In November 2020, ten million people celebrated Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) through 40,000 different events in over 180 countries around the world. With an international network of 20,000 partners, events during the annual GEW initiative are designed to stimulate, inspire and encourage entrepreneurial activities through different stakeholder groups. These events aim to promote originality, creativity and ingenuity through local and global activities. The Edward de Bono Institute has proudly been the official National Host for this event in Malta since its inception in 2008, and collaborates each year with various partner organisations to put together exciting programmes of activities to join this global celebration of entrepreneurship.
In view of the current health concerns and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, all the events for GEW Malta 2020 were held virtually.
Tuesday 12 November, from 10:00 to 12:00: The 'ProBM2' Erasmus+ Project Interim Meeting
ProBM 2 is an Erasmus+ project that aims to increase the skills and knowledge of adult educators and training providers in teaching business models through the development of an online training programme. On Thursday 12th November 2020, The Edward de Bono Institute engaged in a virtual workshop with project partners in Poland, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Italy and Switzerland to discuss project progress and plan the way forward.
Wednesday 18 November, from 12:00 to 14:00: Business Modelling Workshop
Dr Leonie Baldacchino, Director of The Edward de Bono Institute, conducted a business modelling workshop for students enrolled on the Entrepreneurship module in the 'Degree Plus' programme. The aim of this workshop was to introduce the students to the Business Model Canvas as a tool to evaluate the feasibility of their business ideas. Degree Plus is a University of Malta initiative focusing on the personal growth and development of students through academic and non-academic extracurricular activities.
Wednesday 18 November, from 17:30 to 20:00: Coping with COVID-19: An Entrepreneurial Approach
Many businesses in Malta and across the globe were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis. Organisations were forced to innovate their product lines and re-envision their business models, or face downsizing or winding up. 'Coping with COVID-19: An Entrepreneurial Approach' was an online panel discussion which brought together Maltese entrepreneurs and researchers to discuss how businesses may adapt to the challenges brought about by the pandemic through entrepreneurial innovation. Moderating this panel discussion was Dr Leonie Baldacchino, Director of the Edward de Bono Institute. The panellists were Dr Ing. Marc Anthony Azzopardi, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Malta and winner of the 'MDIA Award for Innovative Technologies in Response to COVID-19’; Ing. David Sciberras, founder of Invent 3D and Runner up of the 'MDIA Award for Innovative Technologies in Response to COVID-19'; Mr Simon Buhagiar, Co-Owner and Commercial Director of Te Fit-Tazza and Souvenirs That Don't Suck; Mr Marvin Gauci, Chef, Restaurateur and founder of Gourmet Malta; and Ms Kristina Buhagiar, PhD candidate and Research Officer II at the Edward de Bono Institute. This panel discussion was held on Zoom (online) on Wednesday 18 November 2020 between 17:30 to 20:00 (GMT+1). It was targeted primarily towards entrepreneurship students at the University of Malta but was open to the general public, free of charge. The discussion was recorded and may be viewed on YouTube at this link.
Thursday 19 November, from 15:00 to 17:00: Malta’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Resources, Incentives and Support (Part I)
As entrepreneurial ecosystems evolve, resources, incentives and support for establishing and growing businesses become more abundant, yet more dispersed. It is therefore essential for start-ups and aspiring entrepreneurs to keep abreast and engage with the opportunities present within their ecosystem. The aim of this two-part webinar was to provide students and the general public with information on funding opportunities and support measures for entrepreneurs in Malta. The first session was held on Thursday 19th November 2020 between 15.00 and 17.00 and included presentations by the following speakers: Professor Russell Smith and Ing. Joe Bartolo on the the University of Malta’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation and TAKEOFF business incubator; Mr Andras Havasi on the University of Malta's Knowledge Transfer Office; Mr Matthew Caruana on the ZAAR crowdfunding platform; Ms Marita Portelli on the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business' 'Enterprise Incentives' app; Mr Anton Vella on the Malta Employers Association's SME Helpdesk; and Mr Andrew Portelli on the BUSINESSLABS co-working space. The second session was held on Thursday 26 November 2020 between 15.00 to 17.00 (details below). These sessions were targeted primarily towards entrepreneurship students at the University of Malta but were open to the general public, free of charge.
Friday 20 November, from 09:30 to 12:00: Project DIFME Piloting Workshop with Micro-Entrepreneurs
Project DIFME, which is an Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance project, aims to deliver an e-learning curriculum to develop the skills of micro-entrepreneurs in the areas of financial literacy and digital internationalisation. Together with the project coordinator - Malta Business Bureau (MBB) - and nine other partners in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands, The Edward de Bono Institute has worked on identifying the skill-gaps of micro-entrepreneurs in financial literacy and digital internationalisation. To counteract this gap, project partners have developed an e-learning platform with nine training modules. On 20 November 2020, the MBB and The Edward de Bono Institute hosted an online piloting workshop with micro-entrepreneurs to explore how the course content could be improved. The aim of this workshop was to acquire feedback from the intended users to better the overall content and layout of course modules and the e-learning platform.
Fridays 20 and 27 November, and 4 December, from 12:00 to 14:00: Developing Entrepreneurial Intuition
Business environments are often dynamic and characterised by high levels of uncertainty. Consequently, the ability to respond quickly and accurately is a critical competence in strategic decision-making. The mind relies on two parallel systems of information processing, one analytical and the other intuitive. Analytical thinking can be particularly reliable in structured or routine tasks. In complex judgmental situations, however, over-reliance on analysis can blind us to new opportunities or creative associations. Intuition can draw informed judgments even from the slightest amounts of information and plays a critical role in the entrepreneurial process. 'Developing Entrepreneurial Intuition' is a three-week training programme that forms part of a study being conducted by Keith Coleiro as part of his Master in Creativity and Innovation at The Edward de Bono Institute, under the supervision of Dr Leonie Baldacchino. The sessions are taking place on Zoom on three consecutive Fridays - 20 and 27 November, and 4 December - from 12.00 to 14.00. The programme aims to develop entrepreneurial intuition, based on the work of leading experts in the field. Participants are learning how to recognise, explore, enable and strengthen intuition, as well as how to challenge it and blend it with rational analysis. This programme is aimed at entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship students who are 18 years of age or older. Participation is free of charge, but registration is now closed.
Monday 23 November, from 09:30 to 13:00: Postgraduate Research Seminar
The Edward de Bono Institute hosted its sixth Postgraduate Research Seminar on 23 November 2020 as part of GEW 2020. The aim of this half-day seminar was to inform students about research opportunities and to provide a space for scholarly debate with peers and academic staff. The first part of the seminar, from 09.30 to 11.00, included an overview of the Master in Creativity and Innovation dissertation requirements, presentations by the Institute's academic staff on their research interests, and a presentation on the funded mobility opportunities available to students through the Erasmus+ programme. The rest of the seminar, from 11:00 to 13:30, featured presentations by the following postgraduate students on their recently completed dissertations or ongoing research:
This seminar was held on Zoom (online) on Monday 23 November 2020 between 09:30 and 13:30 (GMT+1) and was reserved for students and staff at the University of Malta.
Monday 23 November, from 17:00 to 20:00: MBA Business Concept Pitching Event
This event offered Executive MBA final year students, who are enrolled in an entrepreneurship elective study unit at the University of Malta, with an opportunity for peer-learning, discussion and expert insights at an early stage of their business concepts, by pitching to a select panel of experts and practitioners involved in the field of entrepreneurship. Project deliverables of the elective programme will require students to engage in an extended feasibility study to assess the potential of their business ideas, as a prelude to possibly pursuing the concept and entrepreneurial opportunity further. This event was organised by Dr Nathaniel Massa, Senior Lecturer at the University of Malta's Department of Management, in collaboration with The Edward de Bono Institute, and was reserved for the above-mentioned Executive MBA students.
Thursday 26 November, from 15:30 to 17:00: Malta’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Resources, Incentives and Support (Part II)
The second half of this two-part webinar, which aimed at providing students and the general public with information on funding opportunities and support measures available to entrepreneurs in Malta, was held on Thursday 26 November 2020 between 15:00 and 17:00, and included presentations by the following speakers: Mr Karl Herrera on Malta Enterprise; Stephen Borg on the Malta Council for Science and Technology; Mr Steven Diacono on Go Beyond Angel Investing; Ms Deborah Schiavone on the MITA Innovation Hub's ‘You StartIT’ initiative; Mr Klaus Pedersen on Trade Malta; and Mr Joe Tanti on the Malta Business Bureau. These sessions were targeted primarily towards entrepreneurship students at the University of Malta but were open to the general public, free of charge.
Monday 30 November, from 12:30 to 14:00: 'Navigating External Influences - Insights for Business'
The final event for GEW 2020 in Malta was a webinar on 'Navigating External Influences: Insights for Business', which was held on Monday 30 November from 12:30 to 14:00 (GMT +1). Even though a business has no control over external influences, these can have a large impact on an organisation. Some external influences are well-known and can be easily navigated. Others, however, remain hidden; but when they do rear their ugly heads, they can throw an organisation into chaos. Dr Leonie Baldacchino and Prof. Sandra M. Dingli from The Edward de Bono Institute, and Dr Elaine Dutton - Head of Human Resources & Employment Advisory Services at CSB group - shared their insights on how to recognise, manage and anticipate external influences during this live webinar. This webinar formed part of the Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances project DIFME, coordinated by the Malta Business Bureau with the participation of The Edward de Bono Institute - University of Malta and nine other partners in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. It was open to the general public, free of charge. The webinar was recorded and may be viewed on YouTube at this link.