The state is investing 800,000 euros in making businesses more competitive

The Tehnopol Science and Business Park is looking for companies working in health, education and green technology, and industrial companies to apply for the artificial intelligence bootcamp. The second bootcamp this year has a total of 370,000 euros available to fund pilot projects.

Tehnopol joined with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications at the start of this year to create an Artificial Intelligence or AI development programme designed to make manufacturing and data-intensive businesses better able to climb up the value chain. The first bootcamp was very successful and Tarmeko Spoon, HUUM, Tervisetehnoloogiate Arenduskeskus and Sporrong Eesti received funding for their AI projects. A total of 190,000 euros was invested in pilot projects through the first bootcamp, and the state is investing 800,000 euros in the whole of the AI development programme.

The joint project by Tarmeko Spoon and Leanest received 65,000 euros for development. The production manager at Tarmeko Spoon Jaan Kraav said that the bootcamp far exceeded their expectations. “We wanted to build teamwork and tie up some loose ends and to think through our plans even better for ourselves. These two days proved much more useful than we could have expected though”. Kraav recommended that anyone who is thinking of using AI in the business should attend the bootcamp. “You have nothing to lose, but lots to gain”, he said.

The second bootcamp will be held in August this year, and companies working in health, environmental issues and education are invited to apply alongside industrial companies. These are the areas of focus that the Estonian state has currently set in its strategy for growth, and where strong growth is expected. The AI bootcamp is the best way for businesses to test their ideas in a safe environment with support from mentors, and to develop them further.

“Innovation is the motor of the Estonian economy and using artificial intelligence helps to optimise the use of resources, making work smarter and increasing value added. Developing artificial intelligence is a global megatrend, and one in which Estonia certainly has something to say. We have the knowledge, the experience and the skills that need to be put to work effectively to make Estonian companies more competitive globally. Local companies have a lot to gain by using artificial intelligence to automate and digitise processes, and taking part in the bootcamp is a wonderful opportunity for them to give momentum to the technological leap that will open doors to new opportunities both domestically and abroad. Efforts need to be made today to develop and introduce artificial intelligence in order to remain competitive and agile in a rapidly changing economic space”, said Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt.

Indrek Orav of the board of the Tehnopol Science and Business Park said that Tehnopol wants to support world-changing innovation, and AI is an inseparable part of innovative future solutions. “Artificial intelligence solutions have shown a serious capacity to make companies more productive, reduce their risks and save costs. Tehnopol supports companies in using this potential, and this time we want to see companies from other areas apart from manufacturing coming to the bootcamp so that we can help make them more competitive”, he said.

The bootcamp will be held on 16 and 24 August. It is open for industrial companies that have challenges that they need artificial intelligence to resolve and data-intensive businesses, and startup companies, scientific or student teams, or spin-off businesses that can offer solutions. Funding for pilot projects will only be available to those who have already completed the bootcamp. Decisions on funding will be made by an expert panel that will consider the project plans and presentations at the end of the bootcamp, and will be composed of leading experts and scientists in the field. For more information and to apply, see https://ai.tehnopol.ee/en/