The Innovation Start-Up Chamber

RAUL ARON
analyst-advisor
+372 699 9305
+372 56475111
raul.aron@employers.ee

The productivity of Estonian companies has grown significantly more slowly than wages and other input prices. To maintain or increase competitiveness, a structural change in the economy and in the society as a whole is required. In the long term, innovation is the best method of ensuring or increasing competitiveness, even for those countries and companies that are currently already competitive. The Estonian Employers’ Confederation has started an innovation workgroup that we call the Innovation Start-Up Chamber. Activities of the Start-Up Chamber must trigger an impulse of innovation to make the profitability and competitiveness of Estonian companies increase once again. We have already contributed to the upcoming joint strategy of research, development, innovation and entrepreneurship (TAIES); to the creation of the Innovation Agency and the applied research programme that are planned by the State; in cooperation with Statistics Estonia we have simplified the research and development survey for entrepreneurs; held numerous meetings with experts in the field of innovation, etc.

Priorities which the Employers are engaged in:

In the hands of the private sector

• Making the private sector the leader of innovation
• Joint involvement of additional money from EU R&D funds

Shared effort between the private and public sector

• Increasing RDI human resources

Expectations for the state

• Clear understanding and steps for State aid for the three economic revolutions (product, service and process innovation revolution, digital revolution, green revolution)
• Innovation service centre / agency
• Getting RDI measurement in order
• Establishment of the organisation of work and focus of applied research
• Significantly directing the focus of State investments to RDI