AIRE and Adapter Winter Seminar in Kääriku: Collaboration and Sustainability in Focus

Members of the AIRE consortium and Adapter partner network came together for a joint winter seminar in Kääriku. The aim of the first shared seminar was to get to know one another, identify areas for collaboration, exchange information, and explore ideas for supporting Estonian businesses.

Taking University-Business Collaboration to the Next Level

In his opening remarks, TalTech Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship Erik Puura emphasised that the strength of both AIRE and Adapter lies in their ability to bridge universities and businesses — and that the two organisations complement each other. Both share the same goal: to support Estonian small and medium-sized enterprises.

Puura highlighted that every research institution should ensure its staff are motivated to contribute to business development. These activities must be visible and measurable.

A Sharper Focus for EIS

Kaja Kuivjõgi, Head of Strategy and Finance at Enterprise Estonia (EIS), presented EIS’s new strategy. The organisation is shifting towards a more business-centred approach, with four priority areas: research and development, investment, export, and housing. At the same time, the number of services offered will be reduced to around fifty.

EIS also intends to start measuring the impact of its activities on the Estonian economy.
A key challenge for the Estonian economy is low productivity — businesses struggle to translate knowledge into commercial value and are reluctant to develop and test new products. A significant barrier is the lack of available capital for development activities. To address this, EIS plans to introduce higher-risk loans to encourage businesses to experiment more boldly.

AIRE Sustainability

AIRE Chief Visionary Manager Kirke Maar presented the organisation’s sustainability plan. A substantive and financial sustainability report must be submitted to the European Commission by the end of the year. This makes it essential to establish a clear structure for continuing AIRE’s activities beyond the current funding period. Several options are on the table, including the involvement of different partners.