DiHubMT - Maltese Digital Innovation Hub

Small businesses are the backbone of European economy, making up close to all businesses in Europe. Yet, they are faced with a growing paradox: digital technologies hold the potential to boosting competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but SMEs themselves are the least likely to capitalise on the benefits this brings. Due to lack of resources, SMEs often lag behind larger counterparts across business development metrics. 

About this initiative

DiHubMT, the Maltese Digital Innovation Hub (DIH), part of the larger network of Digital Innovation Hubs in the EU (EDIHs), was born in Mrieħel, Malta and since being set up, has provided a range of upskilling instruments to the Maltese business community. Established by the Malta Digital Innovation Authority under the EU Digital Europe Programme, DiHubMT serves SMEs, start-ups, and public sector bodies with a mission that is tailor-made broader than conventional business support. Its central conviction is that the digital transformation cannot succeed without deep and continuous upskilling. For businesses, upskilling means much more than just attending a half-day workshop on productivity software; requires structured capacity building in advanced technologies that directly affect competitiveness.

The DiHubMT skills programme targets advanced digital competences that are reshaping every sector: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, increased reality, robotics, and high-performance computing. These technologies are already determining which businesses experience competitive disruptions and which ones do not. By making structured training in these areas accessible to SMEs that would otherwise not afford it, DiHubMT addresses one of the most obstinate inequalities in the European business landscape, the growing gap between the upskilling resources available to large corporations and those accessible to small firms.

Why is this a good practice? 

Since its establishment, DiHubMT has delivered structured training to around 680 participants in Malta’s SME and start-up ecosystem. Its course portfolio includes Advanced 3D Printing, 3D Printing Foundations, Internet of Things (IoT), VE Cybersecurity, AI Upskilling, Microsoft 365 Training, and AWS Courses, combining the technical fund with direct business applicability.

• The SME Toolkit series is another visible DiHubMT channel to ensure practical upskilling. Working as a rolling programme of practical and thematic sessions, it covers digital tools and productivity, data-based decision-making, digital marketing, cybersecurity awareness, and a growth strategy in digital markets. The sessions are designed for business owners and their teams, not just for IT specialists. They do not require prior technical expertise and focus entirely on practical application in the participants’ own operations. Within the framework of the SME Toolkit, DiHubMT delivered sessions such as Core Productivity Essentials, Access to EU Tenders (TED Essentials), The Missing Link, Malta as a Launchpad, and Build It Right, each addressing a distinct gap in the ability to face growing enterprises. From operational efficiency to access to public procurement and strategic positioning, the Toolkit translates digital knowledge into actionable commercial results.
• The Train the Trainer strand extends this impact significantly. Beyond equipping businesses directly, DiHubMT is building a multiplier network of trained professionals capable of disseminating digital knowledge within their own organisations and communities. So far, the Train the Trainer programme has reached around 150 participants. The series covered Financial Literacy, Cybersecurity, and 3D Printing, with dedicated AI-focused Train the Trainer courses currently being planned. This approach ensures that digital capacity is integrated into Malta’s business ecosystem rather than remaining centralised in the centre itself.
• Beyond training, DiHubMT’s “Test Before Invest” workspace gives businesses practical access to emerging technologies in a professionally supported environment, from AI platforms to 3D fabrication and drones systems. This facility addresses an obstacle that no amount of classroom training can overcome on its own: the inability of small businesses to assess whether a technology is good for them before committing resources. Experimentation, guided by expert practitioners, turns abstract knowledge into informed decision-making and reduces the risk associated with digital adoption.
• The entrepreneurship dimension strengthens the mission of upskilling. The DiHubMT three-tier programme, incubator, pre-accelerator, and accelerator, guides start-ups through a structured development pathway where digital capacity is built at every stage. The founders develop the technical and strategic digital influence needed to grow into competitive markets. Partnerships with organisations such as the Malta Business Bureau, Mindset Malta, and MBM Commercial LLP anchor this support in commercial reality rather than theory.

Since its launch in 2024, DiHubMT has already supported seven start-ups and delivered several groups of its Unlocking Funding series. Through Unlocking Funding, businesses explored themes including Entrepreneurship through Procurement, EIT Clinic commitments, The Crowdfunding Playbook, Digitalise Your SME, Technology Development Programmes in collaboration with national research bodies, follow-up workshops for scaling-up initiatives, and structured guidance on risk capital preparedness. By clarifying EU instruments, alternative funding models, and investment pathways, the programme ensures that digital capacity is matched with the financial strategy.

These activities show a model that integrates skills development, experimentation, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial growth within a single national framework.