Ten important ideas to give Estonia the next decade

Photo: Liis Treimann

Postimees and law firm Tark's ninth annual economic conference sought to answer the question how could Estonia win the next decade. These ten ideas and recommendations rose above the rest.

1. Rail Baltic is a project of the future that needs to be realized, and that can live up to expectations placed on it in terms of goods volume and number of passengers. Giving it up would be giving up Estonia's future. (former Vice President of the European Commission Siim Kallas, CEO of Port of Tallinn Valdo Kalm)
2. Estonia must be prepared to stand on its own two feet in terms of its interests like never before as the Trump era will see tiny countries left to their own devices. Estonia is already more alone it has been since it regained its independence. (Siim Kallas)
3. Instead of squeezing entrepreneurs who are increasingly dissatisfied with Estonia as a business environment, the state should be thinking of ways to motivate them as entrepreneurs form the backbone of economic growth. Estonia can do great things as long as it sports a pro-entrepreneur mindset. (Vice President of the Bank of Estonia Ülo Kaasik, founder of Skeleton Technologies Taavi Madiberk)
4. Estonia has very strong e-governance infrastructure and experience. It stands out in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Selling e-solutions in the world has the potential to make Estonia far more interesting than Finland or any other Scandinavian country. (Valdo Kalm, Chief Creative Officer of Idealist Group Saku Tuominen)
5. Inspiring and managing people at work and in society must take into account that the capitalism-based formula for success that has powered Western civilization for the past 150 years is coming to an end. Other, more human-centered values are in demand. (Rector of the Tallinn University of Technology Jaak Aaviksoo)
6. We must keep in mind that the classical education system will disappear faster than anyone can imagine. Emphasis should be placed on the part of school that deals with 2-16-year-olds. From there we will have an integrated vocational and higher education system that will lead people to their first jobs. (Jaak Aaviksoo)
7. The Estonian society must change its attitude toward foreigners because only a more open society can give us foreign students and top-level specialists – talents who will help improve the socioeconomic situation by leaps and bounds. (Jaak Aaviksoo)
8. The Estonian state must give up all attempts to develop national brand or trade mark guidelines. Instead it should hire a creative director who could cooperate with an international PR firm to sell Estonia through simple and large-scale things. (Saku Tuominen)
9. Estonia has to concentrate on the strengths of a dynamic and flexible small country – large-scale, rapid execution of simple ideas – and create its brand through action, as opposed to words and posters (Ülo Kaasik, Taavi Mediberk, Saku Tuominen, Jaak Aaviksoo)
10. Even though logistics structure is based on four modes of transport, the hyperloop could be a fifth, serving as a serious alternative for the proposed Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel. Estonia should be far more interested in participating in hyperloop testing as it could create an entirely new dimension for the connection between the two capitals. (Valdo Kalm)