I’m ‘Tallinn’ you, Estonia is amazing!

Time to sail away! Although our time in Estonia was short, we’ve have learned so much about this small country of just over 800,000 people in less than 24 hours! Estonia is a very unique country due to the fact that they have only been a free nation for less than 20 years. In this short time however, Estonia has certainly managed to put themselves on the map in the technology sector. In some ways, specifically their government, they are even more technology advanced the the U.S.! We had the opportunity to visit TalTech at Tallinn University, Tehnopool Science Park, and hear some first hand perspectives from both an Estonian and an American that now works in the tech industry at the local library. Our biggest take away from our overall stay was how heavily infiltrated technology is into all areas of their culture and what a difference this makes in comparison to the U.S.

Here we are the two biggest differences we believe affect business with both Estonia and the U.S.:

Our first stop at TalTech at Tallinn University!

Education

While at TalTech, we learned about the history behind the university which brought to light many similarities between TalTech and Chapman especially in terms of size and years till completion. Although we were able to formulate these similarities, there was still one big difference that stood out to us. This difference was the emphasis on technology within the school environment. We are not saying that Americans don’t care about technology, but that there are other majors that are known to be more common; one of which specifically being business. Estonia encourages its students to major in technologically-based majors such as engineering and robotics; even starting at the young ages of 5 or 6. This was proven in our last stop at the library when we saw a video of young Estonians practicing 3D printing techniques. They conduct courses like this in order to teach their youth not to just be consumers, but to be the creators themselves. By igniting their interest in technology young, more Estonians then work toward earning a degree in the same field as they get older, and then enter the business industry pursuing that same field. All of this aids in the process of becoming such a technologically advanced country. Americans are known for being extremely diverse and this floods into personal interests and job preferences. Although the U.S. is advanced in technology, as well, it is not as advanced as Estonia; but this also means it is a lot more advanced than Estonia in other business industries. By Americans conducting what one would consider “typical” courses till an individual enters college, we are not pushing students to major in specific fields and encourage them to follow their own desires that pushes them toward the most success. Essentially, while Estonia is known for being the “technology hub,” the U.S. is known for its diversity; and this is all founded upon the education within each country.

Stop number two at Tehnopool Science Park

Government

The Estonian government has some major differences when comparing it side by side to the U.S. The biggest surprise to us was the Nation’s willingness to transition to electronic alternatives. Some of these include electronic IDs, electronic voting, and even e-residency! The tech industry is by far the biggest industry in Estonia with Tehnopool being an entire business focused on promoting new startup technology companies. This technology based mindset allows Estonia to keep pursuing new innovations and place themselves in the map. E-residency is another interesting component Estonia offers. Estonia has created an e-residency that allows individuals who have never even been to Estonia are allowed to acquire electronic residency allowing them to operate business within the country. The biggest advantage of this is that Estonia has no income tax for businesses allowing companies to increase profit margin. This e-residency is one of the major reasons Estonia is on the map. Individuals for several countries including America and Britain have taken up e-residency and moved business overseas to Estonia. This ease of emigrating business into Estonia is a major step in the right direction when it comes to establishing the word renowned technology image they are pursuing.

Our last stop at the Estonian National Library

Conclusion

Even though it was a short trip, it was really interesting to experience what a difference a technology-centered government in this young country can make when it comes to having an open minded perspective on moving forward with innovation rather than fighting against it as so many more traditional countries so often do!

Our adventures during our short time in Tallinn!

Old Town Tallinn

Authentic medieval inspired dinner at Old Hansa

Estonian game fillets and yummy sides!

Apple and Honey Crisp for dessert!

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