Bridging Business: The Role and Impact of the German Maltese Business Council

PHILIPP SEIFERT – CHAIRPERSON – GERMAN MALTA BUSINESS COUNCIL

What is the broad role of the German Malta Business Council, its composition, and the desired outcomes?

The role of the German Maltese Business Council is to bring together members of the Chamber who either share an existing business relationship with Germany or who want to build one up. In the past, in particular with non-EU countries, this meant the very tangible role of building relationships and sharing knowledge to cover legislative and logistical gaps, which may have prevented business before.

In a time where Germany and Malta share half a dozen daily direct flight connections, established sea and air freight routes, and mutual membership in the EU, however, the value proposition must be different. Our aim as GMBC is to bridge perceived cultural gaps between our two countries and through this enable members to more effectively enter the market in Germany and further their activities more efficiently compared to someone who has not worked in the German market before.

Further, we see our own geographic location between Sicily to our North, and Libya/Tunisia to our south as key to bringing together companies in Northern Africa with partners from Germany, as business cultures and approaches can be vastly different and potentially detrimental when not correctly understood.

Lastly, we have set a clear goal to achieve a trade mission to Germany with a small group of interested and dedicated members at the end of our current mandate. The events which lead up to this goal are designed to not only bring those companies to the forefront, but to help to determine the most appropriate and interesting industry.

Describe your role as Chair of the Council.

The council brings together decades of experience, knowledge, and contacts from our various members, and applying this combination to achieve the most effective outcome in terms of our stated goals is what my role as chair primarily entails.

What is your assessment of the existing and emerging potential, sectors/areas etc?

In particular with the volatility and changes ongoing over the last 5 years, Malta presents many interesting options that bring stability in a variety of industries. Manufacturing, for example, has reshored production capabilities in Malta which previously came from the Far East and mean that both the access of German companies into Malta and the potential for Maltese businesses to enter the German market is significant.

A very unique opportunity which presents tremendous potential for Maltese companies is the impending crisis in Germany when it comes to a significant lack of succession plans in place with a growing number of SMEs. SMEs have always formed the significant backbone of the German economy, and various incentives and structures are being put in place to connect willing individuals and businesses to the companies which are looking for an alternative way forward for their future. Maltese businesses are very often born international and have internationalization as a core part of their identity due to the small size of the Maltese market, and this is far from the reality with many German SMEs.

How does the Council interact with The Malta Chamber, and what is the added value of this very close collaboration?

Since we form part of the Malta Chamber, members of the Council are members of the Chamber and this naturally means very close collaboration. While there are specific structures within which we have to operate, the Chamber enables us to access information, resources, and collaboration which we could not achieve by ourselves. When it comes to the hosting of events, communication, and data gathering for example, Chamber collaboration and resources are invaluable.

Would you recommend this framework to other TMC members interested in conducting business/trade/investment with other countries?

If the goal is to be effective, then of course. The country-specific councils are all made up of Chamber members who volunteer their time and occupy high-level positions in prominent organizations, meaning ongoing support is required for their effective function on an ongoing basis.