Trade Mission to Estonia Explore the world's most advanced digital society For Investors, Entrepreneurs, Startups & Buyers 28th - 30th May 2020 www.estoniatrademission.org [email protected] 2020 Trade Mission to Estonia Page 1 [Mission Organizers] International Trade Council USA Ron Nolasco 712 H Street N.E. Sr. Trade Commissioner Washington DC 20002 Email: [email protected] Tel: +1 202 869 0988 Fax: +1 202 869 1121 Onyx Connor Website: www.tradecouncil.org Sr. Trade Commissioner Email: [email protected] Ghana India Queenstar House K-10/40,Lower Ground Floor Blohum Street Dzorwulu DLF City Phase – II Accra Gurgaon Haryana 122008 Tel: +233 302797284 Tel: +91 11 4014 9730 Solomon Addai Shikha Malik Chairman (Ghana) Vice-Chairperson (India) Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] DDI: +233(0)200240796 DDI: +91-97117-64453 Singapore United Arab Emirates 146 Robinson Road #07-01 Gold & Diamond Park Singapore 068909 Building 4 Office 215 Tel: +65 65009377 Dubai 102755 Tel: +971 4 406 9797 Ranjani Rangan Vice-Chairperson (Singapore) Tansy Green Email: [email protected] Vice-Chairperson (UAE) Email: [email protected] [Supporting Agencies] Consulate General of Estonia in New York Enterprise Estonia 305 East 47th St., Suite 6B Lasnamäe 2 New York, NY 10017 11412 Tallinn Tel: +372 6 279 700 James York, Fax: +372 6 279 701 Director of US Business & Innovation Enterprise Estonia Website: www.eas.ee www.investinestonia.com Tel: +1 (347) 951-3308 Email: [email protected] 2020 Trade Mission to Estonia Page 2 [Introduction] The International Trade Council in cooperation with the Estonian Government Investment Agency, Enterprise Estonia, is delighted to announce the International Trade Council’s 2020 Trade Mission to Estonia. This Trade Mission offers participants the opportunity to: Meet Government officials from key agencies in Estonia. Be introduced to trade and investment opportunities from across Estonia. Learn about the Estonian start-up visa program and interact with other startups and investors. Meet face-to-face with Estonian C-Level executives (including investors) through our pre-scheduled appointments with pre-qualified targets. Promote participants organizations and business interests. Make on-site visits to organizations within the participants specified target market(s). Participate in panel discussions and business roundtables aimed at providing information on the marketplace and answering any questions that you may have. Participate in networking opportunities with the local business community. 2020 Trade Mission to Estonia Page 3 [Why Estonia?] Roughly the same size as Switzerland, but with 6 times fewer people - just 1.3 million – Estonia has to compensate in other ways. Their superpowers? Digital society and an innovative mindset. Named ‘the most advanced digital society in the world’ by Wired, ingenious Estonians are pathfinders, who have built an efficient, secure and transparent ecosystem that saves time and money. With 99% of Estonian public services online - you only need to get out of the house for real estate transactions or in order to get divorced - over 820 years of worktime is being saved. This digital comfort together with the startup-friendly economic environment (1st in the world according to Index Venture) is what makes Estonia an innovation hotspot. More unicorns per capita than any other country in the world! Skype, Playtech, Transferwise, and Bolt – Estonia is where unicorns are made! • A European Union Member Nation located at the cross-roads of the Nordic and Baltic regions with a market of 177 million persons located at its doorstep. • Direct access to Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland and Germany. (An average of 2.5 hours flight time the rest of Europe). • A reliable and stable financial system thanks to transparent government policy and regulations. • Companies registered in Estonia do not have to pay income tax for re-invested profits. 2020 Trade Mission to Estonia Page 4 • Estonia is also among the top 20 countries in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index. • Foreign and domestic investments in Estonia are treated equally under the law. • Public services are simple, efficient and almost everything can be conducted online. • Europe’s number 1 most entrepreneurial country with almost 650 startups. • Estonia is the first country to offer e-Residency - a transnational digital identity available to anyone in the world interested in administering a location-independent business online. • Estonia has an extremely attractive and low-cost start-up visa program with routes to permanent residency for new startup investors and their families. • Estonia is perfectly situated for trade between Russia, Asia and Europe. • Startups raised €328m in 2018 and after the US and Israel, Estonia is the #3 destination for venture funding in the world. (Per capita. The king of all comparisons.) 2020 Trade Mission to Estonia Page 5 [Mission Focus] • We welcome company executives from companies engaged in the industries advertised below to join the trade mission, however interested participants with a background in different industries are also encouraged to apply. Below are some of the sectors that this trade mission will focus on: • ICT o Business Software, Services & HR o Communications o CyberTech o DeepTech & SpaceTech o EdTech o FinTech o Gaming o HealthTech o TravelTech • Electronics / IoT / Mechatronics • Bioeconomy / Timber • AgTech & FoodTech • HealthTech, Life Sciences & Wellness 2020 Trade Mission to Estonia Page 6 Information, Communication & Technology Advantages: • 3,300+ digital services available to citizens, business and foreigners. • World leader in ICT based on its track record of investments, innovations and rankings. • 1st in Europe in the Global Cybersecurity Index. • 1st Globally in the Digital Development Index. • Usage and interoperability across citizens, business. • Blockchain used since 2008. Estonia’s journey to becoming the world’s most digitally enabled nation began 25yrs ago when visionaries committed to IT as a country strategy. Today, Estonia is a recognised leader in digital identity, cyber security and Blockchain and has produced numerous innovations in consumer, enterprise and government sectors. IT is taught from primary school onwards in Estonia and the country ranks in the top 10 globally for the teaching of maths and IT. Numerous universities and vocational education centres collaborate with industry on knowledge and technology transfer, ensuring the workforce possess professional knowledge and practical experience. Estonia ranks #3 in Europe for startups per capita and has produced four unicorns. Fourteen incubators and accelerators provide validation, mentoring, risk capital and global commercialisation services for sectors including CleanTech, Gaming and Industry. Government initiative Startup Estonia promotes early stage competitiveness and global integration. Corporate R&D is significant in Estonia. Global organisations such as Kuehne+Nagel trust Estonia to conceive, develop and launch new logistics solutions. NATO conducts cutting-edge cyber security R&D in Estonia and NASDAQ has conducted successful Blockchain trials. Competence centers STACC, ELIKO and IMECC provide facilities and expertise to conduct applied R&D in AI, Big Data and more. Estonia’s IT R&D ecosystem is enabled by modern digital infrastructure and a pro-business environment which is free of red tape, promoting accelerated innovation and launches. Government policy is highly supportive and has led to Telia trialling 5G in Estonia and Google’s use of new location technologies to improve emergency services. As digitalisation transforms life, business and government, Estonia’s combination of skills, experience and environment make it the ideal location for globally scalable IT R&D. 2020 Trade Mission to Estonia Page 7 Electronics / IoT / Mechatronics Advantages: • One of the largest electronics sectors in Europe per capita. • High added-value, efficiency and adaptability of product development processes. • Excellent hub for both in-house and outsourced production and distribution. • Full value chain of R&D, prototyping, precision manufacture, assembly and service. • Modern technology, automated and environment-friendly manufacturing processes. Estonia has a sizeable and growing Mechatronics industry thanks to its ability to integrate world- class expertise in mechanical engineering, electronics and IT. European leaders Enics and Stoneridge trust Estonia to provide high quality, cost-effective, on-time solutions for their global client base. In mechanical engineering Estonia has a 25 year track record of high-value production, testing and assembly for global markets. Ericsson and ABB trust Estonia to produce complex telecommunications, power and industrial solutions. A significant contract manufacturing sector is experienced and certified to provide intricate components and complex systems to space, transportation and offshore sectors. Estonia’s electronics capability, developed over 70 years, today includes R&D, prototyping, precision production and assembly of PCBs, supercapacitors, transformers and semiconductors. European leaders Enics, PKC Group and Stoneridge provide cost-effective, on-time solutions to global clients from Estonia. Estonia’s world-class IT capability ensures technology is seamlessly integrated. Historic skills in industrial automation and