Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1515299
1.2.2024 2 NEWS 1.2.2024 THE Malta Development Bank (MDB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have kicked off an extensive col- laboration project aimed at enhancing the ability of the MDB to support the Maltese economy and businesses. e MDB aims to accelerate the green tran- sition in Malta by financing environ- mentally sustainable projects, which contribute to address climate change. e first meeting between the two sides was held over the past days at the premises of the Malta Development Bank in Floriana. e MDB and EIB teams were led by Paul V Azzopardi, CEO of the MDB, and Nikolaos Tritaris, Senior Advisor at the EIB, respectively. is collaboration is being facilitated through the Green Gateway advisory service, a joint project between the EIB – the EU Climate Bank – and the Euro- pean Commission. rough this backing, the MDB will enhance its ability to identify, support, finance and report on the eligibility of green projects, including as an interme- diary of the EIB, as well aligning itself to these high standards. e advisory service will also help the MDB to identify promising green mar- ket segments, client categories and in- vestment types. e Green Gateway project aims to pave the way for innovative financing solutions that drive positive environ- mental impact in the context of climate change. e advisory collaboration ties up with a recent agreement signed with the EIB, through which the latter had agreed to provide MDB with a €30 million loan to finance small-scale green investments on favourable conditions. In parallel, this advisory support will complement and build upon the MDB ESG Policy that was approved by the Bank's Board of Directors towards the end of 2023. MDB's ESG Policy reflects the twin approach taken by the Bank, in ensuring full integration of ESG stand- ards in its own operations while ensur- ing that third party projects which are financed through the MDB contributes to an orderly transition to a sustainable economy and enhance social value. Paul V Azzopardi, CEO of the Malta Development Bank said: "We are very grateful for the opportunity to expand our ability to support the Maltese econ- omy to address the challenge of climate change. We are therefore strengthening our ability to be leaders in making this change happen and to play a major role in financing the transition of the Mal- tese economy to a low-carbon and cli- mate-resilient economy." MDB strengthens ability to finance green projects through EIB's Green Gateway support THE current annual increase of 10-12% in lab requests has continued to put pres- sure on medical laboratories and health services both in the public as well as the private sector to invest in their equipment to ensure higher operational efficiencies and serve their patients better. "In the light of this reality, the future of the health sector is automation through a digitally-led infrastructure that ena- bles health specialists and personnel to reach new levels of efficiencies," explains Melchior Pace who heads the Vivian Technical Services within the Laboratory Equipment and Medical Devices Divi- sion. A growth in business and a drive to continue pushing the boundaries of healthcare diagnostics have led Vivian to rebrand its Laboratory Equipment and Medical Devices Division to MediTech as a separate business unit within Vivian. Although Vivian is known as a local importer and distributor of leading phar- maceutical brands, for over 70 years, it has also been supplying and maintaining top-quality medical devices and labora- tory equipment for Malta's leading labs, both at Mater Dei Hospital as well as pri- vate hospitals. "To date, the haematology department at Mater Dei has already achieved full au- tomation, marking a significant milestone in this natural journey toward total lab au- tomation. e more efficiency we reach, the better outcomes for all patients and as a result, total lab automation emerges as the next natural step in Malta's health sector's transformative journey," added Mr Pace. For over 70 years and supported by glob- al leaders such as Roche Diagnostics and Sysmex, Vivian has been a dedicated pro- vider of healthcare services, from point of care devices to fully automated solu- tions in Malta's leading public and pri- vate health labs, delivering cutting-edge technology to ensure timely and accurate patient diagnoses. "e rebranding of Vivian's Laboratory Equipment and Medical Devices Division to MediTech is far from mere cosmetics. We want to show that Vivian, through this division, is a true force in the medical equipment sector and that we are geared and fully ready to secure more projects but also to bring on board more people on our team," concluded Melchior Pace. Vivian rebrands medical and lab equipment division to MediTech Healthcare sector increasingly pushing for automation The MediTech team