MDB and EIB Discuss Next Phase of Investment Partnership, with Focus on Delivery, Reach, and Impact

EIB Vice President Marek Mora visits MDB for high-level talks with Chairperson Leo Brincat and CEO Alison Micallef, signalling a shared determination to ensure that European financing translates into real investment and economic opportunity for Malta.

The Malta Development Bank (MDB) welcomed European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice President Marek Mora for high-level talks focused on turning strong institutional cooperation into tangible investment delivery for Malta. In meetings with MDB Chairperson Leo Brincat and Chief Executive Officer Alison Micallef, both sides signalled a clear shared ambition: to move the partnership into a more operational phase, centred on utilisation, reach, and results that reach everyday life.

The discussions focused on how MDB and EIB can work even more closely to deploy financing where it matters most, supporting sustainable investment, strengthening productive sectors, and building a stronger pipeline of projects that deliver long-term value for Malta’s businesses, infrastructure, and people.

“Malta Development Bank stands ready to convert ambition into concrete results. The strength of this partnership lies not only in the frameworks we establish, but in how effectively we deploy them. Our task is to turn European financing into projects people can see and feel: cleaner energy, stronger infrastructure, and real opportunities for our young people and businesses. This partnership must be about delivery, reach, and impact.”
Leo Brincat, Chairperson, Malta Development Bank

The EIB’s 2025 Investment Survey for Malta points to the fact that a large share of Malta’s micro and small businesses have been growing largely on their own resources, representing a substantial pool of enterprises that stand to benefit from better access to external finance. MDB’s guarantee schemes, supported by the European Investment Fund (EIF, part of the EIB Group), are built to reach precisely these businesses, making financing more accessible and supporting growth across the wider economy.

That work is already under way. Over €10 million in active guarantees has been deployed through MDB’s flagship schemes, with new instruments for mid-sized companies under development. Alongside this, the MDB–EIB Climate Action facility has entered its operational phase, with the first projects approved and European climate finance beginning to flow into the Maltese economy.

“European investment works best when it is aligned with what a country is genuinely ready to do. Malta has the sectors, the ambition, and the institutional framework to deliver. Our job now is to make sure the financing follows. We are not measuring success by facilities signed or frameworks agreed. We are measuring it by businesses that grow, by infrastructure that gets built, and by young people who find opportunity here rather than elsewhere.”
Alison Micallef, Chief Executive Officer, Malta Development Bank

MDB and EIB identified clean energy, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, innovation, and the blue economy as the priority sectors for the next phase of collaboration, areas that reflect both Malta’s national priorities and European policy objectives. Years of advisory cooperation through the European Investment Advisory Hub and the EIB’s Green Gateway programme have given MDB the capacity to originate, assess, and develop investment in these fields. That pipeline is now ready to be activated.
Building on over five decades of Malta’s engagement with the EIB, both institutions leave today’s discussions with a shared commitment: to ensure that existing and future instruments are actively deployed, that execution is disciplined, and that the results are felt where they matter most.

“Strong cooperation with national promotional banks like the MDB is key to delivering on Europe’s climate and competitiveness objectives. Together, we can mobilise finance more effectively, support SMEs and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient economy.”
EIB Vice President Marek Mora

MDB u l-EIB Jiddiskutu l-Fażi li Jmiss tas-Sħubija Tagħhom

Il-Viċi President tal-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment, Marek Mora, żar il-Malta Development Bank għal taħditiet maċ-Chairperson Leo Brincat u l-Kap Eżekuttiv Alison Micallef. Iż-żewġ naħat esprimew rieda komuni biex il-finanzjament Ewropew isarraf f’investiment reali u f’opportunitajiet ekonomiċi għal Malta.

Il-Malta Development Bank (MDB) laqa’ lill-Viċi President tal-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment (EIB), Marek Mora, għal taħditiet dwar kif il-kooperazzjoni bejn iż-żewġ istituzzjonijiet tista’ twassal għal investiment aktar konkret f’Malta.

Fil-laqgħa maċ-Chairperson tal-MDB, Leo Brincat, u mal-Uffiċjal Kap Eżekuttiv, Alison Micallef, iż-żewġ naħat qablu li s-sħubija tagħhom miexja f’direzzjoni aktar prattika, iffokata fuq l-użu tal-fondi u l-firxa tagħhom, flimkien ma’ riżultati li jinħassu fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum.

Id-diskussjonijiet iffokaw fuq kif l-MDB u l-EIB jistgħu jaħdmu aktar mill-qrib biex il-finanzjament jintuża f’oqsma ta’ prijorità, inkluż appoġġ għal investiment sostenibbli, tisħiħ tas-setturi produttivi, u żvilupp ta’ proġetti li jagħtu valur fit-tul lin-negozji u liċ-ċittadini Maltin u Għawdxin, u li jtejbu l-infrastruttura.

“Malta Development Bank jinsab pożizzjonat biex ibiddel l-ambizzjonijiet nazzjonali f’riżultati konkreti. Is-saħħa tas-sħubija bejn l-MDB u l-EIB ma tidhirx biss fil-qafas li noħolqu, iżda f’kemm inwettquh b’mod effettiv. Ir-rwol tagħna hu li nbiddlu l-finanzjament Ewropew fi proġetti li n-nies jistgħu jaraw u jħossu: enerġija aktar nadifa, infrastruttura aktar b’saħħitha, u opportunitajiet reali għaż-żgħażagħ u n-negozji.”
Leo Brincat, Chairperson, Malta Development Bank

Stħarriġ tal-EIB dwar l-investiment f’Malta fl-2025 juri li ħafna negozji żgħar kibru l-aktar bir-riżorsi tagħhom stess. Dan ifisser li numru sostanzjali ta’ negozji jistgħu jibbenefikaw minn aċċess aħjar għal finanzjament estern. L-iskemi ta’ garanzija tal-MDB, appoġġati mill-Fond Ewropew tal-Investiment (parti mill-Grupp tal-EIB), huma maħsuba biex jilħqu dawn in-negozji, jagħmlu l-finanzjament aktar aċċessibbli u jappoġġjaw it-tkabbir ekonomiku.

Dan ix-xogħol diġà qiegħed jitwettaq. Aktar minn €10 miljun f’garanziji attivi ġew allokati permezz tal-iskemi ewlenin tal-MDB. Barra minn hekk, qed jiġu żviluppati strumenti ġodda għal kumpaniji ta’ daqs medju. Fl-istess ħin, faċilità dwar l-Azzjoni Klimatika bejn l-MDB u l-EIB daħlet fil-fażi operattiva tagħha, bl-ewwel proġetti approvati u bil-finanzjament Ewropew għall-klima jibda jħalli effett fl-ekonomija Maltija.
L-MDB u l-EIB identifikaw l-enerġija nadifa, is-sostenibbiltà ambjentali, l-infrastruttura, l-innovazzjoni u l-ekonomija blu bħala setturi kruċjali fil-fażi li jmiss tal- kollaborazzjoni tagħhom. Dawn l-oqsma jirriflettu kemm il-prijoritajiet nazzjonali, kif ukoll l-għanijiet tal-politika Ewropea. Snin ta’ kooperazzjoni permezz taċ-Ċentru Konsultattiv Ewropew għall-Investiment u l-programm Green Gateway tal-EIB għenu lill-MDB jibni l-kapaċità biex jidentifika, jivvaluta u jiżviluppa investiment f’dawn is-setturi. Issa dan il-pipeline huwa lest biex jitħaddem.

“L-investiment Ewropew huwa l-aktar effettiv meta jkun marbut ma’ dak li pajjiż ikun verament lest li jikseb. Malta għandha ambizzjonijiet kbar għall-ġejjieni. Xogħolna issa hu li niżguraw li l-finanzjament jasal fejn hemm bżonn. M’aħniex inkejlu s-suċċess bil-faċilitajiet iffirmati jew il-prinċipji miftiehma biss. Qed inkejluh b’negozji li jikbru, b’infrastruttura li tinbena, u b’żgħażagħ li jsibu opportunitajiet f’Malta u Għawdex stess.”
Alison Micallef, Kap Eżekuttiv, MDB

Wara aktar minn ħames deċennji ta’ involviment ta’ Malta mal-EIB, iż-żewġ istituzzjonijiet ikkonkludew id-diskussjonijiet b’impenn komuni: li l-istrumenti eżistenti u futuri jintużaw b’mod attiv, li l-implimentazzjoni ssir b’dixxiplina, u li r-riżultati jinħassu fejn huma l-aktar importanti.

“Kooperazzjoni b’saħħitha ma’ banek promozzjonali nazzjonali bħall-MDB hija essenzjali biex jintlaħqu l-għanijiet tal-klima u l-kompetittività tal-Ewropa. Flimkien, nistgħu nimmobilizzaw il-finanzjament b’mod aktar effettiv, nappoġġjaw lill-SMEs u nħaffu t-tranżizzjoni lejn ekonomija aktar sostenibbli u reżiljenti.”
Marek Mora, Viċi President, EIB

MDB Chairperson Leo Brincat and CEO Alison Micallef

EIB Vice President, Marek Mora