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MALTESE is a digital innovation project funded under Horizon Europe, dedicated to accelerating rural-urban integration, digital skills, and sustainable agri-business development in Malta’s rural regions over a 9-month period. The initiative will deploy an integrated, multilingual digital platform with three core tools: the JackDaw GeoAI Chatbot for tailored, location-specific advisory; the Map Whiteboard for participatory community planning; and a Rural-Urban E-Market platform that connects local producers directly with urban consumers, promoting circular practices such as compost exchanges and eco-labelling.

Through targeted training and co-design workshops, MALTESE will equip at least 20 rural youth and 10 entrepreneurs with advanced digital skills, supporting the creation of inclusive, youth-led agri-businesses and strengthening local innovation ecosystems. All solutions will be developed with open-source architecture and accompanied by a comprehensive replication toolkit – including APIs, deployment guides, and multilingual training manuals – to facilitate adaptation across diverse European regions.

By embedding the New European Bauhaus values of sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics in both design and delivery, MALTESE offers a scalable, user-driven model for rural digital transformation and practical circular economy adoption, contributing to a vibrant, resilient future for Malta’s countryside and beyond