Malta has taken a significant step forward in strengthening its innovation landscape with the official launch of its first PATLIB Centre, a development that follows several years of coordination with the European Patent Office (EPO).

PATLIB centres — short for Patent Libraries — form a European network of specialised hubs that provide expertise in patents, intellectual property and technology commercialisation, helping innovators protect and scale their ideas.

Hosted at the University of Malta’s Knowledge Transfer Office, the centre will function as a national point of reference for patent knowledge, innovation support and commercialisation. It will offer services such as patent searching, prior-art analysis, commercialisation guidance and specialised IP training, expanding local access to expertise that previously required foreign consultation.

“With the launch of Malta’s PATLIB Centre, we take an important step forward in supporting creativity, research and innovation at a national level,” said Matthew Pisani, Director of IP at the Commerce Department.

The launch was also addressed by Godwin Mifsud, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects.

Work toward establishing the centre began several years ago and intensified through direct exchanges with officials at the EPO responsible for the European PATLIB strategy. These discussions outlined the operational, training and integration standards Malta needed to meet to be formally recognised within the network.

With the Knowledge Transfer Office now responsible for operations, Malta is positioned to offer stronger and more structured support to inventors, researchers and businesses across the full lifecycle of their ideas—from concept to commercialisation. The EPO has endorsed the development, describing the Maltese centre as a benchmark for excellence in IP knowledge.

“We are very proud that the University’s Knowledge Transfer Office hosted the first PATLIB centre in Malta,” said Michelle Cortis, Director of the Knowledge Transfer Office. “This designation means that our small but talented team can share international experience and knowledge in intellectual property and commercialisation with the innovation community.”

The benefits for Malta extend beyond patent guidance. The new centre deepens the country’s integration into the European patent ecosystem, strengthens its innovation infrastructure and enhances the support available to researchers and companies looking to commercialise new technologies.

Rather than marking the end of a process, the launch represents the beginning of a new phase for Malta’s innovation landscape — one built on knowledge, collaboration and long-term ambition.