The management board of Enterprise Estonia decided on 28 January to approve nine conceptual designs for developing regional competence centres. The competence centres, to be established outside Harju and Tartu County, will begin developing, in cooperation between entrepreneurs and researchers, internationally competitive innovations in sectors that typify their home regions.
"I am glad that a number of companies, educational institutions and local governments in smaller cities have been able to select and agree on the sectors that will result in added momentum for enterprise throughout the regions," said Minister of Regional Affairs Siim Kiisler. "We don't want to support the building of concrete boxes. We support activities that help actually improve our people's knowledge and skills and thereby offer companies lasting support for developing new services and products. This is how new beneficial jobs are created in the outlying regions," added Kiisler.
Monika Hankov, director of the Enterprise Estonia entrepreneurship environment division, said the green-lighted ideas include some that deal with development of Estonia's traditional fields of enterprise as well as newer activity directions. "Some of the more traditional sectors represented include ideas in the field of the timber and oil shale industry and logistics, the small shipbuilding project is related to an old regional tradition that is undergoing a comeback; while newer fields that deserve mention are innovation in the field of heritage culture and the establishing of energy efficient buildings and creating an environmentally-friendly environment."
Drawing on existing local entrepreneurial traditions, the establishment of a small shipbuilding competence centre on Saaremaa is planned, along with a timber processing technology and product development competence centre in Võru County. In both of these regions, the development of the sector is being supported by entrepreneurs, local educational institutions and other parts of the public sector.
The nine conceptual designs were selected by Enterprise Estonia from among 18 submissions, based on the priority level of the competence in the region, the relevance of the planned activities and conformity of the grant to the impact objectives. In addition, experts from each sector provided recommendations for further developing the ideas. The submitters of the approved designs now have an opportunity to apply for assistance for developing the regional competence centres - per competence centre, up to 0.5 million kroons for preparatory activities and up to 50 million kroons for implementation.
The following competence centre conceptual designs were approved.
• "Small shipbuilding competence centre" - submitted by Tallinn University of Technology Kuressaare College, planned location Kuressaare;
• "Oil shale competence centre" - submitted by Tallinn University of Technology, planned location Kohtla-Järve;
• "Health promotion and rehabilitation care competence centre" - submitted by Tallinn University's Haapsalu College, planned location Haapsalu;
• "Knowledge-based health and natural product competence centre" - submitted by Estonian University of Life Sciences, planned location Polli (Viljandi County);
• "Timber processing technology and product development competence centre" - submitted by Võru County Professional Education Centre, planned location Väimela (Võru County);
• "Viljandi County regional competence centre aka Sakala centre" - submitted by university of Tartu, planned location Viljandi County, Viljandi;
• "SolarBase - innovative building and living environment competence centre" - submitted by Innovatiivse Hoone ja Elukeskkonna Kompetentsikeskuse SA, planned location Vidrike (Valga County);
• "Valga energy efficient logistics competence centre" - submitted by Valga County Professional Education Centre, planned location Valga;
• "Smart House competence centre" - submitted by Virumaa Kompetentsikeskus SA, planned location Rakvere.
The development of the competence centres is being funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
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