Research: Interview: Economy

1/2004 2 RESEARCH: ESTONIAN RESEARCHER’S DISCOVERY HELPS TO FIGHT VISION IMPAIRMENT INTERVIEW: NOVEL CHIP TECHNOLOGY PAVED THE WAY FOR RESEARCHERS FROM TARTU ECONOMY: LACTOBACILLUS DISCOVERED IN ESTONIA MAKES DAIRY PRODUCTS HEALTHY C0NTENTS BIOTECHNOLOGY TALLINN UNIVERSITY 5 OF TECHNOLOGY TAKES RISKS PROMOTING NEW TECHNOLOGIES A new building of natural sciences in Mustamäe campus will be completed in 2004. By Õnne Pärl ESTONIAN RESEARCHER’S DISCOVERY 7 HELPS TO FIGHT VISION IMPAIRMENT An Estonian gene researcher Rando Allikmets’s research ECONOMY group discovered the secret of the ABCR gene. Mutation in ANDRES KOERN SAYS: MAKING this gene can cause AMD, the most common eye disease in 17 A CLEAN SWEEP IS UNTHINKABLE the world. By Õnne Pärl Through gradual development Põltsamaa Felix has become one of the largest foodstuff producers in Estonia. By Taivo Paju ESTONIANS HOPE 10 TO FIND CURE FOR CANCER THE ONLY DRAWBACK IN ESTONIA Success-stories of two Estonian biotechnology companies. 18 IS ITS COLD CLIMATE By Tiit Efert Interview with Meelis Atonen, Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications. By Taivo Paju LACTOBACILLUS DISCOVERED IN ESTONIA 19 MAKES DAIRY PRODUCTS HEALTHY A scientific discovery may be developed into an attractive ÄR product. By Õnne Pärl ESTONIANS EXPORTED 21 M-PARKING TO NORWAY The largest Estonian mobile connection operator launched the mobile parking pilot project in Oslo. By Raul Kalev PHENOMENA SOOMAA: WATER EVERYWHERE 22 In Soomaa national park there is also a fifth season – the flood season. By Monica Sikk CULTURE PRIIT PÄRN – FATHER OF THE ESTONIAN 24 SCHOOL OF ANIMATED FILMS Animator has won more than 40 different international prizes. INTERVIEW By Tambet Kaugema NOVEL CHIP TECHNOLOGY PAVED THE 13 WAY FOR RESEARCHERS FROM TARTU Andres Metspalu, Professor of biotechnology at the CONTACT University of Tartu, is known as the co-inventor of DNA ESTONIAN BIOTECHNOLOGY chip technology. By Õnne Pärl 26 COMPANIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTES Activities for building up knowledge-based economy have started in Estonia Knowledge-based economy is one of the top priorities of the present government, as stated in the strategic document “Estonian Suc- cess 2014”. In reality, however, the creation of a knowledge-based economy is similar to the old legend about Tallinn according to which the construction of the city must not ever be completed. Several state support measures have already been launched and many of them are being prepared. During 2004-2006 the government allocates more than EUR 60 million for the support to enhance Estonia`s competitiveness. This spring one of the most extensive measures – Technology Competence Centers – was launched to support the creation of consortiums including at least one research and development institu- tion (university, research institute, etc) and three companies. KAAREL TAMRE The aim of the program is to finance such Population applied research, that companies or research institu- tions cannot afford on their own. Consortiums had in the Baltic to map their common interests and work out a busi- ESTONIA AS ness plan. In this way the state promotes collabora- Sea Region INFORMATION SOCIETY tion between researchers and entrepreneurs. * 47% of population Another large-scale program is the so-called use Internet & Internet ÄRIPÄEV national venture capital fund. The government has Main facts: banking Population: 1 356 000 (01.01.2003) * 38% of population decided to set up a national venture capital fund to provide venture have a computer at capital for innovative projects that the Estonian financial market is not Capital: Tallinn (435 000) home (71% of home willing to finance. The fund will act on the principle of partnership: Area: 45 000 sq. km (i.e. 1521 islands) computers connected to for example if the private sector invests EUR 1 million, then the state Independence Day: February 24 the Internet) * 77% of the population will provide a matching amount of capital to the project. Currency: kroon (EEK) are mobile phone Another program under way aims to increase innovation-aware- Currency peg: 1EUR = 15.65 EEK subscribers ness. It will also contribute to the renewal of curricula. The distribu- Tax system: 26% flat income tax, * All schools are tion of finances is very transparent and support is allocated on the reinvested corporate profit is tax free; 18% VAT connected to Internet competitive basis. Public order: Parliamentary Democracy * Digital Signature GDP per capita: 5483 EUR (Eesti Pank, 2003) Act in force We are fully aware that established foreign companies do not * Income Tax statements invest in Estonia only because Estonia is a beautiful country. This is GDP growth: 4,7% (Eesti Pank, 2003) submitted by Internet why the priority of the state is to set up such national programs that * e-billing and e-service would stimulate the emergence of modern technology development by major companies * Parking payments and centers and laboratories. Our very first task is to guarantee that History: bus tickets by mobile Estonian people and infrastructure are at the level that enables us 1202–1918 – Estonia invaded by Germans, phone Danes, Swedes, Poles and Russians to participate in international projects or attract foreign investors Source: Estonian Telephone to invest in Estonia. 1918 – The Republic of Estonia was founded Company Elion (2003) We have managed to get moving in this direction. 1940–91 – the Soviet occupation 1991 – Estonia declared its independence * 60% Income Tax statements submitted Raul Malmstein March 29, 2004 – Estonia became a NATO member state by Internet Development Advisor to the Government May 1, 2004 – Estonia became a Source: Estonian Tax European Union member state and Customs Board (2004) The Estonian Biotech magazine is Estonian Genome Foundation Riia 23, Director Mustamäe tee 5, Tallinn 10616, published in cooperation with the Estonian Tartu 51010, Estonia, tel. +372 56 469 494 Estonia, tel. +372 6 259494 Genome Foundation and the Director man- Coordinator: Rain Eensaar agement magazine. [email protected] Editor: Õnne Pärl [email protected] Financed by Enterprise Estonia Designer: Andres Rõhu Cover illustration by Lauri Järvlepp ISSN 1736-0609 Copyright © Estonian Genome Foundation, 2004. Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged. Additional information is available on the Internet (http://www.genomics.ee) NEWS 2004 HHMI CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE IN ESTONIA A conference of the largest US private fund for medical research, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), will take place in Tallinn on June 23-26, 2004. The aim of the conference is to pro- mote contacts and collaboration between HHMI scholars. According to Jill Cornley, the HHMI Director of International Programs, the institute chose to hold the meeting in Estonia to acknowledge the high quality of the science being conducted there. “We are proud of the research conducted by our four Estonian Scholars, and want to highlight the importance of their research environment in their success,” said Cornley. EESTI GEENIVARAMU About 200 scientists are expected to participate, and half of In this tube a thin them will also contribute a presentation which will be selected thread is forming – this 10,000 GENE DONORS HAVE JOINED by the organizing committee from all abstracts obtained. Priit is DNA, the separa- Kogerman, an organizer on behalf of Estonia, says that among tion of which from the nuclei of white THE ESTONIAN GENOME PROJECT others it will be possible to listen to an open lecture delivered by blood cells is almost By the end of 2003, about 10,000 gene donors had joined the the President of the HHMI, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, complete. Estonian Genome Project. There are nearly 300 data collectors, Thomas Cech. and the project covers 12 counties out of 15. Collection of the Estonian scholars Maia Kivisaar, Priit Kogerman, Jaanus data of voluntary gene donors started in October 2002. Remme and Mart Ustav will also present the results of their work. The underlying idea of the Estonian Genome Project is the Four Estonian Scholars were awarded a new round of grants establishment of the database containing the phenotype and over five years in 2001. The HHMI has awarded 46 biomedical genotype data of the Estonian population with the objective of researchers from nine countries of the Baltics, Central and Eastern carrying out scientific research and genetic and health studies Europe and the former Soviet Union. in order to find the genes that cause and influence common The previous HHMI conference took place in Australia in the diseases. summer of 2002. The conference in 2003 was planned to take www.geenivaramu.ee place in Tallinn but had to be cancelled due to the war in Iraq. The next one will probably take place in HHMI headquarters QUATTROMED LAUNCHES near Washington. NEW PRODUCT CATALOGUE Quattromed Ltd. provides a comprehensive set of Quattromed is launching a new product catalogue providing molecular tools for protein expression and a comprehensive set of molecular tools for protein-protein protein-protein interaction studies. interaction studies. The catalogue includes more than 150 different articles belonging to the product families of the E2tag, mammalian TAP-system, mammalian two- hybrid system and antibodies. These products provide added value and support to the custom services offered by Quattromed to the European biotechnology market. The backbone of the new product family is an E2tag, which has been developed by Quattromed`s scientists.

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