3 THE DIGITAL MALTA VISION Digital Malta is built upon three vertical strategic pillars with clear goals to: Improve the wellbeing of Citizens and civil society. Everyone, including vulnerable and minority groups, will benefit from a higher standard of living. Basic digital skills will empower citizens to seize opportunities presented by technology and digitisation. Digital services will be affordable, secure and accessible to all regardless of skill and economic means. Local digital content will be encouraged. Transform the way Business operate. Digital Malta will increase competitiveness and boost the attractiveness of local industry. It will promote more start-ups, attract foreign investment, enable strategic alliances, encourage angel investment and nurture niche service providers. Business will be encouraged and supported to exploit (i) the opportunities of the European Digital Single Market, (ii) Malta’s strategic location in the Mediterranean, with ready access to the European and North African markets, (iii) Government’s strategic alliances with foreign ICT organisations, (iv) opportunities to expand into new or bigger markets. Enhance the delivery of Government. Better application of digitisation will result in reduced bureaucracy, increased efficiency and transparency. The public service will be closer to civil society and enterprises, improving the government’s decision-making processes. Open Government and eDemocracy will be facilitated. On-line government services will be more accessible through the use of smart devices and mobile-friendly applications as well as websites and social media. Government’s technological capabilities will be widened to include opensource, cloud computing and big data concepts. Information sharing across government systems and services will be promoted, as will be the re-use of public sector information by third parties. These vertical strategic pillars need to be supported by a suite of enabling / driving forces: Regulation & Legislation Of central importance will be government’s direction and priorities at a Strategic and Digital Policy level. Regulation and legislation will ensure an empowered digital society is realised. Good ICT governance will be promoted, with judicious use of resources and participation by all stakeholders. International best practices will be adopted. Infrastructure Infrastructure services need to be accessible, reliable, secure, affordable and resilient. They shall provide for disaster recovery where appropriate. Investment by private sector, will ensure fast broadband, wifi, next-generation access and robust government information systems architecture. Human Capital It is important to invest in people to ensure the supply of eSkills to meet the future needs of different sectors. Action will be taken to develop a high quality specialised skills base, maximising employment opportunities, with an emphasis on increasing female participation and tackling inequalities. The portrayal of this six-pillar model, with a three-dimensional perspective, carries through to sectors such as health, education, transport, justice, welfare and taxation, and themed areas of specialisation identified in the ‘National Research and Innovation Strategy 2020’. The diversity of each area and sector will be taken into account when tailoring initiatives. 22