New €30 million programme positions Malta for deeper integration into Europe’s startup ecosystem

Maltese startups are about to get a €30 million boost, as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the Government of Malta have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the EIT Regional Innovation Booster (EIT RIB) pilot in 2026.

The deal, announced yesterday in Budapest at the EIT Innovation Awards, sets the stage for a three-stage support programme, tailor-made to help early-stage Maltese ventures scale, internationalise, and secure investment.

“We are delighted that Malta joined the EIT Regional Innovation Booster pilot. We appreciate this recognition of the value of the EIT’s innovation ecosystem in accelerating the growth of start-ups with high innovation potential. It gives Maltese innovators a tool to expand internationally and receive the support of the whole EIT Community, ensuring innovative solutions can scale and make an impact,” says Martin Kern, Director of the EIT.

Malta has recently strengthened its profile as a rising innovation hub: according to the 2024 Startup Nations Standard report, the country retained 4th place in Europe for innovative startups. Malta’s public-backed scheme, the Startup Finance Scheme, has approved 66 projects since 2020, mobilising roughly €30 million and creating more than 145 high-quality jobs, with average startup salaries around €45k.

Meanwhile, private investment is gaining traction: for example Qamar Ventures – a Malta-based fund – plans to inject €10 million into media, technology, entertainment and SportsTech ventures, and together with other firms (e.g. sector-specific funds like Ubunto Ventures and VentureMax Group) is helping bridge founders with capital, expertise and networks.

On top of funding, ecosystem-building efforts such as the Startup Festival Malta have attracted thousands of participants from around the world – offering founders, investors and policymakers a platform to network, collaborate and explore growth opportunities.

In this context, the new €30 million boost accessible via the EIT RIB could provide an important additional layer.

Since Malta already combines public-scheme funding, growing private capital, and ecosystem infrastructure, the EIT-backed injection may help early-stage ventures transform into scalable companies, link more effectively with international markets, and benefit from both domestic and EU-wide support networks.

“This new Xjenza Malta initiative is very important for Malta as it will offer guidance, funding and expert advice to make ideas commercially viable and ready for internationalisation. Overall, it’s about helping Malta’s innovators go from lab results to commercialisation,” notes Silvio Scerri, CEO at Xjenza Malta, the national agency overseeing research, innovation, and science communication.

Founded as an EU body under the Horizon Europe framework, the EIT has been expanding its footprint in Malta significantly since 2021.

Over the last three years, it has granted over €3.4 million across seven Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), with one-third of that directly supporting local SMEs. The EIT has supported 31 new ventures in Malta and introduced three new innovations to market, while offering entrepreneurial and DeepTech training to 759 Maltese participants.

That’s not all. Eleven Maltese partners are currently active in EIT KICs, giving Malta the highest per capita participation rate among all countries involved in the programme.

In 2024, the launch of the EIT Community Hub Malta created a central gateway to funding, skills development, and EU-wide collaboration for Maltese entrepreneurs, universities, and institutions. Participation rates in EIT programmes are now estimated to be twice as high as Malta’s participation in Horizon Europe, indicating the tailored value EIT brings to the local context.

The EIT plans to allocate at least €30 million to the entire EIT RIB pilot phase until 2028.

The EIT RIB is a flagship initiative targeting “modest and moderate” innovator countries, and Malta now joins Poland, which entered in May 2025, in this pilot. The Maltese edition will connect with existing national innovation schemes and offer tailored mentorship, funding, and internationalisation support for startups and scaleups.

The MoU underscores Malta’s increasing relevance in Europe’s innovation ecosystem, with the new programme set to strengthen local capacities and link them with pan-European opportunities.

One example of EIT’s growing impact in Malta is Greenroads, a startup leveraging AI and real-time data to improve urban mobility and road safety. Backed by Climate KIC and EIT Urban Mobility, Greenroads received early mentoring and funding that enabled it to scale its technology beyond Malta.

The company’s involvement in the EIT Urban Mobility RAPTOR pilot in Ghent, Belgium, highlights how local ideas can become internationally relevant solutions with the right support framework.

The broader vision is clear: empower Maltese startups to grow beyond borders, integrate into the European innovation community, and deliver meaningful economic and societal benefits at home and abroad.

With the MoU now signed and the pilot due to launch in 2026, Malta is setting itself up to become a serious contender in Europe’s innovation economy.

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