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The practical use of new technology in everyday life should help the Maltese people not to fear this innovation, but rather to make it their own. Local enterprises and their innovations can play an important role in reaching this goal. This was stated by Prime Minister Robert Abela during a visit to the Bajada Lyons Group during which he met with workers of various companies within the Group, including engineers and technology experts, who exhibited new technologies that are being developing. This visit took place within the context of the Budget 2026 announcement of “AI for all” initiative which sees €100 million invested so that our country, local companies and the general public will be ready for rapid advances in this sector. On Thursday, a dedicated Cabinet meeting saw Malta launch a national consultation for an updated national AI strategy. During the visit to the Bajada Lyons Group Dr Abela said that technological tools should be accessible to everyone. “Whoever you are, and irrelevant of your income or age, you should benefit from technology such as AI, which is not only an important economic niche for our country but a powerful tool across different realms of life”, said Prime Minister Robert Abela. Bajada Lyons Group, which operates from the Bulebel industrial estate, has 35 years of experience in the field of photovoltaics and employs over 200 people. In recent years it has continued to expand its operations with new energy services as well as in the hospitality and elderly care sectors. Furthermore, the Group is also focusing on advancing digitalisation and has even invested and incubated innovative start-ups. Technologies showcased during the visit included robotic attachments. These are being developed and integrated by Kingswell Innovation. The startup is creating robotics that solve real-world problems and task specific applications, including prosthetics. Meanwhile a second startup - Digital Brian – showcased various AI-driven prototypes applications:  from those focusing on patient-monitoring, to health and safety equipment verification, all the way to sector-specific chatbots and transport efficiency applications. Bajada Lyons Group founder Mark Bajada explained how the group always managed to shift in the face of new challenges. “We are fostering an ecosystem that combines traditional business operations with transformative technologies. We believe that Malta can be a major competitor for intelligent automation solutions and AI-driven enterprises”. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Home Affairs, Security and Labour Minister Byron Camilleri and Government MP Cressida Galea. Photo: OPM/DOI