Malta Enterprise Drives High-Value Growth Through Expanded “Get Qualified” Scheme

Malta Enterprise has extended its "Get Qualified" scheme to doctoral studies for the first time, in a move that crystallises the country's strategic pivot towards a knowledge-led, high-value economy and signals a serious long-term commitment to building world-class domestic expertise.

The revamped scheme, launched earlier this month by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, offers eligible individuals up to 70% reimbursement in tax credits on their study expenses, with additional fiscal bonuses for those pursuing STEM qualifications. Support now spans the full qualification ladder from entry-level certificates to doctorate level, strengthening skills aligned with national priorities across every stage of a professional career. The scheme will remain in place until December 2030, with beneficiaries able to utilise tax credits over 15 years and claim support for up to four courses within a five-year period - a combination of generosity and flexibility that puts Malta's workforce investment offer at the top of comparable European jurisdictions.

The timing couldn’t be better. Malta Enterprise CEO George Gregory has highlighted the country's growing economic stability as a decisive advantage in attracting quality investment, pointing to macroeconomic resilience and Malta’s strategic position within the EU as factors increasingly turning heads among international investors. Gregory has been clear about a process of re-positioning towards higher value-added sectors - semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, aviation and maritime - a direction already validated by the continued expansion of established names such as ST Microelectronics, Trelleborg and Baxter on the islands.

Technology and innovation, Gregory argues, underpin everything. Investors arriving in Malta are consistently impressed by the quality of its digital infrastructure and the output of institutions such as the University of Malta and MCAST.

A nation investing in doctoral research while simultaneously courting cutting-edge foreign capital is not hedging its bets, it is stacking them deliberately. Malta's vision for long-term, knowledge-driven growth is no longer aspirational but policy.