Gozo Chamber calls for more autonomy and innovation growtH

The Gozo Business Chamber has called for greater regional autonomy for Gozo, a long-term accessibility masterplan and a new innovation-driven economic model ahead of Malta’s next general election, arguing that the island’s future development requires a “decisive shift” in governance and planning.

In a policy document published on Tuesday, the Chamber said Gozo should be recognised as a distinct island region with its own socio-economic realities and structural challenges, warning against reducing the election campaign to a bidding war over promises for the island.

Among the proposals, is a call for clear and measurable steps towards greater regional autonomy for Gozo.

The Chamber said that decisions affecting the island should be taken closer to the communities and businesses impacted by them, describing this as a more responsive and accountable model of governance rather than “isolation or separation”.

The Chamber also renewed calls for major infrastructure investment aimed at reducing Gozo’s dependence on a single maritime corridor. It proposed the development of a “Gozo Integrated 

Accessibility and Logistics Masterplan”, including a logistics hub near the planned rural

airfield, an expanded and “future-proofed” Mġarr Harbour, an alternative fast ferry landing site at Marsalforn and a second road link to Mġarr Harbour, “preferably through a tunnel”.

While stopping short of endorsing a Malta-Gozo tunnel project, the Chamber said a permanent link between the islands should remain as a long-term strategic option and warned against releasing land earmarked for such infrastructure to other forms of development.

The document frames accessibility as more than a transport issue, arguing that it directly affects business continuity, labour mobility, freight reliability, tourism and emergency preparedness.

On the economy, the Chamber said Gozo could no longer rely solely on expanding traditional sectors and instead needed growth that was “higher value-added” and less dependent on land consumption. 

The Chamber proposed formally designating Gozo as an “Island Hub for Innovation, Investment and Start-Ups”, backed by targeted incentives and streamlined investment processes.

Suggested priority sectors include artificial intelligence-enabled services, cybersecurity, green technologies, medtech, unmanned aerial vehicle applications and specialised aviation services.

The Chamber also called for the existing Gozo Innovation Hub to be transformed into the centrepiece of the island’s diversification strategy, serving as a platform for start-ups, investors and collaboration between government, businesses and educational institutions.

In addition, it proposed an integrated “Gozo Enterprise One-Stop Hub” to centralise support services for businesses and investors, while urging policymakers to strengthen entrepreneurship and financial literacy education from an early age.

The Chamber said its proposals should be viewed as interconnected elements of a single development model aimed at improving resilience, retaining young talent and reducing Gozo’s dependence on a narrow economic base.