Minister for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Silvio Schembri visited the Malta Unity Game Jam, jointly organised by GamingMalta and Unity Technologies, and supported by MCAST. The event is taking place over this weekend at the MCAST campus in Paola.
While thanking GamingMalta and MCAST, Minister Silvio Schembri recalled how in 2019 the first steps were taken to establish a new economic niche in Malta – video game development.
“In 2019, together with GamingMalta, we worked on a strategy to attract new economic niches to our country, including video game development. However, the idea was not only to attract established companies to Malta, but also to place emphasis on education. To nurture Maltese students in this industry and build local talent.” The Minister explained that, for this reason, collaboration began with Unity, a leading game engine in the sector, to start offering courses to Maltese students.
400 students in Malta are already trained in Unity, and another 200 students are currently attending courses.
The Malta Unity Game Jam encourages participants to work in teams to develop playable prototypes as part of the video game creation process. This initiative forms part of the growing ecosystem in Malta’s digital game development sector and is led by GamingMalta through the Unity Centre of Excellence programme, in collaboration with the local video game industry. Participants benefit from mentoring, technical guidance, and exposure in the field.
Ivan Filletti, CEO of GamingMalta, said: “More than 40 participants across 11 teams, both local and international, representing diverse educational backgrounds, are gaining practical professional experience. The Unity Malta Game Jam complements academic learning and equips participants with essential skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and technical execution. These are crucial competencies for careers in video game development and related digital fields.”
The event also serves as a bridge connecting participants with industry professionals and supports their progression toward further development pathways, including initiatives such as Basecamp. Concepts developed during the Game Jam can evolve into more advanced projects, fostering the creation of startups and contributing to the growth of local studios.
This initiative is aligned with Malta Vision 2050, particularly in relation to economic diversification and the development of future digital industries.
Video game development is identified as part of Malta’s broader interactive entertainment sector. This reflects a long-term commitment to investing in human capital, creativity, and digital capability as pillars of the country’s economic future.
