Maltese companies say they feel the heat of competition

Maltese companies are among the most likely to feel the pressure of competitors around them, according to a survey by Eurobarometer.

Like Cyprus (29%), in Malta 27% of some 200 respondents said they were “the most likely to report hundreds of competitors” – companies in Bulgaria (26%) and the UK (25%) were the most likely to say there are too many to count.

The survey suggests that Maltese businesses feel like they face greater competition than others.

While 39% say they face “hundreds of competitors” or “too many to count”, only 29% of European counterparts thought likewise.

And while only 21% of Maltese companies say they face few competitors, 34% of European companies think likewise.

Companies in Austria, Greece (both 49%) and Finland (46%) are the most likely to say they face few competitors, compared to 19% in Malta.

In 15 member States at least one third of companies say they have tens of competitors in their main market, and this is particularly the case in Estonia (47%), Latvia (40%), Denmark and the Czech Republic (both 39%) and Malta (37%).

Reporting tens of competitors is least likely among companies in Cyprus (24%) and Austria (22%).

Companies in Poland (68%), the Czech Republic (67%) and Malta (65%) were the most likely to say a market dominated by established competitors is a problem for commercialising their goods or services. This compared to 35% of companies in the UK and 36% in Slovenia.

46% of Maltese companies sell goods and services to the public sector.  Only 37% of companies in all EU countries report doing so. The highest percentage of sales to the public sector is reported by Luxembourg (49%).

Luxemburg is the only country where more than half (51%) think that the public sector is important for the commercialisation of innovative goods and services. The importance of the public sector is also mentioned widely in Bulgaria (48%), the UK and Malta (both 46%).

At least one quarter of companies in Luxembourg (27%), France and Malta (both 26%), Lithuania, Portugal and Finland (all 25%) have won at least one public procurement contract since January 2011.

Companies in Hungary (33%) and Latvia (31%) were the most likely to say they investigated public procurement opportunities but did not submit a tender, and this is also the most mentioned option in eight Member States. This compares to 5% of companies in Malta and 6% in Austria that say the same.