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5 NEWS 16.6.2022 A €20 million grant scheme for busi- nesses to carry out retrofitting in ex- isting buildings in a bid to increase energy efficiency was launched this week by Minister for the Economy, European Funds and Lands Silvio Schembri and Parliamentary Secre- tary for European Funds Chris Bonett launched The funds are part of the European Commission's Recovery and Resil- ience Plan (RRP) for Malta. This plan identifies a number of investments and reforms that will be financed by the €257 million funds allocated to Malta and aimed at making Malta more sustainable and resilient, €20 million of which is the grant scheme being launched today. The scheme does not cover projects in new buildings or extensions but is aimed at renovating existing build- ings. Each project can be awarded a grant of up to €1 million. Schembri explained that the im- plementation of this recovery plan is designed to have a more immediate effect. That is why all projects under this scheme, aimed at supporting the green transition, must be completed by December 2025. "In order to achieve this goal, we need to ensure that our businesses in- vest more in digital transformation as well as operating greener and less pol- luting practices. This will maximise our resources, reduce business oper- ating costs and increase efficiency and competitiveness," he said. Schembri further explained that the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Mal- ta was discussed with all stakeholders. "On this scheme, we met stakeholders to hear their views beforehand. I urge all businesses to grasp the opportu- nity to utilise such funds to be more resilient," he said. Parliamentary Secretary Chris Bonett said that this scheme is aimed at encouraging companies to invest in their existing buildings to become more competitive and more resilient for future challenges, making them much more efficient and reducing en- ergy consumption. Bonett explained that the govern- ment consulted with social partners to draft the €20 million Recovery and Resilience Fund schemes so that the schemes are of benefit to businesses and for the government to listen to the suggestions of all those involved. Bonett called on companies to make good use of these funds. DELOITTE Digital has appointed Caspian Rabone, a creative director, as the Head of Customer Experience and Design to support ongoing digi- tal transformation and digital product engagements. Rabone will oversee the creative ser- vices output while scaling up the Cus- tomer Experience, Marketing and Ap- plied Design team. Caspian has a wealth of internation- al experience having held creative di- rector positions at some of the most respected digital agencies worldwide including Wunderman, Blast Radius and Critical Mass in the UK and Can- ada. His client roster includes top tier global brands like Microsoft, Nokia, GSK, BMW and Apple. During his twenty years of leader- ship, he has grown and nurtured sev- eral design departments delivering industry leading work and believes on creating equal and multi-functional teams. He has mentored for the BIMA (British Interactive Media Assoc.) and D&AD, as well as having judged and won several awards. Ludwig Micallef, Director at Deloitte Malta and leader of the Deloitte Dig- ital practice locally, believes that this important appointment will allow the firm to take customer experience and digital strategy to the next level. He explains: "These are exciting times for Deloitte Digital, as we seek to respond to the growing demand for customer experience support. Caspian will enable Deloitte Digital to combine its core digital and tech- nology capabilities with creative flair and international expertise. Caspian's experience, unparalleled exposure to global brands and breadth of work, will enable us to provide extra value to clients. As part of Deloitte Central Mediterranean, Deloitte Digital in Malta aims to transform itself into an innovation hub and centre of excel- lence in this digital space." Marc Alden CEO for Deloitte Malta, believes that digitalisation in its broad- est sense will be at heart of everything around us and that Deloitte Digital will remain at the forefront when it comes to supporting clients through this transformation process. "We recognise that our location as one of Europe's newest technology innovation hubs and the recent EU funding for digital initiatives creates opportunities for Deloitte Malta. We are well positioned for the renewed focus on companies' digital transfor- mation and digital customer touch points," he said. "Deloitte Digital is playing a key role providing end-to-end digital solutions for its clients and our wider consulting practice. This requires experienced leaders to deliver quality and manage the growth." "I'm not new to Malta, with strong family ties here, and I've watched the market mature considerably in recent years. Now we're poised for further innovation and growth across the dig- ital sector," Rabone said. "I'm delighted to be joining Deloitte Digital at this key moment. With Deloitte's ability and credibility lo- cally and internationally, I believe we can use digital experiences and tech- nology to drive business change and positive impact for customers and the market." €20m Recovery and Resilience Fund launched for businesses to enhance energy efficiency Deloitte Malta bolsters digital consultancy with key hire Caspian Rabone

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