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1.4.2021 6 NEWS A recently published article in the Fi- nancial Times reports how the coro- navirus pandemic has triggered a surge in the number of businesses be- ing set up in many of the world's larg- est economies. The article states that the US, UK, France, Germany, and Japan have all logged substantial increases in new company registrations in recent months, despite the severe blow Cov- id-19 has dealt to global economic ac- tivity. "In the US, business formation ap- plications were up 82 per cent in the three months to September compared with the same quarter the previous year. France registered 84,000 new businesses in October, up 20 per cent on the same month last year and the highest ever recorded. In Germany, business registrations were above last year's levels in recent months and in Japan, 10,000 new businesses were registered in September, 14 per cent more than in the same month last year," FT reports. "The reasons could be many," says Jesmond Saliba, Managing Director of Corporate Identities. "It could be entrepreneurs responding to custom- ers' rapidly changing needs, address- ing newly created needs or simply individuals finally taking the leap into launching their own ventures. But whatever the reason, the time is also ideal even here in Malta." Jesmond Saliba's company, today recognised as one of Malta's emerg- ing communications advisory firms, has just signed an MoU with Micro- soft effectively kicking off a collabora- tive project through which CI will be managing the 'Microsoft for Startups' global programme in Malta. "An MoU sounds formal, but the collaboration is a very down to earth agreement based on a shared under- standing that start-ups are the future and that together with Microsoft, we will be engaging with other stakehold- ers in the local start-up scene not only to facilitate access to Microsoft's tech- nical and management resources but to hopefully create new synergies," ex- plains Jesmond. Microsoft for Startups is a global program dedicated to helping B2B start-ups successfully scale their com- panies through the take up of Micro- soft's Cloud Services. Here in Malta, the programme will be operating from the Microsoft Centre at Skyparks to- day a recognised 'landmark' for in- novative technology activities and an incubator for qualifying start-ups. Corporate Identities' main role in this new collaboration will be the creation of collaborations with local start-up communities, innovation hubs, incubators and other entities that assist start-ups to help them adopt 'Microsoft for Startups' as an THE TIME FOR IS NOW START-UPS "We are passionate about start-ups and we relate both to the challenges they have to face as well as to their aspirations that drive them. We have been there too, and we know too well how important it is to have people and organisations supporting you with their expertise, their acquired knowledge but most importantly by believing in you." Jesmond Saliba, Managing Director, Corporate Identities

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