Opportunities for Cooperation between Estonia and ... - Valitsus

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One of the core duties of innovation activities is to intensify contacts between universities and research institutes. The Gulf of Finland must not be allowed to impede such contacts. When joint efforts are made to enhance research and development activities in Estonia and Finland, the strengths of both countries must be duly considered. Clearly, further investments need to be made in the educational and research cluster created by Helsinki and Tallinn and steps should be taken to improve its competitiveness. A major project is under way in the Helsinki area to merge the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design to create an innovation centre called the Aalto University. Other similar projects have been launched and cooperation between universities and other institutes of higher education is being intensified. Most R&D activities are based on independent evaluation and decision making on the part of the institutions and enterprises involved. Therefore, the governments are called upon to augment resources and remove potential restrictions that tend to thwart the attempts to intensify contacts and research cooperation across the Gulf of Finland. As research draws upon a fairly expensive infrastructure, it would make sense for the two countries to make use of shared resources. A case in point is an institution in Espoo, Finland, that offers super computer services also to Estonian users. Conversion of research findings into useful commercialized products is an important part of the innovation process. Most universities have innovation centres tasked to provide assistance in the utilization and commercialization of the results of research. Therefore, the innovation centres located on both sides of the Gulf of Finland should intensify their contacts and cooperation. Design is highly valued in Finland and Estonia with both countries boasting long traditions in the field. Yet even this is facing new challenges - the environmentfriendliness of various products, for example, is a powerful sales argument today. At the same time, the importance of design in economic and innovative activities is growing fast. Cooperation in training, joint projects, marketing and commercialization should be encouraged. A permanent Finnish-Estonian network should be established to provide more favourable conditions for creative interaction. 24
Aside from a range of modern R&D areas (biotechnology, IT, communications, materials, etc.), in which many advanced countries are already engaged, it is important to identify opportunities in new areas that may, until now, have appeared unattainable for small countries. A promising field of activity with substantial economic potential is space and the commercialization of space technology. Estonia and Finland have long traditions in space research and the scientists have established an extensive contact network. The European Union is beginning to invest in space technology in close collaboration with the European Space Agency ESA. For the first time in the EU’s history, a special mention of space is made in the Lisbon Treaty. A strong signal of the current focus on space is the EU’s recent decision to build the positioning and satellite navigation system Galileo over the next few years. A substantial amount of funding is allocated to space in the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme. It is estimated that space technology will have similar repercussions as information and communications technology. Space technology offers indispensable tools for surveillance, communications and the technical management of a wide range of systems. Estonia and Finland should pool their resources and establish contacts with Sweden, a strong player in space research, and the other Nordic countries. The European Space Agency ESA is currently restructuring its organization, which offers an excellent opportunity to accept new members. Finland has been a full ESA member since 1995. Estonia’s membership would be a major step forward and create new opportunities for Estonian-Finnish cooperation in harnessing and developing space technology. All innovative activities related to climate change and environmental protection have become highly topical throughout the world - many with major economic potential. One area in which Estonia and Finland could engage in fruitful cooperation – based on the scientific competence available in both countries – is polar research. It is difficult for a small country to develop the expertise and technical infrastructure required in this field on its own. At the beginning of 2008, Finland prepared a research strategy for Antarctica. The Finnish research station, located near the Swedish station, cooperate in this field. Would it be possible 25
Page 1: Opportunities for Cooperation betwe
Page 5: Publisher PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
Page 8 and 9: CULTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 10 and 11: paper providing a comprehensive pre
Page 12 and 13: 10 of creative work, commercializat
Page 14 and 15: • The potential for starting a co
Page 16 and 17: Tourism • A joint marketing strat
Page 18 and 19: ESTONIA AND FINLAND IN 2030: VISION
Page 20 and 21: One of the biggest surprises during
Page 22 and 23: Currently, Finland invests 3.5% of
Page 24 and 25: • Continual monitoring of global
Page 28 and 29: for Estonia and Finland to pool the
Page 30 and 31: APPENDIX 3 EDUCATION Globalization
Page 32 and 33: Nordic universities operate joint c
Page 34 and 35: APPENDIX 4 ENERGY Today, long-term
Page 36 and 37: shale, there is potential for makin
Page 38 and 39: APPENDIX 5 GULF OF FINLAND AND THE
Page 40 and 41: The European Union has initiated a
Page 42 and 43: APPENDIX 6 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATI
Page 44 and 45: On continental Europe, rail transpo
Page 46 and 47: Recommendations: • A joint Estoni
Page 48 and 49: Estonia and Finland have dispatched
Page 50 and 51: APPENDIX 8 DEFENCE After Estonia re
Page 52 and 53: APPENDIX 9 INFORMATION AND COMMUNIC
Page 54 and 55: to the governments of the two count
Page 56 and 57: longer supports the viability of su
Page 58 and 59: standing at 17%, will rise to aroun
Page 60 and 61: societies. Tourism must therefore b
Page 62 and 63: Venues and accommodation are always
Page 64 and 65: APPENDIX 14 AUDIOVISUAL AREA It is
Page 66 and 67: APPENDIX 15 BROADCASTING Estonian-F
Page 68 and 69: about developments through the pres
Page 70 and 71: APPENDIX 16 HELSINKI-TALLINN EUROPE
Page 72 and 73: LITERATURE 1. Aaltonen, Mika - Noor
Page 74 and 75: 24. Raunio, Mika: Aivovuodosta aivo
Page 77:
SNELLMANINKATU 1, HELSINKI PO BOX 2
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