Strong research, challenge-based learning, and collaboration with industry go hand in hand

TalTech’s position in Estonia’s higher education and research landscape is unique. As Estonia’s only technical university, TalTech ensures the development of future engineers and scientists, making a significant contribution to the country’s economic progress. The university offers study opportunities at all levels of higher education in engineering, technology, natural, and social sciences.

“Looking at European technical universities, we can already say that we belong to a strong network that includes institutions such as the Technical University of Denmark, Eindhoven University of Technology, EPFL, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, TECHNION, and the Technical University of Munich. This is the EuroTech Universities Alliance, where we also aim to be recognized as an equal partner. However, this means we must critically review our development plans,” says Erik Puura, head of the strategic plan working group.

According to Puura and Karu, keeping pace with the best technical universities is only possible if three central aspects are combined when looking to the future: strong research, challenge-based learning, and close collaboration with industry.

“Our activities are based on the quality of research and we focus on globally significant topics. We aim to reach the same level as the best Nordic technical universities, such as Aalto University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. For our students to be competitive, teaching must be rooted in solid research. I dare say that over the past five years, we have significantly increased the number of scientific publications. At the same time, challenge-based learning is very important to us. It’s a form of education where real-world problems form the basis for learning. In this, we are on par with other universities, and in some aspects even ahead,” explains Karu, member of the strategic plan steering committee.

This is confirmed by several student projects, including participation in international student competitions. For example, at a student solar car competition held in Australia, the Solaride vehicle achieved second place out of nearly 900 participants, with TalTech students playing a significant role in the project’s success. Additionally, TalTech students have built 17 formula student cars, the latest of which, Formula 24, was awarded the title of the fastest and best in the world among over 800 teams. The university has several similar success stories to showcase.

The strategy focuses on global issues and close cooperation with companies

TalTech’s uniqueness compared to traditional universities lies in the close integration of theoretical and practical learning. “When a company leader walks into the university with a specific problem, solving that issue becomes the way we deliver knowledge and skills to our students. Our goal is that graduates gain not only theoretical knowledge but also practical and real-world skills, including teamwork and problem-solving abilities. Cooperation with companies is key to this,” says Puura. Special attention is also paid to the creation of new companies.

“In developing entrepreneurship, we also consider the creation of new businesses important. We call these spin-off companies created by students. A good example is ÄIO, a company engaged in food technology development, aiming to produce food products from innovative raw materials in the future,” Puura explains.

To support societal and economic development, the university focuses its research on areas derived from global challenges. In the coming years, the university will primarily focus on the following topics:

• High-tech and clean industry and manufacturing;
• Clean, affordable, and secure energy supply;
• Energy- and resource-efficient construction and renovation;
• Circular economy and the valorisation of local resources;
• Climate-neutral smart cities and mobility;
• Defence sector solutions;
• Reliable IT solutions and artificial intelligence;
• Data security and cyber defence;
• Health technologies and services;
• Healthy and sustainable food systems;
• Smart maritime sector and sustainable marine environment;
• Innovative enterprises, responsible economy, and public governance.

To address such important topics and offer a platform for academia, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers, the university created the portal “Trialoog.” “How well we are known and recognized depends on how much we ourselves talk about our activities. Since today’s information space is so vast, we decided to create the Trialoog portal, where we only publish content that meets our university’s quality standards,” adds Karu.

TalTech is in a growth phase. The focus is on an innovative learning environment and Estonian-language education

Looking at the strategic plan, Puura and Karu highlight the university’s clear growth ambition.
“We want to be an international university, but at the same time an Estonian university where the main language of instruction is Estonian. In an international context, this is not always easy, but we encourage both our international staff and students to learn Estonian. Currently, less than a third of our programmes are in English, and international students make up less than 10%. In the future, the number and proportion of international students will likely grow, which will in turn increase the volume of English-language instruction,” says Karu.

In addition to academic teaching, TalTech contributes to creating a diverse and inclusive learning environment and to student leisure activities. “Universities today are on the threshold of major changes. They are no longer just grey academic institutions. Our goal is to create a learning environment that is engaging and inspiring. If a student says they want to continue to a master’s degree because TalTech is simply such a cool university and it’s inspiring to be here, that speaks volumes,” explains Puura.

Compared to other Estonian universities, TalTech has the most student organisations and offers various job and earning opportunities. “It’s not uncommon for students and professors to get together in the evenings or on weekends. Recently, nearly 500 students and faculty participated in a trivia night held in our main hall, playing together on equal footing. We also have very strong sports teams who are among the best in their fields, and we continue to support them with great dedication,” Puura says happily.

TalTech also takes environmental issues very seriously. “Our goal is to continue developing an energy-efficient campus toward climate neutrality. To this end, a special climate-smart university roadmap has been created. In science, since terms like ‘green transition’ are often poorly understood, we talk concretely about clean, competitive, and climate-friendly industry, construction, transport, and energy. Naturally, we also ensure that all students acquire the green skills needed to understand environmental and climate change issues, which they can apply in academia, public service, or business,” Karu concludes.

The article was published on December 15, 2025, in Postimees.