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e- guide the most advanced are pathfinders, who have built an efficient, secure, and transparent digital ecosystem that saves time and money. e-Estonia invites you to join society in us on a digital journey. the

– Wired about country of Estonia pathfinders

Estonia is an innovative nation in Northern S IT UAT E D : on the Gulf of Estonia has become a place where new digital solutions known for its digital ambitions. POPULATION: 1.3 million Thanks to smart e-solutions created here, it get their start. We are used to being pathfinders in takes only a few hours to start a company OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Estonian digital society and government. These days, our tech and minutes to declare taxes. The nation TOTAL AREA: 45,339 sq. km startups are also disrupting industries one by one. is in the top countries in Europe in terms of start-ups per capita and ranks first in : the Entrepreneurship Index by the WEF. CURRENCY: (€) The reason is that Estonia, as a small country, has never enjoyed abundant However – there’s a lot more to GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary democracy Siim Sikkut natural resources or a huge internal discover! We have world-famous MEMBERSHIP: EU, NATO, Estonian market. Thus, we must be very efficient music and Simple Session – the most OECD, WTO, Government Chief with whatever little that we have. And international action sporting event in Information Officer we do have some industrious and the world. Meanwhile, we hold the entrepreneurial people. In fact, according fourth place in urban air quality in the to the World Economic Forum, we are the world, with forests covering about half most entrepreneurial country in Europe. of Estonian territory. And still, as a Our intent is not to be pathfinders just for digital society, almost 90% of Estonian the sake of being cool, considering it comes Estonia has realised that our size is households have broadband coverage. with costs. If you choose to try things early actually an advantage, which helps us rather than follow, adopt rapid reforms and create effective solutions that the world Discover what our innovative not fear the unknown approach or tech, it is needs – and punch beyond our natural inevitable that things sometimes go wrong. country has to offer! weight in the world. That’s probably why It is important to stick to your principles, Estonia is among the top countries in learn from mistakes (quickly!), and to talk Europe ranked by start-ups per capita. about them openly – features common The examples range from private sector’s to true experts and the best innovators. to the e-residency programme created by the government. e-Residency is Norvegian sea We are after the crude benefits of our governmental startup that offers great Finland digitisation as a country. We constantly benefits to cross-border entrepreneurs from seek, develop and adopt new digital around the world. (If you haven’t joined solutions that allow us to do things faster, yet, you should: visit e-resident.gov.ee). better, and cheaper (though many of them

Sweden are cool, too!). In the governmental sector, in companies, in the everyday life of people.

Latvia North sea

Ireland

Germany

Slovakia

Austria

Bosnia & herz. Black sea Monte- Caspian sea Negro Macedonia

Malta Mediterranean sea Our credo: We constantly seek and develop new digital solutions that allow things to we have built a digital get done faster, better, and cheaper society – and so can you

This is how a successful digital society We have built a digital government e-Estonia is an incredible success story that grew out of a was built in Estonia, and it’s the way we and society from scratch, and so can intend to continue. Right now we are you. Today, Estonia has shared its partnership between a forward-thinking government, a pro- working, for example, on making public e-governance journey with more than active IT sector, and a switched-on, tech-savvy population. services work invisibly aka proactively 100 governments that follow our Being a pathfinder in public sector e-services meant that in the background for a seamless user example and employ the competence experience. We have a wide programme of our experts and tech companies. nothing was prepared for us – we had to cut our own trail for AI adoption going on – we see to discover how to provide services in a form that did not the future in AI-powered government. If you want to see how a truly successful yet exist, and which could be available to everyone 24/7. We will be restarting and rebuilding digital society works close-hand, do come several digital systems, architecture to Estonia – or start by checking out and infrastructure to prevent them e-estonia.com. Our private companies, Here are some indicators that show becoming a legacy in the years. experts as well as government officials how IT-solutions have improved Financial are happy to share our digital know-how everyday life in Estonia. indicators: and solutions to make the world more efficient and simply a better place. Savings and → 98% of companies are efficiency: established online → 99% of banking transactions are online → At least 2% of state GDP is saved due → 95% of tax declarations are filed to collective use of digital signatures online – it takes only 3 minutes! → 844 years of saved → Over 64,000 people have © Renee Altrov © Renee annually thanks to data exchange applied for e-Residency → Time to establish a business reduced from 5 days to 3 hours Healthcare:

e-Government indicators: → 99% of patients have countrywide- accessible digital records → 98% of Estonians have → 99% of prescriptions are digital a national ID-card → 2,3 million queries by doctors → 46,7% of Estonian voters from 109 and 1,8 million queries by countries used i-Voting during the patients every month last European election In 2007, Estonia set a world record for establishing a our success company online in 18 minutes story

When Estonia started building our X-Road data Cyber exchange platform: security: about two decades ago, there was no digital data being collected about our citizens. The population did not have the internet or even devices with which to → 99% of public services → Locked Shields is the world’s largest and online with 24/7 access most advanced international technical use it. It took great courage to invest in IT solutions and live-fire cyber defence exercise – it takes → 900 million queries annually via X-Road take the information technology route. Here are some of place annually in Estonia concurrent our best e-solutions that have led to Estonia becoming with the CYCON conference one of the world’s most developed digital societies. → Estonian government started live Public tests with KSI Blockchain technology safety: in 2008. Today, KSI Blockchain Principles of Estonian e-governance: → No legacy – Continuous legal service is available globally. change and organic improvement → Decentralisation – There’s of the technology and law → e-Police system available in police cars → Estonia hosts the NATO Cooperative no central database and every unites over 15 databases, including Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence → Once-only – Data is collected only stakeholder, whether a government those of Schengen and and European IT agency once by an institution, eliminating department, ministry, or business, duplicated data and bureaucracy → Estonia was the first country in the → Estonia is an elected member of the UN gets to choose its own system EU to legalise testing self-driving Security Council, active from 2020. → Transparency – Citizens have → Interconnectivity – All system vehicles on public roads the right to see their personal elements exchange data securely information and check how it is used and work smoothly together by the government via log files Education: → Integrity – Data exchanges, M2M communications, data at rest, and log files are, thanks INTERNET FREEDOM #2 Freedom House 2019 to KSI blockchain technology, → First in Europe in the OECD PISA tests independent and fully accountable → Two times more students in → Open platform – Any institution ICT-related courses on the average may use the infrastructure and than in other developed countries it works as an open source → 100% of Estonian schools use e-solutions the journey of e-Estonia

Population Register The state’s database for holding basic information about each person ID bus ticket living in Estonia. On buses and , a ID-card passenger may dial a Mobile-ID X-Road Estonia has by far the telephone number to buy Allows people to use a The backbone of most highly-developed a ticket or a monthly pass. mobile phone as a form e-Estonia. Invisible yet national ID card system Because the ticket is tied of secure digital ID. Like e-Tax board crucial, it allows the in the world. Much more to the passenger’s state- Estonian Education the ID-card, it can be Electronic tax filing than a legal photo ID, issued ID code, any ticket Information System used to access secure nation’s public and system. Each year, the mandatory national controller who checks the A state database that e-services and digitally around 95% of all tax private sector e-Service card also provides digital passenger’s ID card will brings together all sign documents but has declarations in Estonia databases to link up and access to all of Estonia’s instantly see that a ticket information related to the added advantage of are filed electronically. function in harmony. secure e-services. has been purchased. . not requiring a card reader.

2000 2000 2001 2002 2002 2002 2003 2003 2004 2005 2007 2007

m-Parking eSchool Digital signature e-Land Registry i-Voting e-Police system Mobile Parking is a One of the most widely Since 2002, every Estonian A one-of-a-kind web A unique solution that Involves two main tools: convenient system that can used web applications resident has been able to application that contains simply and conveniently a mobile workstation be used in privately-owned for schools in Estonia, it provide a digital signature. information on all property helps engage people in installed in each patrol car, and public parking facilities provides an easy way for Today, this is done via ID- ownership and rights for the governance process. In and a positioning system in Estonia, allowing drivers parents, teachers, and card, Mobile-ID, or Smart- properties and land parcels. 2005, Estonia became the that shows headquarters to pay for parking using children to collaborate ID, for safe identification first country in the world to every officer’s location their mobile phones. and organise all needed and use of e-services. hold nationwide elections and status. information for teaching using this method. and learning. e-Prescription KSI blockchain A centralised paperless A blockchain technology system for issuing e-Residency designed in Estonia and handling medical EV quick-charging A transnational digital and used since 2012 to prescriptions. At the network identity for which World’s first data Proactive government make sure networks, pharmacy, all a patient The charging infrastructure anyone in the world embassy services systems, and data, such needs to do is present an project created an may apply allows the Assuring our digital To make sure all public as national health, judicial, ID-card. The pharmacist Estonian network of quick user to run a trusted continuity, Estonia is the services involve as little legislative, security, and then retrieves the patient’s chargers. Quick chargers location-independent first country in the cloud. repetitive bureaucracy as commercial code systems, prescription from the for electric cars blanket EU business online Our critical databases possible, the government are free of compromise, system and issues the Estonia today and ensure with all the tools and services are backed is proactively managing all while retaining medicine if it has been freedom of movement for needed to conduct up in a high-security data essential routine 100% data privacy. prescribed to the patient. drivers of electric cars. business globally. centre in Luxembourg. state services

2008 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2015 2017 2018 2019

e-Health system X-Road Europe e-Receipt NIIS X-road Government A nationwide system A digitally enabled Estonia was the A portal that enables consortium AI strategy integrating data from electrical grid that gathers, first in the world end users to manage Nordic Institute Creating the legal and Estonia’s healthcare to interconnect their receipts, as well for Interoperability strategic framework distributes, and acts upon providers to create a decentralized as documents related Solutions (NIIS) ensures for accelerating AI common record every information regarding the components of to those, such as the development and development, a patient can access online. behaviour of all participants state- and public letters of guarantee strategic management detailed strategic plan (suppliers and consumers) sector databases at and product manuals, of X-Road and other is made for promoting in order to improve the the national level. in a single, convenient e-governance solutions. implementation of web environment. AI solutions in public efficiency, importance, and private sector reliability, economics, and sustainability of electricity services. Estonia is the first in the building blocks world to offer 99% of public of e-Estonia services online 24/7

e-Estonia’s success relies on an open-minded After our experience with in Interoperability 2007, scalable KSI blockchain technology citizenry, who are eager to use e-solutions, and a services was developed in Estonia. Besides securing strong infrastructure that has made it possible to build its own e-services with blockchain, such as a safe and user-friendly e-services ecosystem. e-Law and e-Court, Estonia also became The 21st-century keywords, citizen-centred host to the NATO Cooperative Cyber state, and service-oriented information Defence Centre of Excellence and the system, require information systems European IT agency. Also in regular use, to function as an integrated whole to e-Police, Alarm Centre, and e- e-Governance e-Identity support citizens and organisations. To Fast Reaction keep Estonian streets safe. do that, organisations and information systems, such as the Population Register or State Portal, must be interoperable Thanks to a safe, convenient, and flexible Thanks to a issued to every Healthcare and able to work together so that data digital ecosystem, Estonia has reached Estonian and e-Resident of Estonia, the is requested from the citizen once. an unprecedented level of transparency country is years ahead of countries still Estonia’s solution for maintaining a in governance and built broad trust in its trying to work out how to authenticate modern state is the data exchange layer Estonia’s healthcare system has been digital society. For example, our government people without physical contact. In X-Road, which saves Estonians 844 revolutionised by innovative e-solutions. uses e-Cabinet to pass laws, while citizens Estonia, every person can provide digital years of working time every year. Patients and doctors, not to mention use i-Voting to have their say. As a result signatures using their ID-card, Mobile-ID, hospitals and the government, benefit of digital signatures, Estonia annually or Smart-ID, so they can safely identify from convenient access and savings that saves 2% of GDP and has become a themselves and use e-services. Digital Security e-services deliver. Each person in Estonia hassle-free environment for business and signatures have been used in Estonia since and safety has an online e-Health Record and can entrepreneurship. Estonia is probably the 2002, over 800 million signatures have use e-Prescription to get medicine without only country in the world where 99% of been provided since then – this is more paper prescriptions. The electronic ID- public services are available online 24/7. than in the rest of the . Being a digital society means exposure to card system and blockchain technology cyber threats. With solid investments in are used to ensure health data integrity cybersecurity infrastructure, Estonia has and mitigate internal threats to data. developed extensive expertise in this , becoming one of the most recognised and valued international cybersecurity experts. Estonia was the first in the No. 1 most entrepreneurial world in 2005 to vote using country in Europe an internet-based solution (World Economic Forum 2016)

Location-based Business Education services and

Thanks to the location-based aspect of Modern e-solutions make setting up The goal of the educational digital many of our public services, Estonia has and running a business in Estonia revolution in Estonia is to implement been able to increase the well-being and quick and easy. Estonian solutions modern digital technology, such as safety of its citizens. In 2000, Estonia like digital signatures, electronic tax e-School or the Estonian Educational made headlines by pioneering a system filing, the e-Business Register, and the Information System, more efficiently and that can instantly pinpoint the location availability of public records online effectively in learning and teaching, and of any GSM mobile phone used to have pared down bureaucracy to to improve the digital skills of the entire make an emergency call. Today, Estonia a bare minimum and facilitated an nation. For example, our goal includes continues its commitment to innovation environment where business is easy, ensuring that every student receives and new technologies by offering the yet also secured with blockchain the knowledge and skills to access the opportunity to use Estonia as a test technology. It’s a simple fact: Where modern digital infrastructure for future use. bed for self-driving technologies and business is easy, business will Estonia’s success in the digital revolution intelligent transportation systems. grow. That’s why Estonia is among is reflected in the fact that twice as many the countries hosting the highest students pursue IT-careers in Estonia versus concentration of start-ups per capita. the average in other OECD countries. MOBILE BROADBAND #5 SUBSCRIPTION World Economic Forum 2019 PUBLIC SERVICES IN DIGITAL HEALTH INDEX #2 THE DESI INDEX #1 Bertelsmann Foundation 2019 EU Commission 2019 INDEX OF READINESS #1 FOR DIGITAL LIFELONG LEARNING STARTUP FRIENDLINESS CEPTS 2019 #1 Index Venture 2018 Estonia is the first country to offer e-Residency ongoing projects and – a government-issued digital identity available to anyone in the world interested in an ambitious future running a global EU company fully online

Successful countries must be ready to experiment. Proactive seamless Intelligent Building e-Estonia, one of the most advanced e-societies services transportation in the world, has involved continuous experimentation and learning from mistakes. Estonia sees the natural The Estonian government has decided Estonia is already an innovation leader in next step in the evolution of the e-state as moving basic to boost the paperless society and make IT with electronic identity cards, i-Voting, services into a fully digital mode: for citizens, things sure all public services involve as little and e-Residency. In 2017, we took another can be done automatically and, in a sense, invisibly. repetitive bureaucracy as possible. It important step when the government made means that as much government services it legal to test self-driving vehicles on on all as possible could be conducted either public roads. We believe that self-driving in a single online contact with an official technology helps improve road safety and In order to remain an innovative, or completely automatically. As a truly road use efficiency. With self-driving cars, effective, and successful Northern Data digital society, Estonia has already made Estonia will continue its commitment to European country that leads by example, Embassy an innovative leap by launching proactive providing a state-of-the-art platform for we need to continue executing our family and parental benefits. This means innovation and new technologies, as it vision of becoming a safe e-state with that parents of a newborn no longer already has all the prerequisites in place. automatic e-services available 24/7. The Data Embassy is an extension in the need to apply for benefits but receive a cloud of the Estonian government, which proactive proposal from the government means the state owns server resources for the benefits they are entitled to, Artificial Intelligence A new outside its territorial boundaries. This is which they simply have to confirm. strategy digital nation an innovative concept for handling state information, since states usually store their information within their physical Cross-border The government artificial intelligence e-Residency is building a new digital nation boundaries. Data Embassy resources are data exchange strategy 2019-2021 is a sum of actions that for citizens of the world where no-one under Estonian state control, secured Estonian government will take to advance is held back from their entrepreneurial against cyberattacks or crisis situations the take-up of AI in both private and public potential because of where they choose with KSI blockchain technology, and are Estonia’s future solution for healthcare is sector, to increase the relevant skills and to work or reside. This has enormous capable not only providing data backups, data-driven health. Firstly, thanks to a data- research and development (R&D) base as potential for unlocking global growth by but also operating the most critical services. driven approach, including genome-based well as to develop the legal environment. democratising access to entrepreneurship analysis (Estonian already has According to the current strategy and and e-commerce. We believe that countries Our data embassy is located in Luxembourg over 200 000 donors), people will become based on existing knowledge, Estonian will one day compete for e-residents based under a Tier 4 level of security – the highest more aware of the factors influencing their government will invest at least 10M in on the quality of their public e-services level for data facilities. In this collaboration, health, enabling them to take control over 2019-2021 to implementation of AI strategy and their business environment. Luxembourg and Estonia are pathfinders their well-being. Secondly, patients will be in its different directions. As of October in creating a unique and innovative way able to augment their healthcare journey 2019 there are at least 23 AI solutions to ensure digital continuity in the world. using a variety of apps and devices, which deployed in the Estonian public sector, with are certified by the state and can also be a goal of having at least 50 AI use cases reimbursed. Finally, Estonia is also taking by 2020. Similarly, Estonian companies are steps to become a test bed for innovative already using AI in several business areas for healthcare technology, including medical AI. optimising business processes, automating customer service, in product quality control, risk mitigation, and elsewhere. Estonia was first in the world to test and use blockchain technology on national level IT sector Estonia was first in the world to interconnect decentralised components of state and public sector databases at a national level

technologies like blockchain and AI), and IT plays a central role in Estonian life To date, Estonia has shared its Cross-border merging these projects and initiatives as because people trust IT solutions. Essential e-governance journey with over 60 data exchange links of real-time economy, will make it e-solutions in Estonia that enable the governments and exported its solutions possible to develop RTE ecosystem. digital society to function smoothly were to over 130 countries around the world. all built by local Estonian companies. Our The Estonian IT sector and ambitious As businesses and citizens become more IT sector has over 20 years of expertise start-up community dare to create mobile, the need for truly international Digital transformation and experience in automating public and innovative e-services that change the e-services becomes all the more pressing in education private sector services. Today, virtually world – from Skype to e-Residency. to remove the red tape involved in the all state-related operations can be done cross-border movement of people and online 24/7 – prescriptions are issued companies. Estonia has begun this work We in Estonia believe that raising smarter digitally and only a tiny fraction of individual with a public sector data exchange facility, kids is the smartest investment a country tax declarations are filed on paper. established between Finland and Estonia can make. But we also understand in 2017. Estonia hopes that cross-border the importance of lifelong learning. data exchange will soon become possible Estonia’s educational digital revolution between all European countries. implements modern digital technology more efficiently and effectively in learning and teaching, improving the digital skills Real-Time of the entire nation. One example: in Economy 2020, large amount of study materials the Estonian in Estonia are digitised and the goal for the future is to have all school materials The-Real Time Economy (RTE) is available through an e-schoolbag. ICT cluster an environment where financial and administrative transactions connecting citizens, business and public-sector entities Reporting 3.0 are in structured standardized digital form. These transactions are increasingly The Estonian ICT cluster is the main force e-solutions in Estonia have been made generated automatically and completed The goal of Reporting 3.0 project is to behind cooperation and development in the using ICT cluster partners. Through in real time without store and forward reduce entrepreneurs’ burden of obligatory Estonian IT sector. It forms a collaborative the ICT cluster, Estonian IT companies processes.. For example, solutions like data submission to state institutions using platform for enterprises which combines can cooperate in order to find partners real-time payments, e-ID services, real-time an automated and standardised (XBRL- competences and provides access to and develop new solutions, create new e-Invoicing, and e-Receipts, can hugely GL format) data transfer. 3 government a dynamic network of companies. products, and improve their competitive benefit the digital single market through institutions ( of Estonia, Estonian For example, most public and private ability on international markets. direct cost savings. In Estonia many actions Tax and Customs Board and Statistics i.e. electronic authentication and digital Estonia) have already defined necessary signing already act as building blocks of taxonomies to guarantee this secure and Contact: the real-time economy. Continuing with the standardised data transfer. This solution will development of standardised data exchange Doris Põld Maarja Rannama save time and money, allowing companies solutions (using XBRL GL, GS1, and other Cluster Manager Cluster Project Manager to focus on growth and productivity. global standards as well as innovative [email protected] [email protected] +372 511 4411 +372 5558 2672 e-estoniax.com e-estoniax.com e-estonia custom-made briefing centre programmes for public and private sector

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The Briefing Centre presents the e-Estonia DELEGATIONS concept and acts as a coordinator 4500+ for B2B, and B2G relations. We host presidents, ministers and highlevel global 63,000 VISITORS decision-makers from public and private sectors, investors, international media and 130 COUNTRIES connect them to Estonian companies. We inspire our guests with We consult on and Custom-made programmes The Estonian government has also the e-Estonia success story, arrange custom-made last between half a day to 8,000 SUBSCRIBERS assigned the e-Estonia Briefing Centre its developments, benefits B2B and B2G programmes, three days; send an e-mail to with the role of coordinating the and challenges as well featuring Estonian [email protected] international image and narrative of 42,000 DELEGATIONS as ongoing projects and public and private sector for your personal the future of e-Estonia. experts, which can boost agenda and quote. e-Estonia. We share news about the digital SOCIAL MEDIA society and its latest developments. 4500+ FOLLOWERS innovation and international cooperation opportunities.

REGULAR VISITS: CUSTOM-MADE VISITS: → a comprehensive and exclusive → consultation on programme agenda and Examples of successful custom-made programmes: overview of the underlying custom-made business-programme mechanisms of e-Estonia by with public and private sector experts 828 82G our inspirational speakers → Carvajal Technologies () → Ekiti State (Nigeria) government officials → meetings and discussions with delegation meeting with Estonian meeting with Estonian companies, e.g. → 1-2 meetings with Estonian IT Estonian ICT companies for companies, e.g. Guardtime, Net Group, Aktors, Best Solutions, Datel companies and/or public sector experts partnership ideas and best practice OpenNode, Reach-U, Evocon → Ajman () → Toyota (South Africa) delegation government delegation meeting with meeting with Estonian companies, Estonian companies, e.g SK ID Solutions, e.g. Autobahn, Pocosys, Proekspert, Cybernetica, Flowit, CybExer etc AuVe Tech, Fleet Complete © Atko Januson © Atko

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