Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/335393
10 Business Today maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 25 JUNE 2014 Brussels Airlines inaugurates first flight to Malta 6PM exploring the possibility of setting up office in Canada EUR100,000 for startups in first TAKEOFF Seed Fund Award Belgium's largest airline, Brussels Airlines, was saluted by a water arch upon making its first landing at the Malta International Airport this week. Passengers on board were lat- er greeted by a group of dancers clad in traditional Maltese costumes who handed out flowers as a welcoming gesture. On board the first flight was Malta's Ambassador in Brussels, Ray Azzopardi and Brussels Airlines Vice President for Media Relations Geert Sciot. Based in Brussels Airport, the airline has chosen Malta as part of its summer expansion across European destinations and will be flying directly to and from Malta International Airport twice a week, on Fridays and Sundays. "Coupled with the code sharing agreement Brussels Airlines has with our national carrier Air Malta, the addition of these flights further enhances our current offer to the Belgian market and beyond" said Markus Klaushofer, CEO at the Malta International Airport. "Whilst keeping in mind the number of expats living and working in Brussels who wish to hop back home for the weekend, the flights also provide further accessibility for visitors to our island," continued Klaushofer. With flights to some 60 European destinations, as well as long-haul flights to 19 African destinations, New York and Washington DC in the US, Brussels Airlines offers an excellent network to connecting destinations. "Brussels Airlines has recently expanded its network to around 10 new destinations, proving that we're not solely aimed at business travellers, but also for holidaymakers. In fact, we're really excited about flying to Malta and we look forward to a busy summer," said Geert Sciot. Brussels Airlines became a member of the Star Alliance in December 2009 and is also a fully integrated member of Lufthansa's frequent flyer programme, Miles & More. Brussels Airlines has, over the past four years, registered an increase in passengers, which stood at 5.88 million last year. Representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority were also present to welcome the airline to Malta. In line with the 6PM's Group busi- ness development plan for organic growth, 6PM has entered in a work- ing relationship with a Canadian partner, who is looking into the possibilities of introducing 6PM products and services in the Cana- dian Health Market. Melanie Kerr and Judy Petersen are two very experienced ICT Health Consultants and have already concluded that within the Canadian Health Market there is ample need and opportunity for products and services as those offered by 6PM. Kerr said, "We are very excited to be partnering with such a highly regarded, innovative organization as 6PM Group. Over the coming months, we will be meeting with key stakeholders to introduce 6PM Group and their rich suites of clinical health applications and to further validate the market opportunity here in Canada. "We look forward to presenting a business plan that reflects the key findings and results of these consultations as we continue our market research. " Ivan Bartolo, CEO of 6PM, said, "6PM is currently investing in market research and fact finding to be able to create the business plan to move forward in this market. "The business plan is expected to be ready by August 2014 at which time the company will take its final decision as to whether it will set up 6PM Canada in partnership with the selected business partners." Earlier this year in line with its expansion plans and its strategy to set up subsidiaries in strategic markets 6PM opened an office in Limerick, Ireland as part of a joint venture between 6PM Holdings plc and Medrex Systems (Ireland) Limited. The Ministry for the Economy, Invest- ment and Small Business has awarded €100,000 in seed funding to groups of innovators and entrepreneurs that will help them move their promising ideas forward toward commercializa- tion and creation of high-growth busi- nesses in Malta. Award winners received their cheques from Minister Chris Cardona, at an award ceremony at TAKEOFF, the incubator of the University of Malta The TAKEOFF Seed Fund Award is the first programme in Malta to focus on early-stage technology and startup development. The 2014 pilot of this programme aims to help move promising ideas forward toward commercialisation and ultimately, creation of high-growth businesses in Malta. Award funding helps to bridge the initial gap between lab/patent/ idea and market development, and provides support to innovators and entrepreneurs when they need it most to increase the likelihood of success. Nine teams received funding ranging from €5,000 to €18,000. Award winners will work closely with the TAKEOFF incubator team to advance their technology commercialization and startup business development plans. "In Malta there is no shortage of good innovations and technologies, nor is there a lack of talented people with the energy to take those ideas to market," said TAKEOFF Manager, Ben McClure. "While the island certainly has more investment-worthy ideas than available early-stage funding, today's support from the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business plays an important role in helping get some great ideas off the ground." The TAKEOFF Seed Fund Award is a joint initiative between the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation (CEBI) at the University of Malta and the Ministry for the Economy, Industry and Small Business (MEIB), with support from TAKEOFF, the Business Incubator of the University of Malta. Startup teams receiving TAKEOFF Seed Fund awards are: DiscountIF (€18,000): Startup DiscountIF's e-commerce platform will disrupt the traditional online retail market by combining the thrill of winning a bet with the value of a discounts site, offering a unique buying promise. Inbound Muse (€18,000): Inbound Muse will produce artificial intelligence-based software that helps businesses gain in-depth understanding and insights about their markets. MightyBox Games (€10,000): Digital games studio MightyBox is focused on developing games for the music industry, producing titles closely attached to songs and musical artists. Sanctuary (€6,000): Sanctuary is a developing a mobile, audio-visual tool designed to provide meditative aid to terminally ill hospital patients. eSports Unlimited (€5,000): eSports Unlimited is a new web- based platform offering fantasy sports leagues, betting, and results analysis services for professional video games competitions (esports). Proof-of-concept technology commercialization opportunities that received funding are: Rib Bridge (€16,000): A University of Malta team has invented a novel 'rib bridge' that helps surgeons safely and effectively reconstruct the chest wall after operations to remove cancers and address traumas. Ultrawideband Antenna (€14,500): A University of Malta team has developed an ultra-wideband, ultra- low cost antenna with large market opportunities in astronomy, mobile, radar, broadcasting, aviation and earth observations. WALNUT (€7,500): A University of Malta team is developing brain- controlled music player app for mobile devices. HydroStorageSystem (€5,000): A University of Malta team has invented a system that combines offshore wind energy and deep sea water to produce low-cost onshore cooling for large buildings. TAKEOFF, situated at Dar Ġużeppi Zahra, in the heart of campus, is a start-up development space that helps innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs create thriving technology and knowledge-based ventures. For more information visit www.takeoff.org.mt