Founded in 2006 as a subsidiary of long-standing importer and distributor Attard & Co. Ltd, Evolve Ltd provides dynamic and tailored solutions to businesses requiring scientific knowledge and expertise.

Its founder and CEO, Chris Busuttil Delbridge, has turned his signature passion and genuine thirst to assist others into a dynamic company with strong values solidly at its core, standing at the forefront of Malta’s scientific and healthcare industries

“While most companies might see themselves as a business that does some CSR, we are more of a CSR company with business success being the result of our passion and efforts,” Chris remarks. “My role is to be an enabler for talented and driven people to channel their creative and collective efforts into making an impact on – and truly making a difference in – the technical environment in which we operate. By focusing on bespoke solutions that are practical and sustainable, we make the lives of millions of people better every year, be it directly or indirectly.”

The first goal of Evolve Ltd was to better serve the scientific industry as a traditional importer of scientific equipment and consumables. True to the company’s name, it constantly evolved to adapt to changing customer demands and expectations, as well as grow alongside new technologies.

“Today, we see ourselves differently to the Evolve of 2006. We have gradually moved away from the traditional distributor model to become a professional services organisation aiming to design, equip, train and maintain,” Chris explains.

“We learn from our customers and their changing demands, to offer them a speedy, yet expert and personalised service that they won’t find elsewhere, even online. We are one of few companies that work in this environment, so we also like to influence demands and industry trends, and continually invest in our digital infrastructure. We have come a long way but we always have further to go. What got us here, won’t take us there. We must evolve.”

Evolve consists of a formidable team of 25 people, composed of scientists, engineers, and experts across a range of specialities. To retain this expertise, Chris’ passion for people extends to empowering his team and maintaining a company culture that is second-to-none.

“I aim to make Evolve into an employer of choice, and to help our employees become the best versions of themselves,” he affirms. The company lays stress on the five key values of positivity, respect, integrity, dedication, and exceeding expectations.

Enabling the ongoing success of the team also ensures the company can offer a wide range of specialised skills and the largest aftersales technical service on the island. “We believe that we are unique in providing design and consultancy of laboratory spaces, although this is just one of our specialities,” Chris highlights.

“We ensure that we can offer 360-degree knowledge in the lab space, being what I have coined ‘generalist specialists’. This means that we know a lot about everything in the industry and are effectively master of all trades.”

Looking back on his career landmarks that pointed the way to his company’s present success, Chris says: “The business chose me rather than the other way around. I always had a passion for science popularisation, to the extent that, before my first job, I had already represented Malta twice in science-related events abroad, co-created the Junior Section of the Malta Chamber of Scientists, and was part of the organising committee of Science Week with MCST [the Malta Council for Science and Technology].”

He admits he is a very curious scientist by profession and by nature, as well as a creative and approachable person. He recalls that when he was approached by Attard & Co. to join their team, he jumped into it as the very young, fresh-faced university graduate that he was.

That early entrepreneurial spirit and scientific curiosity soon translated into the founding of Evolve Ltd. Though it operated in a minute market already dominated by competition, it evolved to become a leading company in the sector.

“I am still a science aficionado, I still enjoy talking to people and finding solutions, and I’m still an entrepreneur. Serial entrepreneurs are often defined as those with multiple start-ups to their name but I completely disagree with that definition. I believe that an entrepreneurial mindset is something you either have or do not have and is reflected in anything you do. I have led Evolve through so many iterations that it feels like a completely different company today. I look back on our journey with a mix of pride and responsibility.”

Along the years, the scientific landscape in Malta changed. “Customers have become more knowledgeable as the local landscape has matured in the pharma sector, and our role has been to assist them and support with research,” Chris points out.

Evolve is also involved in the medical cannabis industry and the CEO believes the company was the first in Malta to successfully complete a medical cannabis facility project from start to finish.

This is a serialisation of the publication Malta CEOs 2020. All interviews took place prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.