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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 the journey of a Estonia digital pathfinder

Estonia is an innovative nation in Northern S IT UAT E D : on the Gulf of Estonia, as a small country, has never enjoyed abundant known for its digital ambitions. POPULATION: 1.3 million Thanks to smart e-solutions created here, it natural resources or a huge internal market. Yet, we do takes only a few hours to start a company OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Estonian have a lot of industrious and entrepreneurial people. and minutes to declare taxes. The nation TOTAL AREA: 45,339 sq. km In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, we is in the top countries in Europe in terms of start-ups per capita and ranks first in : are the most entrepreneurial country in Europe. the Entrepreneurship Index by the WEF. CURRENCY: (€) However – there’s a lot more to GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary democracy discover! We have world-famous In just the last few decades, Estonia has MEMBERSHIP: EU, NATO, OECD, Siim Sikkut music and Simple Session – the most become a place where new solutions get WTO, , international action sporting event in Estonian their start. We are used to being pathfinders the world. Meanwhile, we hold the Government Chief in digital society and government. What fourth place in urban air quality in the Information Officer began slowly, step-by-step, has become world, with forests covering about half our nation’s calling card. Estonian tech of Estonian territory. And still, as a startups are also disrupting industry digital society, almost 90% of Estonian Estonia has realised that our size is verticals one by one. Our credo: We households have broadband coverage. actually an advantage which helps us constantly seek and develop new digital create effective solutions that the world solutions that allow things to get done Discover what our innovative needs. That´s probably the reason faster, better, and cheaper. Estonian digital country has to offer! Estonia is among the top countries in solutions, in government and beyond, are Europe ranked by start-ups per capita. geared for practical benefits – not just the The examples range from the private cool factor (though they are cool, too). sector’s to the e-Residency program created by government. e-Residency is our governmental startup

Norvegian sea with great potential to revolutionize

Finland location-independent, global business management. (If you haven’t joined yet, you should – visit e-resident.gov.ee).

Sweden

Baltic sea

Russia

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

Of course, every coin has two sides. In e-Estonia is an incredible success story that grew out of a the complicated IT world, you can expect to sometimes err. For a country which partnership between a forward-thinking government, a pro- has consciously chosen a pathfinder role, active IT sector, and a switched-on, tech-savvy population. adopted rapid reforms, and been a role Being a pathfinder in public sector e-services meant that model for the creation of new solutions, it is inevitable that things sometimes go wrong. nothing was prepared for us – we had to cut our own trail It is important to stick to your principles, to discover how to provide services in a form that did not learn from your mistakes (quickly!), and to yet exist, and which could be available to everyone 24/7. talk about them openly – features common to true experts. This is how a successful digital society was built in Estonia, and Here are some indicators that show it’s the way we intend to continue. how IT-solutions have improved e-Government everyday life in Estonia. indicators: We have built a digital government and society from scratch, and so can you. Today, Estonia has shared its Savings and →→ 98% of Estonians have e-governance journey with more than efficiency: a national ID-card 60 governments that follow our example and employ our competence. If you want →→ Over 54,000 people have to see how a truly successful information applied for e-Residency →→ At least 2% of state GDP is saved due society works, come to Estonia – or to collective use of digital signatures →→ 46,7% of Estonian voters from 109 start by checking out e-estonia.com. Our countries used i-Voting during last private companies, experts as well as →→ 1407 years of saved European election government officials are happy to share annually thanks to data exchange our digital know-how and solutions to →→ Time to establish a business make the world a more efficient place. reduced from 5 days to 3 hours Healthcare:

Financial indicators: →→ 99% of patients have countrywide- accessible digital records →→ 99% of prescriptions are digital →→ 98% of companies are established online →→ 2,3 million queries by doctors and 1,8 million queries by →→ 99% of banking transactions are online patients every month →→ 95% of tax declarations are filed online – it takes only 3 minutes! 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 #1 Freedom House 2018 to KSI blockchain technology, →→ Among the first in Europe independent and fully accountable in the OECD PISA test →→ Open platform – Any institution →→ Two times more students in may use the infrastructure and ICT-related courses on the average it works as an open source than in other developed countries →→ 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 designed in Estonia and handling medical EV quick-charging e-Receipt and used since 2012 to prescriptions. At the network Data Embassy A portal that enables make sure networks, pharmacy, all a patient The charging infrastructure Currently in its testing end users to manage systems, and data, such needs to do is present an project created an period, the Data Embassy their receipts, as well Testing intelligent as national health, judicial, ID-card. The pharmacist Estonian network of quick is an extension of the as documents related transportation legislative, security, and then retrieves the patient’s chargers. Quick chargers Estonian government to those, such as Estonia took an important commercial code systems, prescription from the for electric cars blanket in the cloud, meaning letters of guarantee step when the government are free of compromise, system and issues the Estonia today and ensure the state owns server and product manuals, made it legal to test all while retaining medicine if it has been freedom of movement for resources outside its in a single, convenient self-driving vehicles on 100% data privacy. prescribed to the patient. drivers of electric cars. territorial boundaries. web environment. all public roads.

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

e-Health system X-Road Europe e-Residency Reporting 3.0 Healthcare 4.0 A nationwide system A digitally enabled Estonia was the A transnational digital The goal of the Thanks to personalised integrating data from electrical grid that gathers, first in the world identity for which anyone Reporting 3.0 project medicine and genome- Estonia’s healthcare to interconnect in the world may apply is to reduce the burden based analysis, people distributes, and acts upon providers to create a decentralized allows the user to run on entrepreneurs will be more aware of common record every information regarding the components of a trusted location- concerning obligatory the factors influencing patient can access online. behaviour of all participants state- and public independent EU business submission of data to their health and (suppliers and consumers) sector databases at online with all the tools state institutions by the individuals will become in order to improve the the national level. needed to conduct automatisation more responsible business globally. of data flow. for managing their efficiency, importance, own health. 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 1407 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 and safety has an online e-Health Record and can entrepreneurship. Estonia is probably the since 2002, over 600 million signatures use e-Prescription to get medicine without only country in the world where 99% of have been provided since then – this is paper prescriptions. The electronic ID- public services are available online 24/7. more than in the entire . 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 NETWORK #1 COVERAGE Global IT Report 2016 ENTERPRENEURAL DIGITAL HEALTH INDEX #1 ACTIVITY #1 Bertelsmann Foundation 2019 World Economic Forum 2017

STARTUP FRIENDLINESS #1 Index Venture 2018 Estonia is the first country to offer e-Residency an ambitious – a government-issued digital identity available to anyone in the world interested in future running a global EU company fully online

Successful countries must be ready to experiment. Intelligent Blockchain Building e-Estonia, one of the most advanced e-societies transportation in the world, has involved continuous experimentation and learning from mistakes. Estonia sees the natural Although blockchain has only become Estonia is already an innovation leader in step in the evolution of the e-state as moving basic a hot technology in the private sector in IT with electronic identity cards, i-Voting, services into a fully digital mode: for citizens, things recent years, Estonia has been testing the and e-Residency. In 2017, we took another can be done automatically and, in a sense, invisibly. technology since 2008 and is leading the important step when the government made blockchain revolution. In order to provide it legal to test self-driving vehicles on on all an unchangeable historical data record, public roads. We believe that self-driving the technology has been in active use technology helps improve road safety and In order to remain an innovative, since 2012 in Estonia’s registries, such road use efficiency. With self-driving cars, effective, and successful Northern Data as national health, judicial, legislative, Estonia will continue its commitment to European country that leads by example, Embassy security, and commercial code systems. providing a state-of-the-art platform for we need to continue executing our There are plans to extend its use to other innovation and new technologies, as it vision of becoming a safe e-state with spheres, such as personal medicine, already has all the prerequisites in place. automatic e-services available 24/7. The Data Embassy is an extension in the cybersecurity, and data embassies. cloud of the Estonian government, which means the state owns server resources A new outside its territorial boundaries. This is Reporting 3.0 Cross-border digital nation an innovative concept for handling state data exchange information, since states usually store their information within their physical The goal of Reporting 3.0 is to reduce e-Residency is building a new digital nation boundaries. Data Embassy resources are As businesses and citizens become more entrepreneurs’ burden of obligatory data for citizens of the world where no-one under Estonian state control, secured mobile, the need for truly international submission to state institutions. A new is held back from their entrepreneurial against cyberattacks or crisis situations e-services becomes all the more pressing e-Tax and Customs Board portal will be potential because of where they choose with KSI blockchain technology, and are to remove the red tape involved in the completed in 2020, where the information to work or reside. This has enormous capable not only providing data backups, cross-border movement of people and exchange between companies and the tax potential for unlocking global growth by but also operating the most critical services. companies. Estonia has begun this work authority will be automatic and require only democratising access to entrepreneurship with a public sector data exchange facility, the granting of access to data. This will and e-commerce. We believe that countries established between Finland and Estonia save time and money, allowing companies will one day compete for e-residents based in 2017. Estonia hopes that cross-border to focus on growth and productivity. on the quality of their public e-services data exchange will soon become possible and their business environment. between all European countries. Estonia was first in the world Estonia was first in the world to interconnect to test and use blockchain decentralised components of state and technology on national level public sector databases at a national level

Digital transformation Real-Time Healthcare 4.0 Industry 4.0 in education Economy

Healthcare 4.0 is Estonia’s solution for We in Estonia believe that raising smarter Introduction of Industry 4.0-type solutions The-Real Time Economy (RTE) is the future. First, thanks to personalised kids is the smartest investment a country could impact everything from how quality an environment where financial and medicine and genome-based analysis, can make. But we also understand the is monitored to how much effort goes administrative transactions connecting people will become more aware of the importance of lifelong learning. Estonia’s into supply chain management. Several citizens, business and public-sector entities factors influencing their health, and educational digital revolution implements players in Estonia’s ICT sector focus on are in structured standardized digital individuals will take more responsibility modern digital technology more efficiently Industry 4.0 solutions development. At form. These transactions are increasingly for managing their own health. Second, and effectively in learning and teaching, the centre of their strategy is a concept generated automatically and completed patients will be able to access information improving the digital skills of the entire called Real-Time Factory which, as the in real time without store and forward wherever they happen to be at a time of nation. One example: by 2020 all study name suggests, allows managers to track processes. Digital services should be their choosing, enabled by point-of-care materials in Estonia will be digitized and key performance indicators in real time, designed so that they are easy to use devices – equipment provided by the state available through an e-schoolbag. showing where improvements can be made and secure for the EU citizen (also for that patients may use themselves. Finally, and allowing the entire factory to operate the handicapped and those who do not Estonia will provide global health accounts as one integrated system. Tallinn-based use the internet). Incentives should be and introduce the benefits of medical SimFactory, for example, specializes in provided for the migration from paper, procedures based on artificial intelligence. helping electronics manufacturers adopt the e-mail, and manual versions, and data Real-Time Factory approach, giving them connected from all relevant sources. For the kind of data-driven production that can example, solutions like real-time payments, streamline every aspect of their operations. e-ID services, real-time e-Invoicing, and e-Receipts, automated and real-time accounting and VAT-reporting, automated and investment risk evaluation and processing, can hugely benefit the digital single market through direct cost savings. IT sector the e-state of mind

IT plays a central role in Estonian life To date, Estonia has shared its The e-Estonia Briefing Centre offers a full Immersive experience of e-Estonia because people trust IT solutions. Essential e-governance journey with over 60 overview of Estonia’s e-solutions. Our e-solutions in Estonia that enable the governments and exported its solutions goal is to inspire global policymakers, During , guests receive an digital society to function smoothly were to over 130 countries around the world. political leaders, corporate executives, inspirational introduction about the all built by local Estonian companies. Our The Estonian IT sector and ambitious investors, and the international media underlying mechanisms involved in IT sector has over 20 years of expertise start-up community dare to create with Estonia’s success story and build digitising a society, an overview of and experience in automating public and innovative e-services that change the links to leading IT service providers. the main challenges and policies, an private sector services. Today, virtually world – from Skype to e-Residency. understanding of the infrastructure, all state-related operations can be done 59,000 visitors and e-solutions and services, as well as contacts online 24/7 – prescriptions are issued 4,500 delegations hosted with the IT industry. Apart from hosting digitally and only a tiny fraction of individual from over 130 countries delegations and arranging B2B meetings, tax declarations are filed on paper. we also create custom programmes and deliver professional presentations at We have hosted 59,000 visitors and international conferences and events. 4,500 delegations from over 130 countries. Working closely with our public and private Get in touch and book sector partners, we astound delegations a visit e-estonia.com by tailoring the content of every briefing to suit the needs of our guests, focusing the Estonian on presenting the e-Estonia concept and coordinating G2G, B2G, and B2B relations. ICT cluster

The Estonian ICT cluster is the main force e-solutions in Estonia have been made behind cooperation and development in the using ICT cluster partners. Through Estonian IT sector. It forms a collaborative the ICT cluster, Estonian IT companies platform for enterprises which combines can cooperate in order to find partners competences and provides access to and develop new solutions, create new a dynamic network of companies. products, and improve their competitive For example, most public and private ability on international markets.

Contact: find us Doris Põld Maarja Rannama Cluster Manager Cluster Project Manager The e-Estonia Briefing Centre is conveniently [email protected] [email protected] located just a two-minute drive from the +372 511 4411 +372 5558 2672 airport and seven minutes from the city e-estoniax.com e-estoniax.com centre: Valukoja 8, 11415 Tallinn, Estonia. get in touch and book a visit: e-estonia.com

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