The Central Bank of Malta’s Research Department launched the eighth edition of its annual Research Bulletin at its Annual Research Workshop, positioning the publication as the Bank’s flagship research output and presenting selected projects in an accessible format. Governor Professor Edward Scicluna highlighted the Bank’s move toward more granular data and new analytical tools to improve forecasting and capture both aggregate and distributional effects of shocks from domestic and external sources. Workshop presentations covered the use of micro data and machine learning for real-time analysis of inflation dynamics, tax micro-simulations and survey data for distributional assessments of policy, and new modelling approaches to interpret supply-side developments and cross-border climate spillovers. A keynote by Chiara Osbat of the European Central Bank addressed the growing use of micro data in macroeconomic analysis and its implications for small economies, while a concluding Bank presentation examined machine learning-based nowcasting using combined economic and climate datasets.
Central Bank of Malta 2025-11-28
Central Bank of Malta launches eighth annual Research Bulletin highlighting granular data and machine learning applications
The Central Bank of Malta's Research Department released its eighth annual Research Bulletin, highlighting advancements in data granularity and analytical tools for improved forecasting. Discussions covered micro data, machine learning, and new modelling approaches for analyzing inflation dynamics, policy distributional effects, and climate spillovers. A keynote by Chiara Osbat from the European Central Bank emphasized micro data's role in macroeconomic analysis for small economies.