Trade Promotion Minister visits export-oriented software solution success story, pledges continued support to ICT sector

The Government is determined to continue backing the ICT sector, which is an important pillar of the national economy, and to identify new ways to support Malta-based success stories in this field to grow and expand to international markets.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Altaro Software at the Malta Life Sciences Park in San Ġwann on Thursday, 20th September 2018, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion, Carmelo Abela, commended the software solution company for having developed rapidly from its humble beginning less than ten years ago to an enterprise with over 40,000 business clients worldwide. With offices in Malta, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Macedonia, Altaro Software has more than doubled its workforce – to 93 – in just two years, and is actively planning to create even more jobs in the near future.

Minister Abela also highlighted the valuable role of TradeMalta, the public-private partnership between the Government of Malta and the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, for its dedication to assisting Malta-based businesses succeed in international markets. Over the past years, Altaro Software has benefited from TradeMalta’s financial grants to participate in international fairs and exhibitions. The company also took part in the first edition of the Malta International Business Awards (2017), organised by TradeMalta, and won the medium-sized category.

The company’s co-founders and directors – David Vella, Simon Attard, Julian Pace-Ross, and Stephen Chetcuti-Bonavita – showed the Minister around their headquarters and introduced him to the staff. They also outlined the company’s mission and expained how it intends to further develop its export-oriented approach.

The Minister was accompanied by Anton Buttigieg, TradeMalta’s CEO, and Leonie Aquilina-Xuereb, Assistant Director – International Development, Economic Affairs & European Institutions at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion.