The Gozo Business Chamber

19/10/2026

🏝️ Giving Gozo and Europe's islands a stronger voice in European policymaking.

On 16 October 2026, the Gozo Business Chamber participated in the EESC–INSULEUR meeting in Syros, Greece, bringing together representatives of European institutions, island chambers of commerce and business communities to discuss the future of Europe's islands and contribute to the development of an EU Strategy for Islands.

The Chamber was represented by its President, Michael Galea, and Vice President, Joseph Borg, who also serves as Vice President of INSULEUR.

🔹 A stronger, more diversified economy for Gozo

During his intervention, Michael Galea highlighted the challenges facing Gozo, particularly connectivity and economic diversification, drawing parallels with the experiences of the Cycladic islands.

He emphasised the Chamber's commitment to advancing regionality and greater regional autonomy for Gozo as essential steps towards unlocking the island's economic potential.

💡 The vision is clear: more high-value economic activities, greater economic opportunities and reduced dependence on tourism, construction and the public sector.

🔹 Europe must listen to its islands

Joseph Borg thanked INSULEUR President Giannis Roussos for the invitation and highlighted the importance of hearing directly from Cycladic businesspeople about their everyday challenges and opportunities.

He stressed that these authentic, first-hand experiences must inform European policymaking, reinforcing a powerful message:

🇪🇺 “Europe is not Europe without its islands.”

🤝 The discussions reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that the realities of island communities are understood and reflected in European policies.

🏝️ At the Gozo Business Chamber, we remain committed to championing Gozo's interests, strengthening the voice of island businesses and advocating for a more competitive, diversified and sustainable island economy.

Our islands are not Europe's periphery. They are an integral part of its future. 🇪🇺

16/10/2026

🚀 What could you improve in your business in just one morning?
Running a restaurant, catering business or producing agrifood products in Gozo? Then this morning is designed for you. 🍽️💻

On Wednesday, 21 October, join us at the Gozo Innovation Hub for Upgrade Your Business – a FREE practical morning focused on digital tools that can make a real difference to the way you promote and run your business.

No lengthy theory. Instead, four focused sessions tackling questions that matter to businesses today:

📣 How do customers find you – and what makes them remember you?
Ricky Bugeja from Reach Communications explores marketing for the HORECA sector and why the human experience still matters in an increasingly digital world.

💻 Is your digital presence actually making your business more efficient?
Frank Sciberras from 3 Bit looks at websites, automation and tailored software that can save time, streamline operations and support growth.

📲 Could your POS system be doing more for your business?
Mark Bonnici & Renee Formosa from Twine demonstrate how orders and bookings from different channels can be brought together through a smarter POS.

🤖 AI is much more than ChatGPT – but what can it actually do for hospitality?
Gilbert Ross from Keen Ltd. will show how AI-powered workflows and automation can support everyday operations without losing the human touch.

And there will also be time to ask questions, meet the speakers and network with other businesses. 🤝

📅 Wednesday, 21 October 2026
🕣 Registration from 08:30
📍 Gozo Innovation Hub
✅ Participation is FREE – registration is required

👉 Reserve your place:
https://forms.gle/hPAwkyfaKL5te7Pr5

📄 See the full programme:
https://gozobusinesschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Agenda-Upgrade-Your-Business-21-October-2026-1.pdf

Upgrade Your Business is being organised by the Gozo Business Chamber in collaboration with the Gozo Regional Council, whose support has been instrumental in bringing this initiative together.

If you operate in the restaurant, catering or agrifood sector in Gozo, this morning is for you. 🚀

Event Date: Wednesday, 21st October 2026 Event Timing: 08:30 - 11:30 hrs Event Address: Gozo Innovation Hub, Xewkija Gozo Contact us at 21550305 or [email protected]

15/10/2026

🚀 Building Gozo’s Future Through Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Diversification! 🌍

On Saturday, 10 October, the Gozo Business Chamber collaborated with the Gozo Innovation Hub in welcoming around 50 French university students specialising in business management, with a particular focus on SMEs.

During the visit, Mr Daniel Borg, Chief Executive Officer of the Gozo Business Chamber, delivered a presentation entitled “Business in Gozo: Current Realities and Future Potential”, providing insights into Gozo’s economic landscape, the challenges faced by businesses operating within a small island economy, and the opportunities for investment, innovation and economic diversification.

💡 The presentation highlighted the potential of emerging sectors, including digital technologies, aviation and drone logistics, healthcare and education. Particular reference was made to successful Gozo-based businesses that demonstrate how innovation and digitalisation can overcome geographical limitations and enable companies to compete internationally.

🏢 A central message was the strategic importance of the Gozo Innovation Hub in shaping the island’s economic future. The Hub represents an important investment in the infrastructure needed to attract knowledge-based businesses, encourage entrepreneurship and support the development of a more diversified and resilient economy.

However, realising its full potential requires more than physical infrastructure. It requires a strong and coordinated start-up ecosystem, bringing together businesses, educational institutions, investors and public entities, while providing aspiring entrepreneurs with the mentoring, support and opportunities needed to transform innovative ideas into sustainable enterprises.

🎓 For the Gozo Business Chamber, this is particularly important in creating quality employment opportunities for young people, encouraging them to develop their careers and businesses in Gozo, and strengthening the island’s long-term economic prospects.

🤝 We thank the Gozo Innovation Hub for hosting this initiative, NSTS Malta for coordinating the students’ visit, and the participating students for their interest in Gozo’s economic development.

By connecting education, entrepreneurship and innovation, we can build a stronger and more competitive future for Gozo! 🌱

Gozo Innovation Hub

14/10/2026

🚀 ONE WEEK TO GO – Are you ready to Upgrade Your Business?

Running a restaurant, catering business or producing agrifood products in Gozo? Then this morning is designed for you. 🍽️💻

The Gozo Business Chamber, together with the Gozo Regional Council , is bringing together professionals from the digital sector for a practical morning focused on tools that can help businesses become more visible, efficient and competitive.

A special thank you to the Gozo Regional Council (Kunsill Reġjonali Għawdex ) for its strong support and collaboration in making this initiative possible. 🤝

🎯 On the programme:

📣 Ricky Bugeja – Reach Communications

Marketing for the HORECA industry and how businesses can stand out and be remembered.

💻 Frank Sciberras – 3BIT
Websites, automation and digital solutions that can help businesses become more efficient.

📲 Mark Bonnici & Renee Formosa – (Threls)

How smarter POS solutions can bring together orders and bookings and support business growth.

🤖 Gilbert Ross – Keen Ltd

How AI-driven workflows and automation are already supporting modern hospitality businesses.

📅 Wednesday, 21 October 2026
🕣 Registration from 08:30
📍 Gozo Innovation Hub
✅ Participation is FREE – registration is required.

👉 Register here:
https://forms.gle/hPAwkyfaKL5te7Pr5

📄 View the full agenda:
https://gozobusinesschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Agenda-Upgrade-Your-Business-21-October-2026-1.pdf

Come along and discover practical ideas and tools that can help you Upgrade Your Business. 🚀

12/10/2026

Connecting with the next generation at Sixth Form Freshers’ Day!

On 7 October, EUROPE DIRECT Gozo, hosted by the Gozo Business Chamber, participated in the Sixth Form Freshers’ Day, engaging with students as they began a new chapter in their educational journey! 💫

The event provided an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about the role of EUROPE DIRECT Gozo and share information about the various opportunities available to young people across the European Union. 🌍✨

Through initiatives such as these, the Gozo Business Chamber continues to support youth engagement, access to information and awareness of opportunities that can contribute to the personal and professional development of young people in Gozo.

👏 We wish all students a successful and rewarding academic year ahead!

09/10/2026

💡 From a tiny idea to an idea that can make a difference! 🚀

Three sessions have already taken place as part of Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo 2026, guiding participants through the process of turning an initial idea into a more structured business concept.

Through practical exercises, participants explored how to create, deliver and capture value - identifying what they are offering, who they are offering it to and how the idea can become financially sustainable. They also worked under time pressure to develop and present an idea, receive feedback, and explore how AI and digital tools can support the creative process. 💻

Step by step, participants are developing their ideas as they prepare for the Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo Final on 6 November. 🚀

🔗 Find out more about Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo 2026:
https://gozobusinesschamber.org/event/youth4entrepreneurship-gozo-2026/

Aġenzija Żgħażagħ | Aġenzija Żgħażagħ Gozo Youth Service | JA Malta Foundation | Gozo Regional Development Authority | Europe Direct Gozo | BOV | Malta Enterprise | Jobsplus | Malta Digital Innovation Authority | DiHubmt | Malta SME Week

07/10/2026

📘 The Economic Costs of Insularity and EU Policy Responses

On 2 October, Daniel Borg, CEO of the Gozo Business Chamber, participated as a panellist in the conference “Economic Costs of Insularity and EU Policy Responses”, representing the Gozo Regional Committee (GRC).

The conference focused on the findings of the M-INSULAR – The Economic Costs of Malta’s Insularity study and on how the permanent structural costs associated with insularity should be better reflected in EU policy, funding and appraisal frameworks.

🏝️ The report makes specific reference to Gozo’s “double insularity”, where remoteness is further amplified by the fact that access to international connections is dependent on another island.

💼 In his intervention, Daniel Borg focused on the cost structure faced by Gozitan businesses. A company based in Gozo seeking to operate nationally faces additional costs that a Malta-based competitor does not, including transport and logistics costs, waiting time and other operational inefficiencies linked to connectivity.

The M-INSULAR study itself identifies higher and more volatile transport costs, longer lead times and additional coordination costs as factors affecting business competitiveness in island territories.

🇪🇺 Borg also highlighted that while support measures, including those falling under De Minimis rules, can help compensate for some transport-related costs, they may also reduce the scope available for businesses to benefit from other forms of aid.
The key message was clear: the cost of insularity is structural and should not be addressed solely through individual compensatory measures, but recognised more systematically within European policy and funding frameworks.

06/10/2026

🚀 UPGRADE YOUR BUSINESS

The Gozo Business Chamber, in collaboration with the Gozo Regional Council, is organising Upgrade Your Business - a practical morning seminar on how digital tools can help businesses improve their visibility, efficiency and competitiveness.

📅 Wednesday, 21st October 2026
🕣 08:30hrs - 11:30hrs
📍 Gozo Innovation Hub

Topics will include:
- Digital marketing
- Websites and digital efficiency
- Smarter POS solutions
- AI and automation for hospitality businesses

🔗 Register here: https://forms.gle/GomxEgLXxA4t7h2q6

📋 Agenda:https://gozobusinesschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Agenda-Upgrade-Your-Business-21-October-2026.pdf

Event Date: Wednesday, 21st October 2026 Event Timing: 08:30 - 11:30 hrs Event Address: Gozo Innovation Hub, Xewkija Gozo Contact us at 21550305 or [email protected]

02/10/2026

📘 Budget 2027 | Eight Priorities for Gozo

The Gozo Business Chamber’s Budget 2027 proposals – From Commitment to Implementation bring together eight strategic priorities aimed at strengthening Gozo’s connectivity, competitiveness, economic diversification and long-term resilience.

The priorities are:
1️⃣ Regionality – develop a roadmap for greater regional responsibility.
2️⃣ Mġarr Harbour – finance its expansion and future-proofing in line with future ferry and logistics needs.
3️⃣ Logistics Hub – move from concept to implementation, linked to Mġarr Harbour.
4️⃣ Innovation & Enterprise – develop the Gozo Innovation Hub as the anchor of a wider enterprise ecosystem and implement the Business Lab.
5️⃣ Rural Airfield & Air Connectivity – provide a realistic capital allocation and begin implementation.
6️⃣ Financial & Professional Services – improve regulatory accessibility and attract substantive higher-value operations.
7️⃣ Skills & Talent – strengthen upskilling, align training with economic priorities and further develop Youth4Entrepreneurship.
8️⃣ Existing Businesses – strengthen transport support, digitalisation, productivity and market access.

🎯 The Chamber’s central message is that Gozo’s development requires a coordinated approach, linking infrastructure, enterprise, skills, connectivity and regional governance rather than addressing these areas in isolation.

📄 Read the full Gozo Business Chamber Budget 2027 proposals:
https://gozobusinesschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/GBC-Budget-2027.pdf

01/10/2026

📘 Budget 2027 | Strengthening Gozo’s Existing Business Base

🏢 Gozo’s existing businesses remain central to employment, investment and the resilience of the regional economy. At the same time, they continue to face structural disadvantages arising from insularity, scale and the additional cost of moving goods between the islands.

The Gozo Business Chamber is therefore calling for measures that strengthen the competitiveness of established firms while supporting their transformation and growth.

🚚 Key proposals include progressively extending transport support, maintaining direct grant assistance for digitalisation, automation and resource efficiency, and ensuring that the proposed Business Lab also supports existing enterprises.

🌍 The Chamber is also advocating stronger support for market access and internationalisation, including trade fairs, B2B matchmaking, export readiness and the establishment of a Gozo Showcase / Valletta business facility to help Gozitan businesses connect with clients, investors and partners.

🎯 The principle is clear: economic transformation and economic resilience must advance together - supporting existing businesses while continuing to diversify Gozo’s economy.

📄 Read the full Gozo Business Chamber Budget 2027 proposals:
https://gozobusinesschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/GBC-Budget-2027.pdf