The MCA held its 20th Anniversary Conference on the 25th November 2021 with the theme "Unlocking Digital Value for Society". The event will comprised a hybrid format, including both physical and virtual participation, and featured a line-up of high-profile international and local speakers.
All sessions from the conference may be viewed from the links below:
- Opening speech - Jesmond Bugeja, MCA CEO
- Keynote Address - Michel Van Bellinghen, BEREC Chair 2021
- Keynote Address- Roberto Viola, Director General of DG CONNECT
- Keynote Address - Philippe Defraigne, Founding Director of Cullen International
- Panel Discussion - Leveraging Digital Opportunities: Prof. André Xuereb (Ambassador of Malta for Digital Affairs), Marcin Cichy (Access Partnership), Peter Dunn (Cullen International), Sergi Figuerola Fernandez (i2CAT Foundation) and Nicole Darabian (Ofcom).
- Panel Discussion - Safeguarding Against Threats in the Digital Age: Fabiana Di Porto (University of Salento), Flavio Arzarello (Meta), Andrea Stazi (Google) and Rainer Schnepfleitner (Amt für Kommunikation).
- Message by the Minister of the Economy and Industry, Hon. Silvio Schembri
- MCA's Vision for eCommerce - Bernard Agius, MCA
- Panel Discussion - Adding Value Through Digital Services: Riccardo Genghini (eWitness Malta Ltd.), Ian Gauci (GTG Advocates), Calvin Briffa (Born Digital Studio) and Lucrecia Dufoo (The Point Shopping Mall).
- Best Practices for Web Accessibility - Inka Taagehøj, SiteImprove
- Panel Discussion - The Need for Digital Accessibility in Today's World: Giuseppe Geresia (SiteImprove Srl.), Stanley Debono (FITA), Samantha Pace Gasan (CRPD), and Michael Debattista (Malta Leadership Institute).
Summary of the day
Morning Session: A Decade of Digital Opportunities and Threats
The morning session focused on tapping into technological opportunities for enhanced connectivity and mitigating threats in the digital age. Discussions revolved around key themes including the potential benefits of technological innovations for citizens and different industries, the need for joint cooperation in policy development, putting the necessary safeguards in place against potential harms, and encouraging trust and confidence in new technologies.
Afternoon Session: Delivering Value for All in a Digital World
The afternoon session delved into contemporary areas related to digital services, as regulated by the MCA. Discussions revolved around the opportunities and challenges related to the adoption of digital services, as well as the MCA’s vision for local eCommerce in the coming years. The session then honed in on the topic of digital inclusion. A presentation was delivered on best practices for designing a website and optimising its accessibility, followed by a panel where several experts shared their insights on best practices, challenges, and trends in the digital accessibility space.
Press Coverage
- Sunday Times
- Illum Newspaper
- The Malta Independent
- Il-Mument
- Malta Today
- It-Torca
- Net News
- Times of Malta article: ‘Technology can reduce hate speech’ – Facebook executive
- Gadgets article: Taking Malta's eCommerce sector to New Heights
- Gadgets article: Making the Most of the Digital Transformation to Improve Everyday Lives
- Gadgets article: Businesses With A Fully Accessible Digital Environment Will Have 50% Competitive Advantage By 2023
