“The end result of our work is to help TalTech be the driving force of the Estonian economy.” 

Over the past two years, Caroline Aruoja has led the Startup Centre, where she has initiated numerous activities that support the transformation of innovative business ideas from TalTech students and staff into successful and ambitious companies. “What I’ve especially enjoyed is organizing our monthly event series Design Meets Science, which introduces innovation opportunities, and reviving Prototron in collaboration with partners. We also organize training series on starting science-based businesses, such as the Tech Entrepreneur series held in the spring. A promising new direction has been the increasing activation of the student community, particularly through the new student organization Startup Garage,” she explained. 

As in many other universities, TalTech’s Technology Transfer Office carries a wide range of responsibilities. However, the end goal of the office is clear – to help TalTech be the engine of Estonia’s economy. In her new role, Caroline sees the implementation of the ASTRA+ measure as her primary priority, bringing new technology transfer and business development training programs, development grants, and collaboration platforms. In the longer term, she emphasizes TalTech’s role as a promoter of science-based innovation, which is essential for the sustainable growth of the Estonian economy. The team’s goal is to generate more inventions and innovation projects at the university, ensure that created value reaches society, and foster meaningful cooperation between researchers and entrepreneurs. “Estonian society is increasingly reaching a point where continued economic growth requires science-based innovation, and TalTech is in an excellent position to support this journey. This need is also recognized by the government and ministries, who are increasingly looking to collaborate with TalTech to boost Estonia’s economic growth,” she added. 

TalTech’s strength is also evidenced by the fact that its alumni have already founded hundreds of startups, researchers have supported companies on their innovation journeys, and have themselves created successful spin-offs, including  ÄIO, Mindchip and C2Grid. This demonstrates that TalTech has and will continue to play a significant role in shaping Estonia’s entrepreneurship and innovation landscape. 

New Head of the Startup Centre, Rasmus Kalep, Prioritizes Science-Based Entrepreneurship and Strategic Partnerships 

Starting September 1, Rasmus Kalep will become the Head of the Startup Centre. He has previously worked as a project manager at the Startup Centre and is well acquainted with its focus areas and development directions.

As the new head, Rasmus prioritizes improving access to science-based entrepreneurship for TalTech students, including doctoral students. Experience shows that researchers may not always engage in entrepreneurship themselves, and a scientist-turned-CEO is not always the best solution. “A major focus will be on strengthening collaboration between the technology transfer team and the university's departments so that we can help find the right people to bring science to society,” said Rasmus.

A second focus area for Kalep is further developing the image of TalTech as an entrepreneurial university. “I aim to further shape the brand of TalTech as an entrepreneurial university – one that is truly recognized as Estonia’s leading university and known as the birthplace of strong startups and spin-offs.” The third focus is on developing strategic partnerships, especially with Tehnopol. According to him, the goal is to ensure a smooth transition for TalTech teams into Tehnopol’s incubation programs. There are many topics to address, and international cooperation with various partners will continue so that the best practices can be implemented at TalTech. “I am very open to meeting anyone at TalTech who wishes to advance the entrepreneurial direction, and I hope we can lay the foundation for long-term cooperation that delivers results,” he added. 

Thanking the Former Head for His Contribution

The university thanks Kristo Reinsalu for his contribution as Head of the Technology Transfer Office, which supported the launch of several development projects and new forms of collaboration.