Country Profile: Malta
Dedicated design policy status
No
Design in other policy agendas
- CCI Strategy – National Cultural Policy not only recognises design as a sector, puts emphasis on design education and design as a driver of business innovation; but also includes specific design actions. [Championed]ä
- Innovation Strategy – National Research and Innovation Strategy 2023–2027 advises strengthening support for non-technological innovation, including design, marketing, and organisational innovation. It highlights iterative co-design of R&I funding measures and suggests exploring a Government Policy Lab. [Integrated]
- Industrial / Development Strategy – Malta’s Sustainable Development Vision 2050 references design in relation to circular economy, repairability, product and building design and consumer-facing design solutions. [Mentioned]
- Circular Economy Strategy – Towards a Circular Economy Strategy 2020–2030 calls for material and product design approaches that reduce waste and embed circularity. [Integrated]
- Digital Strategy – Malta Digitali 2022–27 Strategy incorporates service design principles in public digital transformation. [Integrated]
- Architecture Strategy – No dedicated strategy identified.
Observations
Malta integrates design in a relatively systematic way across multiple strategies, from cultural policy and R&I frameworks to circular economy and digital agendas. The explicit recognition of design education and its role in innovation and public sector transformation suggests an emerging cross-sectoral vision, even in the absence of a dedicated design policy. While the country has yet to establish a comprehensive national framework, the presence of targeted measures across agendas indicates a clear recognition of design’s value for innovation, sustainability and governance.
Sources
- Malta – National Cultural Policy (2021), o. J.
- Malta National Research and Innovation Strategy 2023-2027, o. J.