Development of Estonian Smart City Cluster

Baltic Innovation Agency is founder and board member of Estonian Smart City Cluster (ESCC) which is aiming to create an innovative environment in cities which will boost the competitive ability of companies by bringing together businesses, citizens, public authorities, R&D institutes and structures that support innovation. The cluster focuses on the creation, development (including product development) and exporting of innovative solutions in different spheres of urban life and related to the development of smart (er) cities. Setting up the cluster was a joint initiative between the City of Tartu, various R&D institutions (University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology) and companies. The cluster currently has 28 members. The cluster companies (mostly SMEs) include both ICT companies as well as smart city infrastructure providers (energy, transportation, etc). ESCC has strong ties with the Estonian ICT Cluster, one of the oldest and strongest clusters in Estonia (a number of ICT companies are members of both clusters). ESCC takes a holistic approach on smart cities, aiming at development, delivery and export of smart ICT and mobile based services and products in the following priority areas – Smart and Green Mobility, Energy and Environment, Tourism, Healthcare and Wellbeing, Governance and public services. In terms of technologies, the focus areas include digital industries and mobility technologies. ESCC has been financially supported by Estonian National Cluster Programme under Enterprise Estonia.

The activities of the cluster were co-financed from 2015-2018 by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the Enterprise Estonia cluster development programme. The project lasted from 1 December 2015 to 30 November 2018 at a total cost of €1,200,000, 50% of which comprised support from the ERDF.

For more information about the ESCC, please click the “LEARN MORE” button below: