The Centre is the initiative of Dr. Edward de Bono and the Edward de Bono Foundation (Malta).

The World Centre for New Thinking, a platform to serve as a neutral launch pad for new ideas with international visibility and to focus the milieu of world affairs including politics and conflict resolution, government and non-governmental organizational development, intra-corporational development, independent value systems.

The Honourable Dr. Louis Galea and members of the diplomatic corp, amongst over two hundred and fifty guests, were present at the inauguration.

The Honourable Dr. Louis Galea, Minister for Education, Youth and Employment and Mr. Peter Diacono, Chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, respectively addressed the Inaugural Address and the Closing Speech. Ms. Daniela Bartoli, Managing Director of the World Centre for New Thinking, delivered the introductory speech. Dr. Edward de Bono presented his vision for and the objectives of the World Centre for New Thinking, for which he is the Chairman.
Minister Galea said the government was supporting the initiative as it felt that the World Centre could be Malta’s contribution to the European Union and the World. Dr. Galea said Malta might never be a military or economic power but it could definitely develop “idea power” and to cultivate this we needed to invest in developing and nurturing thinking skills at all levels.
To quote Mr. Diacono, “The MCST has been for the last years lobbying in favour of the need to integrate the country's resources and the country's initiatives, particularly those related to innovation and competitiveness. […]The setting up of a World Centre for New Thinking within the premises of the Malta Council for Science and Technology should be an opportunity to synergise and interact our approaches. Malta should be proud to have the World Centre on its soil.”

In his speech, Dr. Edward de Bono, presented the Centre as a platform for new ideas:

We analyse situations in order to identify standard elements and then we apply the standard response.  Information and experience are essential.  Analysis and judgement are essential.  Logic is essential.  By themselves, however, all these aspects of thinking are not enough.  There is also a real need for new ideas.
There is as much need for design as for analysis.  Analysis refers to the past.  Design provides the way forward.

New ideas, creative thinking and design all form part of what can be called “New Thinking.” Instead of repeating the standard patterns from the past we put values and ingredients together to design new ways forward.
There is a mathematical need for creativity in any self-organizing information system like the human brain or civilization itself.

The Centre is now officially open to fulfill the following tasks:
- The Centre for New Thinking focuses directly on new ideas and new possibilities.
- The Centre provides a platform to make visible new ideas from any source.
- The Centre organises task forces and round tables to generate ideas on designated issues.
- The Centre offers training in formal creative methods.
- The Centre provides creative facilitation as requested.
- The Centre helps organise the ‘design conferences’ that should precede ‘negotiating conferences.

Above all, the Centre will emphasise the power of possibilities and the importance of new ideas.

Thinking that repeats the past is very valuable but it is not enough.
To move forward we need to design new ways forward.

The Centre welcomes all organizations and individuals.

Dr. Edward de Bono has long seen the importance of ideas and possibilities. 
In fact, one might say that he has been a “ground-breaker” in the field of New Thinking and New Ideas
for the past 40 years, and his instruction in Creative Thinking has been sought by Governments, Corporations, 
NGOs and even sports organisations at national level.  He is widely regarded as the world leader in the
field of deliberate creative thinking.  He has written 68 books with translations into 37 languages. 
He has been listed by the Austrian Business Magazine “Business Leaders” (of March 2003) as one of the
20 world visionaries alive today.  Dr. Edward de Bono’s methods and books have reached regions of the world
where very few people have heard of Malta.