In the course of two hours, the presenters included Sille Kraam (Deputy Secretary General for Economic Development at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications), Sven Illing (Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship at Tallinn University of Technology), Indrek Orav (Member of the Board of Tehnopol Science and Business Park), Kirke Maar (Project Manager at AIRE), Andri Haran (Head of Industry at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and Member of AIRE Steering Committee), Kersti Kuusksalu (Project Manager for Industrial Digitalisation in the Innovation Department of Enterprise Estonia), Martin Goroško (Head of Business Development at Tehnopol) and lastly, Siim Viilup (Mechanics and Robot Infrastructure Team Lead at Starship Technologies). 

The centre of artificial intelligence and robotics AIRE (AI & Robotics Estonia) has been established to increase the competitiveness of Estonian industrial companies, and brings together industrial companies, solution providers, universities and science parks, all of which work dedicated to one goal.

The AIRE Club is a series of events aimed at creating a free and immediate environment for those interested in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence to interact and network with each other. It welcomes representatives from research and development institutions, industry, IT and electronics companies, professional associations, support organisations and funders.

As AIRE will be joining the trans-European network, which by next year will include more than 200 European Union digital innovation centres, the AIRE Club will also be a physical meeting place, presenting not only local services and success stories, but also the activities of other European centres that could benefit industrial enterprises in Estonia.

An excellent example of good cooperation between the public sector, universities and companies

In the opening remarks, Sille Kraam, Deputy Secretary General for Economic Development at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, said that AIRE is a great example of good cooperation between different parties. “I truly hope that AIRE will become a strong centre of competence and development, which will help companies take the next step to become more technologically advanced,” notes Sille. 

“A lot of work has already been done. I am glad that so many people have gathered here today. It seems to me that there is a growing understanding of what the possibilities of data are, and how data can be valued, and thus not only increase overall efficiency, but also make better and higher quality management decisions. I sincerely believe that digitalisation is a prerequisite and a good foundation for building a more sustainable business model.”

In the following speech, Indrek Orav emphasised the satisfaction with which Tehnopol is participating in the project: “From Tehnopol’s point of view, we have reason to be proud, because the whole topic of AIRE is very important to us. Our goal is to support innovation and technology entrepreneurship that will make the world a better place, and we can see that through such a project we can support those companies that want to grow and develop. I wish AIRE all the best and that our cooperation will continue to be just as smooth!”

The size of the team does not determine the size of the actions

At the beginning of his speech, Sven Illing pointed out the motto of the TalTech, Mente et Manu, which translates into English as “by mind and by hand”. “Walking here, I thought the motto is a great fit with the essence of AIRE – with artificial intelligence and a robotic arm, we can help companies be more competitive.”

In his presentation at the first AIRE Club meeting in Tartu, Sven cited Google as one example, where three-member teams have produced world-changing solutions. “Now, looking at the Starship robot at this event, I can confirm that this is also a perfect example of how we can do great things with a relatively small number of people here in Estonia,” he claims, adding: “We will continue to make bold initiatives in Estonia and we remember that these things are born from knowing each other and relying on each other.”

Long-awaited support measures

In his presentation, Andri Haran, Head of Industry at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, spoke about the new digital investment support measures opening in the first quarter of 2022 with a total volume of 5.8 million euros. The main purpose of the measures is to support the automation of enterprises and the introduction of digital solutions. 

“Feedback from the industry has been that there are a lot of so-called soft measures, but a specific opportunity to apply for money to carry out the investments – at least to such an extent that the industry has not had for a long time; we are working on it.”

The main target group for the support is companies in the manufacturing industry, the mining industry, and logistics, for which up to 300,000 euros per project can be applied for during the period 2022–2025. Andri mentioned four other points as supported activities:

• Purchase, development and implementation of intangible and tangible assets for automation, digital technologies, robots in the applicant’s supply chain (including development and implementation of licences, and patent costs);
• Providing training for its employees in the development and implementation of technologies, robots and automation;
• Consultancy services for the purchase, development and implementation of digital technologies, robots and automation;
• Remuneration of employee(s) and person(s) working on the basis of a contract under the law of obligations who are involved in the development, implementation and automatisation of technologies and robots. 

Kersti Kuusksalu, Project Manager for Industrial Digitalisation in the Innovation Department of Enterprise Estonia, shared information about other possible support measures. “As each company has its own values and characteristics, their needs are also different,” she describes. Enterprise Estonia offers solutions and support based on the individual needs of the entrepreneur. 

In addition to financial support, a Master Class of Digitalisation has recently been added among the services of Enterprise Estonia. This service includes instruction along with advice and information on how to carry out digitalisation. In the course of three months, the company will receive personal guidance, during which training will also take place. A new group will start at the beginning of February, and it is possible to apply for the course until the beginning of January.

Enterprise Estonia is also hosting an Industrial Hack – a two-and-a-half-day event in the form of a hackathon, where entrepreneurs can create their own tailor-made solutions. Registration for the hackathon is currently open and the event itself will take place in March.

A programme to support AI-based projects is expected

Martin Goroško, Head of Business Development at Tehnopol, introduced the framework programme planned in cooperation with AIRE and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. The aim of the yet-to-be-announced programme is to start building AI-based projects, first identifying challenges that are data- and industry-based, and secondly, bringing the parties together with solution providers to support the implementation and piloting of the projects.

During the break, club members were able to enjoy snacks and fill their cups with mulled wine, at the same socialising and getting to know one another. However, there was not enough time to finish telling all the stories, because there was still one guest to present – Siim Viilup from Starship Technologies. 

Viilup, the Mechanics and Robot Infrastructure Team Lead at Starship Technologies, ended the AIRE Club #2 event. In the presentation, he introduced the history of Starship, the bigger and smaller challenges of reaching the present moment, as well as other exciting things that have happened in the meantime.

The round of questions that opened after the presentation seemed almost endless. Among the questions answered were the following: “What did the robot look like in the beginning”, “Is it possible for the robot to not get a signal? What will happen then?”, “I helped a robot out of the snow, but was it the robot that thanked me or was it a real person?” The answer to the latter question – it was a real person.

See the presentations of the event HERE

The centre of artificial intelligence and robotics AIRE (AI & Robotics Estonia) has been established to increase the competitiveness of Estonian industrial companies, and brings together industrial companies, solution providers, universities and science parks, all of which work dedicated to one goal.