Speaking at a public lecture at TalTech, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted Estonia as a leading example for the Alliance in technological innovation, defence investment and societal resilience. Addressing students and researchers, he named the development of drone and counter-drone technologies and air defence solutions among the most urgent challenges to tackle.
According to Rutte, Estonia is particularly strong in software, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Estonian companies are developing drones, air defence interceptors, cybersecurity systems, battlefield software and energy storage solutions, among other technologies. “Estonia is a place where people can turn a good idea into reality,” he said.
Rutte said the war in Ukraine has shown that simply stockpiling ready-made drones is not enough – countries also need the capacity to manufacture them quickly and keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. Equally important is a more layered air defence system, combining high-end systems with more cost-effective and flexible solutions to protect cities and critical infrastructure.
Rutte also highlighted Estonia’s high level of civil preparedness. According to him, it is not only the country’s defence forces and defence industry that contribute to NATO’s strength, but society as a whole. “In Estonia, we see a level of national civil preparedness that we would like to see across the whole of NATO,” he said.
Speaking about the security situation, Rutte stressed that there is currently no imminent military threat to NATO territory, although Russia remains a long-term threat to the Alliance. He said Russia is trying to put pressure on NATO countries, including Estonia, through hybrid attacks. “If there is a build-up, like there was before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, then we will see it and we will deal with it,” Rutte said.
To conclude his lecture, Rutte recalled a story from 1982, when Estonian students at a summer camp during the Soviet occupation jokingly set up a NATO base. He said their courage and creativity serve as a reminder of the important role young people play in defending freedom. “So often in history it is young people like you who dare to stand up, to laugh at the would-be empire, and to show the world how weak it really is,” Rutte said.
After the lecture, Rutte also visited TalTech laboratories and met with students.