room which they devoted to a more casual meeting area.

They created large, custom-designed, floor to wooden ceiling shelving with space for a large widescreen TV in the centre against one wall—ideal for video calls and online presentations. The room also serves as a chillout area for more casual discussions, with views of the garden and pool area. Staying true to the concept of a ‘working from home’ environment, the large sofa was perfect for staff to make themselves comfortable for an intense writing session or curling up in the evening with a book for inspiration. The space also featured a fireplace, which the owners loved and wanted to keep, especially as it added to the ‘homey’ feel of the room and is quite unusual for Malta. So, they integrated this fireplace into the custom joinery feature, as well as a snug and cosy corner seat for staff to enjoy.

The second part of the first garage they redesigned into the brand’s official communication room. It was a different concept to the library room, which was dedicated to a quiet space where focusing was essential. The idea was designing a space conducive to interaction between employees, be it brainstorming, playing music or taking calls. They introduced a setup, allowing for six electric height-adjustable workstations. Like others that they modified, the lighting for this room was still subdued, again avoiding the harshness of soffit lighting. As part of the overall branded experience throughout the house, Miko designed and produced large prints on one wall facing the pool’s views through sliding doors on the opposite wall.

The second garage was turned into a breakout and activity area. Chill out spaces have become an integral part of office design as it helped to relax employees, improve engagement and interaction, and put the fun back into work. Very high ceilings gave the space a large, airy feel. The room was divided to serve multiple purposes. The first section was a games area with large comfortable bean bags, a TV screen and a branded wallpaper type print which incorporated the brand’s values in a gaming concept.

The final part of the room is an area dedicated to staff engagement and sports activities. Additional wall art prints and a very cool custom logo sign also formed part of the overall brand experience. A table tennis

that could easily be folded and stored when unused was also included. It gave their client the flexibility to use the space for its second purpose—a yoga or keep-fit area.

To separate the feel of this chill-out area from the rest of the property, a slight industrial in its appearance micro cement floor polished to perfection was the right flooring solution to rectify the low and uneven floors. Pendant lights complement the whole feel of the Kafe Rocks building—soft and inviting but functional. This space then led out into the second drive, accessible from around the corner. Serving as an extension to this garage, this second drive was incredible for outdoor activities.

Part of a good design is both appreciation and respect for the beauty of what already exists. Change for the sake of change is not a design approach Angela likes to adopt. Sometimes it’s about letting the natural beauty continue to shine and serve as inspiration as it has done for years before. A stunning garden starring local fauna and flora, traditional Maltese detailing and a nice sized pool was nestled at the property’s back. It was embraced on one side with an outdoor dining area with an existing top structure providing shelter from the elements.

Detailing and customisation

A brand that tells stories can develop ingenious ways of capturing stories too. With branded experiences being something of a speciality for Miko, a concept in the shape of custom-illustrated art unique to every area and its specific use adorned the walls adding a touch of colour while introducing branded story-telling to the entire space.

In the library, staff were invited to leave mementoes that were a source of inspiration. Once a week during a company-wide meeting, employees would be asked to discuss a book, poem, artwork or piece of creativity that meant something to them. Aspects of these shared moments would then be bought, printed and attached to the chalkboard, walls or placed on the library shelves. It was essential to the management that the Kafe Rocks brand reflected its staff’s personalities and talent—a space for the team to be themselves.

Between the light wood floors, whitewashed walls, touches of greenery and warm lighting, Angie aimed to develop an environment that worked in harmony with the Kafe Rocks concept. Warm, inviting, peaceful—precisely what a Kafe Rocks family member craved when visiting Malta.

Project management and execution

The interior design for a workplace needs to boost productivity, focus, engagement and creativity. It will help if you think outside the box, especially when the box (or location) already has stipulations on structure and limitations on what they could update. The designer team managed to avoid making any irreversible alterations by focussing on the flooring, walls, finishing’s and designing a functionally and aesthetically performed layout.

The project was impacted slightly by two different delays: the Covid-19 pandemic and the second for various landlord approvals. Together with their dedicated team of professional fabricators, Michael and his team managed to recoup most of the time lost and delivered the project within a sensible timeframe, just two months after the original target date set before the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak and most importantly, within budget.

One of the most exciting aspects of this ‘Casa Bottega’ project wasn’t just transforming a residential property into a comfortable work environment with room for collaboration and fun. It designed a space where talented souls could create new stories for clients captured in words, images and strategy.

Duties and responsibilities

AngieTheArchitect Architecture: Office/residential interior design

Miko Design. Build Renovation: Materials and fabrication sourcing, on-site consultancy and project management, branded experience (concept, design and fabrication of wall art and branded signage)

Photographer Marvin Grech

Stylist Peter Carbonaro

Models Julia and Lance @ Models M

Shot on location at Iniala Hotel, Valletta

Floral robe by Ted Baker

Jersey by Charles & Ron

Skirt, earrings by Charles & Ron

Tracksuit by Charles & Ron

Suit, polo neck by Dan John

BEAUTY & THE BEST

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POLO RALPH LAUREN Herringbone wool-blend blazer €595

POLO RALPH LAUREN Slim-fit cotton sweater €155

Connecting good posture and company growth

When it comes to offering the best conditions for employees, most business owners think of work flexibility, proper remuneration, and career growth opportunities. Not many think of the impact the workplace ergonomics may have on employee’s wellbeing and productivity. Ergonomics’ main goal is to ensure employees are comfortable and safe to do their job well—ergonomics and office productivity go hand in hand.

It reduces the risk of injury

One of the biggest threats to workplace productivity is injury-related absences. Millions of employees suffer work-related injuries every year. Also, work-related injuries have physical and psychological repercussions—an employee suffering from an illness or injury may quickly lose their morale, affecting their productivity levels.

Less room for mistakes

Uncomfortable employees may quickly get distracted and end up making simple, otherwise avoidable, errors that can be quite costly. Ergonomic workstations provide much-needed comfort and allow employees to concentrate more on what they are doing, resulting in fewer mistakes.

Comfort = more energy = more productivity

Employees who are uncomfortable or in pain tend to feel more tired and drained, affecting their mental energy. It is difficult to feel inspired, solve problems, or develop innovative ideas if you are constantly distracted by physical discomfort. Comfortable employees have more energy and therefore, a higher working capacity overall.

Employees feel cared about

The simple act of adding ergonomically designed products at the workplace has a profound effect on employees’ motivation and productivity. It shows that you care about their health and overall wellbeing and recognize their importance and contribution to the company. As such, they are more engaged and more willing to give their best.

Using ergonomics in the workplace to improve workers’ health and safety tends to affect the bottom line due to improved productivity, longer retention of trained and skilled workers, higher quality of work, less training expenses, and generally improved labour relations. With such a competitive business environment, you want to make life

easier for your employees and ensure they are motivated to work harder and better. What better place to begin than with an ergonomically friendly workstation, whether at the office or home?

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Operating away from the office had become commonplace well before we found ourselves migrating to our homes en masse. In general, the flexibility is welcome, but it is essential to remember that sitting in one place for a long time is still detrimental to health, whether at home or the office.

BIG BANG UNICO BLACK MAGIC Black ceramic case. In-house UNICO chronograph movement.