PM urges more research and development

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday said more money must be pumped into research and development so as to expand the potential of human resources.

Emphasising the importance of flexibility, he praised the public sector for the steps it has taken, especially in IT, and said greater strides had to be made to respond to the changes in market demands.

Dr Gonzi was speaking at the premises of Megabyte Limited, at the Mosta Technopark, as part of the company's launch of its 25th anniversary activities.

He was welcomed by company chairman Thomas Galea and given a tour of the premises.

Among the issues discussed were how the government could give the IT sector the space to grow and the importance the private and public sectors should attach to research and development.

"We all agree that this is a sector with great potential to stimulate the economy to move forward," Dr Gonzi said.

Another point raised was how to create incentives to encourage small and medium enterprises to make greater use of the electronic services available.

Addressing company employees, Dr Gonzi praised Mr Galea and his brother for having the foresight to invest in computer technology and train employees 25 years ago.

"It is a pleasure to witness the entrepreneurial spirit of these two brothers who initiated the island's first steps towards developing computer technology," he said.

Mr Galea said starting up 25 years ago did not make for an easy business venture but they had forged ahead and succeeded.

Megabyte was founded in late 1979 and it has since notched up a history of achievements in the development of total computer solutions.

Spurred by the need to take on more challenging business ventures, in 1988 Megabyte was further reinforced with the 50 per cent shareholding of L. Farrugia & Sons, (now Farrugia Investments Ltd).

This fusion of technical expertise and entrepreneurial acumen strengthened the firm and helped it to accelerate its growth. As a pioneer in the evolution of IT in Malta, Megabyte has, through the talents of its owners and workforce, delivered a number of successful IT solutions.

Among them were the development of a weekly lotto system, the national ID card system, the VAT system, the hospital patient administration system and, more recently, the development of a route profitability solution for Air Malta.

Today, Megabyte provides a range of products and services designed to meet the needs of organisations operating integrated business systems.

The demands of today's systems have increased in recent years, driven by technologies such as the internet, mobile computing and eBusiness. Megabyte's solutions - in its three key business areas: applications, services and infrastructure - are designed to meet these demands.

At present, the company employs a workforce of 52. The Megabyte mantra is to constantly develop the skills of its workforce. At any given time, at least 10 per cent are on personal development programmes and training in industry related skills.