History

The strongest growth in 2025 was in defence and dual-use services and activities, where it was driven by the launch of the Defence Pre-accelerator and the Estonian Defence Innovation Day. Engaging in projects that are focused on distant markets lets companies join in international missions and expand their export markets. Work is also underway to develop a deep tech programme, led by a consortium that includes Tehnopol, Sparkup Tartu Science Park, TalTech, the University of Tartu and the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

There were 578 applications submitted to various accelerators in 2025, and more than 115 companies are set to join the programmes. Companies participating in the incubator’s accelerators are expected to raise €12.8 million, of which €5.4 million is in private funding and €7.4 million in public funding.

Tehnopol’s services have supported the development of 119 growth companies in its focus areas, helping them increase their export turnover by €10 million and enabling 25 companies to enter at least one new export market. Tehnopol has helped bring 30 new high value-added products or services to market, facilitating more than €26 million in private and public capital investments.

Significant changes and developments occurred in 2024 at Tehnopol Science and Business Park. The strategy was renewed and there was a change in leadership, and new focus areas were defined as healthtech, dual-use and defence technologies, AI and digital technologies.

The incubator ran NATO DIANA and the IDA Hub film accelerator for the first time, expanding Tehnopol’s activities across Estonia. More than 120 startups were supported during the year, and they raised a total of €13 million in capital. Growth companies brought 35 new products to market, entered 27 new export markets and raised €22 million in investment. Nine special programmes were created for large companies, while cross-border cooperation was developed further.

Tehnopol Science and Business Park celebrated its 20th anniversary!

It was an excellent year of growth for Tehnopol, with the number of entrepreneurship services and programmes increasing, together with the number of new companies and staff. A total of 32 new companies joined the Tehnopol campus, confirming that it remained very attractive to technology companies. The design process was started for the green promenade connecting Tehnopol and TalTech, and the Test in Tallinn concept was launched on the campus, enabling innovative solutions to be tested in an urban environment.

The incubator’s programmes covered several focus areas. The impact startup cohort of the Startup Accelerator was run in cooperation with LHV, while the Cyber Accelerator was launched in spring and supported companies working in cyber defence. Applications were also opened for the NATO DIANA Innovation Accelerator, which focuses on dual-use technologies. The NATO DIANA Estonian accelerator is led by Tehnopol Startup Incubator in cooperation with Sparkup Tartu Science Park and Startup Wise Guys.

Tehnopol’s work won several awards. At the Tallinn Entrepreneurship Awards, the initiative to bring the NATO DIANA accelerator to Estonia received the Cooperation Project Award, while Tehnopol’s newest business building was commended in the Development Project of the Year category. The Tehnopol health cluster, the Connected Health Cluster, was recognised in the Estonian round of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards. Although the cluster project has now ended, the development of the health community and Tehnopol’s efforts to contribute to the health sector continue at full speed.

Tehnopol’s other entrepreneurship services continued to support growth companies in health, green and deep technologies. Tehnopol helped 16 new companies gain access to at least one export market in 2023 and facilitated more than €16 million in private and public capital investments. Activities also included innovation programmes for large companies, focusing on more conscious investment in R&D and closer cooperation with startups and scaleups. Tehnopol organised more than 150 events during the year, continuing to support innovation and growth in the Estonian business environment.

We focused on supporting technology entrepreneurship and innovation in 2022, offering a wide range of services in our modern business park. We assisted around 90 scaleup companies, helping them launch new products, open export markets, and secure investment. We supported 84 early-stage startups in the Tehnopol Startup Incubator, giving them help with product development, market entry, and capital raising. The incubator collaborated with Tartu Science Park and universities to launch a health science accelerator.

A comprehensive AI development programme began in 2022 that was aimed at making businesses more competitive and fostering the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). The programme included ideation days, workshops, and an AI and robotics accelerator launched within the Startup Incubator.

Tehnopol’s campus saw various infrastructure upgrades, including energy efficiency projects and the development of new commercial spaces. Tehnopol’s marketing activities raised brand awareness, and we hosted several key events like the Greenest Summit and Kärajad, and promoted cross-border collaboration, making Tehnopol an attractive environment for technology companies in Estonia and internationally.

Tehnopol created an investment firm Tehnopol Ventures alongside its Startup Incubator to evaluate the investment readiness of startups and manage the equity stakes held by the incubator in various startups. Tehnopol, the University of Tartu, TalTech, and Tartu Science Park joined forces to promote the transfer of science into business. A pilot programme called Põhjanael was launched in the autumn as part of this and was intended for turning knowledge-intensive technologies into business opportunities.

The AI & Robotics Estonia (AIRE) hub was established in 2021 to help businesses become more competitive by adopting artificial intelligence.

Tehnopol continued its role as a technology test park, and introduced new features like bike rentals, packaging recycling, and smart beehives. In a record year, Tehnopol companies secured nearly 8 million euros in private and public investment and saw significant growth in revenues.

Tehnopol continued to grow at a rapid pace despite the crisis of the pandemic. A new eatery, Pannkoogimaja, was set to open, and construction started on a new office complex at Mäealuse 2-4. The project was due to be completed in 2022, adding around 12,000 square metres of modern office space to the campus. Tehnopol was developing rapidly and increasingly establishing itself as a test park, while other innovations in 2020 included a smart grocery store, e-scooters, and a solar-powered pavement.

In the summer of 2020, the Science and Business Park Tehnopol and SEB founded the Innovation Leaders Club.

We revamped our incubation programme by transitioning to a cohort-based system, providing practical training, strong leadership mentors, a supportive community, and an open office. We began to take equity options from startups in exchange for helping them to enter the market. The startups in the programme attracted over 2 million euros in investment, and the portfolio’s revenue figures rose. The incubator started a permanent expansion to Ida-Virumaa and launched a nationwide pre-incubation programme.

A new office building complex of 7500 square metres was completed on the campus at Mäealuse 2/2, and one of its anchor tenants was the Information Technology and Development Centre of the Ministry of the Interior. A new restaurant, a beauty salon, a massage room and a car wash opened their doors. Construction began on a large new sports club at the heart of the campus.

Tehnopol continued to renovate the remaining blocks of the Cybernetics building. Work started on an extensive renewal project to give the entire campus a makeover. Investment plans foresaw renovation and environmental improvement work on Blocks 3-6 of the Cybernetics building. The goal was to turn Tehnopol into a modern and intelligent campus that is the preferred base and meeting place for innovative companies, researchers and students.

The Government of Estonia, Tallinn University of Technology and the city of Tallinn founded the Tallinn Technology Park development foundation. This year is considered the beginning of the science park that operates today.

The Tallinn University of Technology Innovation Centre Foundation (TIK) was established. The foundation’s objective was to prepare for the creation of a technology park, launch the first business services and build strong entrepreneurship networks.

The Tallinn University of Technology Innovation Centre Foundation also became a member of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP).