The Future of Health Innovation in Estonia: A Joint Roadmap Set by Science, Business, and Policy

The Health Community event “Tervisekogukonna Kärajad 2025” brought together leaders in the health sector, researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to discuss how to strengthen innovation support in Estonian healthcare.

The event supported the implementation of the TAIE roadmap (for research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship), which aims to create more personalized and accessible healthcare services through collaboration between science and business, while generating new business opportunities for companies.

As a significant milestone, the parties signed a cooperation memorandum confirming their shared commitment to contribute to the development of Estonia’s health technology ecosystem. The memorandum lays the foundation for a more systematic collaboration, bringing together the state, research institutions, and companies to take health innovation in Estonia to the next level.

Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller emphasized that the development of Estonia’s e-health and innovation has taken us to new horizons and transformed the overall mindset. It has strengthened patients’ rights and created new opportunities for both doctors and citizens. She also highlighted the importance of health data: “When we have high-quality data, we can build technologies that help even more — and this knowledge can be applied globally, as interest in Estonia’s digital solutions is very high.”

Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry Erkki Keldo pointed out that health is one of the fastest-growing business sectors globally, with huge potential, and that people’s health inevitably impacts the economy. “Healthy life years and economic growth are closely linked — every additional healthy year of life increases the economy by nearly 4%,” Keldo said.

Tehnopol’s CEO Agnes Roos added that thanks to technological development, the world is experiencing a true revolution in health. The question, she said, is whether Estonia will remain a bystander or step up as a leader: “We have the potential to be a pioneer in personalized medicine, data-driven digital services, and prevention based on genomics. To achieve this, we need initiatives that unite different stakeholders and create the foundation for the emergence of international health technology companies — and even unicorns.”

Research and development capacity to support health technology growth

Ursel Velve, CEO of EIS, pointed out that innovation created by researchers does not always make its way into business, and this connection needs significant improvement. Tõnu Esko, Vice-Rector for Development at the University of Tartu and member of the board of the Estonian Health Economy Chamber, added that research institutions are often involved too late: “Universities or experts are often not consulted until the problem has already been incorrectly defined. Researchers and specialists should be involved right from the start to solve the root cause.”

Jekaterina Kazantseva, Head of Microbiome Studies at TFTAK, noted that in ten years’ time, hospitals themselves should increasingly reach out to research institutions to order solutions based on their needs.

Panel discussions also explored whether Estonia could serve as a test environment for health technology. Indrek Tulp, board member of Metrosert and head of its applied research center, pointed out that, for example, software-based medical devices require full-scale clinical validation. If an Estonian company has already completed initial validation here, this gives potential investors confidence. Kazantseva added that Estonia’s small size and concentration of expertise could make it an attractive place to test innovative ideas. TalTech’s Vice-Rector for Research, Jana Holmar, highlighted that the speed of collaboration is Estonia’s major advantage, while Esko urged focusing on what is unique to Estonia and developing distinctive strengths.

Health technology development through ecosystem co-creation

The second panel discussion focused on the role of ecosystems in supporting health technology growth and how to create a truly functional cooperation model. Siim Saare, founder of Health Founders, pointed out that Estonia’s health technology community is more vibrant than ever. With global competitiveness in mind, Saare compared healthtech entrepreneurship to the work of endurance athletes: given the limited resources, talent, and capital, every startup is valuable, and the entire ecosystem must nurture an environment where these startups can grow.

The discussion emphasized that successful innovation happens only when stakeholders work together. Over the past year, significant steps have been taken to connect entrepreneurs, hospitals, and other partners. Sven Parkel, CEO of Tartu Biotechnology Park, added that the sector needs more leadership and courage to take the driver’s seat. He reminded that hospitals are treatment facilities by nature, not innovation hubs, so rapid solution testing cannot always be expected.

Looking ahead, Saare envisioned that the number of Estonian healthtech companies could multiply, with the community expanding through international partnerships. Helen Staak, Head of Health Technology at Tehnopol, expressed her wish for a nationwide partnership that includes foreign companies and experts. According to Parkel, external factors will increasingly influence development, making the ecosystem more complex but also opening new opportunities. He noted that the emergence of a unicorn would fundamentally change the dynamics of the entire sector.

Human-centered healthcare: How to make health technologies work at the individual level?

The final discussion focused on how health technologies can support human-centered healthcare and what systemic changes are needed.

Marius Arras, founder of EldyCare, emphasized that the healthcare system faces funding challenges. New technologies should not be implemented merely for the sake of innovation but because continuing the status quo is no longer realistic: “We need to start thinking differently and implementing new solutions, because doing nothing also has a cost,” said Arras.

Siim Saare, founder of Lifeyear, added that soon the current healthcare system will no longer be able to serve patients at the same capacity as today. Therefore, technology development and design must anticipate future needs: “We must consciously and systematically invest not only in what is needed today but in what the reality of healthcare will be in five or ten years.”

Ingrid Põldemaa, board member of the Estonian Rheumatism Association, stressed the importance of prevention, suggesting that Estonia could have a comprehensive strategy linking different sectors. She also saw great potential in using technology to prevent problems at an early stage.

The panel agreed that moving towards human-centered healthcare requires both funding and mindset changes. Technology is not an end in itself but an essential tool for ensuring the sustainability of the system and improving people’s quality of life.

A recording (Estonian language) of the event is available for viewing at the provided link.

The event was supported by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS).

Photos: Enriko Pedaksalu