Malta has a credible opportunity to establish itself as an international hub for artificial intelligence assurance if it positions itself not as a compliance centre but as a deployment enabler for regulated sectors such as fintech and ICT according to Ian Gauci, Chair of the AI in Fintech working group contributing to the MFSAC Strategy for Financial Services.
Dr Gauci stresses that Malta’s competitiveness in AI cannot hinge on policy statements but on tangible initiatives that are measurable, repeatable, and sustainable within the next twelve months.
“Indices can lag reality, but Malta should not be constrained to optics alone,” says Dr Gauci. “If we choose initiatives that are executable quickly and visibly because they are real, not aspirational, then progress within a year is entirely achievable.”
His remarks are a reaction to the latest Smart Centres Index survey by London-based think tank Z/Yen, which identified artificial intelligence, digital computing, energy and environmental technologies, and robotics as the sectors most likely to shape industry over the next five years.
Malta slipped from 28th to 32nd place in the index, a movement which according to Dr Gauci, should be viewed less as a setback and more as an opportunity for targeted, execution-focused action.
A key component of this opportunity lies in strengthening Malta’s STEM and AI capability base. Measures under consideration include specialised scholarships, targeted work visas, and expanded computing capacity at the University of Malta and MCAST.
However, Dr Gauci warns that these policy tools alone will not be enough without clear ownership and accountability.
“Scholarships, visas, and capacity increases only work if one empowered body is responsible for delivery.”
“Admissions, curriculum updates, processing timelines, and industry placements must move together, with published targets and a regular cadence. Otherwise, we risk producing policy documents without real change.”
On artificial intelligence, Dr Gauci emphasised that Malta’s opportunity lies in AI assurance as a deployment enabler.
“The value proposition is not ‘we do compliance well’. It is assurance that is fast, predictable, technically credible, and aligned with how systems are actually approved and supervised. If the sandbox is merely a talking point rather than a working pipeline into deployment, the positioning will fail.”
He added that Malta stands to benefit more by making regulatory mechanisms fully operational, properly staffed, actively used and by producing deployable outcomes.
Energy and robotics were also highlighted as sectors where Malta can move quickly by leveraging its contained scale.
In energy, Malta can trial storage economics, demand response, and grid optimisation end to end within a single national system. In robotics, applied innovation can be built around maritime autonomy, port operations, inspection, and logistics without drifting into purely theoretical research.
Finally, while visibility on the international stage remains important, Gauci cautioned against mistaking promotion for progress.
“Malta is underrepresented in some of the global conversations that matter. But the answer is not marketing gloss but consistent participation in the unglamorous forums that influence standards and survey perceptions, backed by real projects and predictable decisions.”
“The heart of the matter is predictability,” he concludes. “Malta’s regulatory and policy frameworks need to deliver consistent, tangible and deployable outcomes if it aspires to turn AI assurance into a competitive national advantage.”
