Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/414558
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2014 17 Events Shaping Europe's innovation union EUROPE is facing an unprecedent- ed opportunity resulting from de- mographic change. With substan- tial medical advancements being made, the average life expectancy in Europe continues to rise. However, longevity is also characterised by the increased risk of chronic dis- eases. Europe is striving to make this demographic trend work to its advantage and aiming to become a 'pioneer for demographic solutions'. In this respect and in response to the European Institute for Innova- tion and Technology (EIT) call for action in the field of 'Healthy Living and Active Ageing', a global con- sortium composed of 64 innovation leaders is proposing the kenup con- cept for a Knowledge and Innova- tion Community (KIC). Kenup focuses on six target indus- tries: (1) Immunisation for Adults (2) Personalised Medicine (3) Predic- tive Health (4) Value-based Health Care (5) Independence Solutions and (6) Scalable Care, and aims to advance at least one third of these to clear global market leadership by investing around €1.9 bn in the EU's innovation system through 2022. Based on its unique design, ken- up's cumulated impact by 2030, measured in incremental industry revenue resulting from the KIC's activities, is expected to be in the range of €220–480 bn. This would yield between 150,000 and 320,000 new jobs between 2016 and 2030. The consortium includes the gov- ernments of Malta represented by the Malta Council for Science and Technology and Croatia, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Har- vard University, MIT Media Lab, the Weizmann Institute, the University of Zurich, Israel's National Innova- tion Program in Personalized Medi- cine and social programmes from Jordan and Palestine. The partner- ship spreads across 21 countries in Europe, the Middle East, the United States and China. The Office of the Prime Minister will coordinate Malta's participa- tion in the KIC, integrating ongoing efforts of the relevant ministries, most notably the Health, ICT and R&I sectors, thus providing the framework to support and enable collaborative R&I projects and the spin-offs and start-ups that arise from these activities. VODAFONE is today opening its first Destination Store in Malta. This new Store, which occupies over 417 square metres on the Birkirkara Bypass, continues to build on the high quality customer service that Vodafone has consistently offered in its other four major retail outlets by introducing a new concept of how to simply but effectively meet a different range of customer needs. Given that mobile technology and related services are becoming in- creasingly complex, with an ever ex- panding range of options available to the consumer, the Vodafone Group has rolled out a global initiative to look at how to deliver a customer ex- perience in all their retail outlets that recognises this changing reality. The aim of this initiative is to provide a service that is based on what today's customer wants and expects when looking for any type of mobile-related service. Design and lay-out The results of this research high- lighted six key attributes that custom- ers felt should characterise the ideal retail outlet: 1. Modern 2. Hands On 3. Welcoming 4. Relaxing 5. Warm 6. Calm The design of the Store takes this 'wish-list' fully into account and translates it into an open and distinc- tive physical space that is as inviting as possible to the customer. The main characteristics are openness and sim- plicity, where every service point is clearly designated so that a customer is free to browse and explore and can choose to try out different products at will, but can also immediately iden- tify the particular service point that he or she requires and can access this swiftly if time is an issue. Service Areas The Destination Store offers three dedicated areas that are geared to- wards meeting specific customer needs. A greeter at the entrance of the Store will be on hand to direct the customer to which of the areas he or she requires. Consumer area This covers 180 square metres and is the largest area within the Store. The emphasis is on empowering cus- tomers to browse and take a literally hands-on approach to the products on display. Touch-screen facilities for purchasing certain services (such as mobile top-ups) simply and quickly are also available. Business in Retail area This area is a first for any Vodafone store in Malta and Gozo since it in- troduces a dedicated touch point for business customers focused on their particular needs and issues. The area has a business expert who can offer advice on our broad business products portfolio, taking the particular requirements of the individual customer into account and identifying the best options available. Service Centre All Vodafone outlets include tech- nical services however the Desti- nation Store will be the first outlet to offer a dedicated technical area. Specialised staff are on hand to pro- vide technical assistance on both hardware and software issues. Customers are invited to visit the Destination Store from today on- wards. Vodafone would also like to inform the public that, unlike the previous Birkirkara outlet, the Store includes parking facilities. Further details can also be obtained from our newly revamped website on www.vodafone.com.mt MITA signs agreements with local companies for a €2.5 million ICT investment MITA has signed a number of con- tracts with local companies for a to- tal ICT investment of €2.5 million. This was the result of an outsourcing framework through which private companies have been entrusted with the maintenance, support and up- grades of some of the government's ICT systems. The signing was presid- ed by Chris Cardona Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Busi- ness and José Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth. MITA's Executive Chairman, Tony Sultana, explained that this procure- ment consists of software develop- ment and operational services on ap- plications managed by MITA. "This is the first time that such services are being requested on such a wide spec- trum of business areas that amongst others include statistics, government administration, health, social services, taxation, and funding." Earlier this year, after consultations with the Chamber of Commerce, En- terprise and Industry, MITA had is- sued a public call for companies to join an outsourcing framework for various services on more than forty systems. A total of ten suppliers are now par- ticipating in this framework. More recently MITA issued three tenders which were divided into dif- ferent lots and these were won by five of the participating companies and the respective contracts were signed today with the selected suppliers: 2i, Alert Communications Ltd, iLab Malta, Lo- qus Public Sector and Seasus. Sultana added that through this outsourcing framework the Agency will be able to dedicate more time and resources on other programmes and initiatives which bring about an im- proved quality of life for citizens. Herrera explained how government, through MITA, will be outsourcing 44 ICT systems to the private sector for a period of five-years, providing MITA with the opportunity to think long term about the development and up- grades required by these systems. Herrera said that, "some of the sys- tems included in the framework are key to Government and this shows our trust in the maturity of the private sector. This procurement shows that we want the private sector to partici- pate more wholly in the development of the digital economy." Herrera concluded by pointing that although Internet penetration is very high in Malta, the take up of eGovern- ment services is still one of the lowest in the EU. "Through such investments we will be enriching these services and thus paving the way to increase take-up." Cardona said that small and medium sized companies (SMEs) have a major role in Malta's economy. Government has in fact introduced a number of measures aimed at increasing the par- ticipation of SMEs in its tenders and today's announcement is just one ex- ample of how Government is partner- ing with the private sector. "We believe that the private sec- tor has a critical role in assisting us in the delivery of our services in a more efficient manner." Cardona said that, "some of the systems will be co- financed by the European Union and thus we're providing these companies with the opportunity to work on sys- tems which will be in use throughout the European Union." Opening of Vodafone Malta's new destination store PTL Holdings plc launches €36 million bond issue PTL Holdings plc, the holding company of PTL International, has launched a €36 million bond issue, maturing in 2024. The unsecured bonds, at a nom- inal value of €100 per bond issued at par, bear an annual interest rate of 5.1 per cent. Proceeds from the bond issue will be primarily di- rected to refinance PTL Interna- tional's recent expansion. Earlier this year, PTL Interna- tional acquired SAD, Poland 's largest Apple reseller, and APCO, the Malta-based payment services provider and automation expert. PTL International is a diversi- fied portfolio of IT investments with a footprint in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Brought together in early 2014, PTL International's activi- ties focus on retail, business solu- tions, and borderless value added services. Across its activities in various sectors and markets, the group enjoys high-level technological, operational, and management expertise, resulting in multi-level synergies. By partnering a range of best- in-class brands to deliver superi- or, innovative technologies, PTL International works to position itself among the leaders in its sec- tors in Dubai, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, and Romania. The group's ambitions are driven by a multicultural, expert knowledge base of 400 IT, sales and project management professionals across its international presence. More information about the PTL Holdings plc bond issue is avail- able from the prospectus dated November 3, 2014, which is avail- able at w w w.ptli.net or authorised financial intermediaries. Appli- cation forms are available from 10 November from authorised finan- cial intermediaries. Subscriptions open on 24 November and close on 28 November, or earlier if the bond issue is over-subscribed. PTL International is the tech- nology subsidiary of Hili Ven- tures, the holding company of a diversified Malta-headquartered group. Hili Ventures is engaged in logistics and engineering; tech- nology; property management; and multi-sited operations in col- laboration with McDonald 's and Apple. Present in more than 12 coun- tries across Europe and the Mid- dle East with a team of 3,500 people, Hili Ventures is a proud partner of Allison, Apple, Cisco, CMA CGM, Hoffmann, IBM, Lenovo, McDonald 's, Microsoft, NCR, Terberg, Tranter, and other global leaders. Disclaimer: The value of investment can rise as well as fall. Past perform- ance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. Investors should seek the advice of an in- dependent, authorised financial intermediary before deciding to invest in listed financial instru- ments. MCST chairman Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando (seated, left) and Notary Tim Ellis (left) , in a global consortium