Last year, the European Investment Fund (EIF) committed some €14 billion to European SME’s. “It will be bigger, faster and simpler, and it will help create the ecosystem our innovators deserve,” Falkstedt says. She points to the Juncker Plan, formally the European Fund for Strategic Investments and the pandemic response as proof of agility. In 2023, the Maltese government and the EIF launched a €16.55 million guarantee scheme under the EU’s InvestEU programme, later boosted with €30 million in EIF resources. “Our essence is to support strategic priorities while managing risks carefully,” she says.