TalTech Industrial
Industrial Strategy and Competitiveness Studies at TalTech (TalTech Industrial, 2020-2024) brought together frontier research in data science, global value chains and business strategy. It was implemented in partnership with Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) in Estonia, Bocconi University in Italy, Aalto University in Finland and Nesta in the UK.
Context, achievement of objectives
The EU H2020 funded initiative (grant 952410, €899,600) sought to enhance TalTech's research excellence in industrial strategy and policy, along with advanced data analytics, by promoting a strategic partnership with Bocconi University in Italy, Aalto University in Finland, and the think tank Nesta in the UK.
Jointly, workshops and events were organized to enhance capabilities in advanced data science tools, such as big data management and analytics. The focus was on the transformative impact of these techniques in driving innovation and competitive advantage in industrial strategies. Additionally, efforts concentrated on the most promising research avenues and strategic advisory needs, including international trade analytics, identified through horizon scanning.
Significant competencies were developed in economic complexity and relatedness analysis to understand the knowledge economy and its regional and industrial impacts. The incorporation of gravity models of international trade underscored the project's adherence to established international economics practices. The emphasis on global marketing strategies garnered interest from both academic and business sectors. Putting advanced machine learning tools, including Random Forest, Graph Neural Networks, Temporal Fusion Transformers, and Large Language Models, into active use has positioned TalTech Industrial at the forefront of data-driven industrial and policy research. The action demonstrated the advantages of utilizing international trade data, particularly from UN Comtrade.
The objective to enhance research management capabilities at TalTech was met through a series of practical training sessions and workshops. These equipped researchers and administrative staff with advanced skills in project governance, risk management, proposal preparation, and compliance monitoring.
Additionally, strategic alignment and institutional development at TalTech were fostered through study visits and strategic workshops with AALTO. These interactions provided TalTech with insights into effective strategy processes and benefited from AALTO's business-oriented approach, offering valuable lessons for future development.
Furthermore, TalTech and its partners enhanced their ability to secure research funding, successfully submitting multiple high-quality proposals, with several receiving funding.
The action also focused on addressing the ethical, privacy, and legal challenges of modern, data-intensive research.
By collaborating with industry associations, large companies, and SMEs, the project ensured that its research outcomes are theoretically robust and practically applicable, aiding socio-economic development in Estonia and Europe.
The collaborative nature of the Action led to significant mutual benefits among all partners, enabling each to share expertise and gain insights, fostering mutual learning and development.
Work performed
The action plan, developed based on the stakeholder survey, directed efforts towards addressing research gaps, incorporating emerging trends into capacity-building events. During the Action, several long-term courses were developed, laying a foundation for structured knowledge building. Multi-day workshops, organised as interconnected sessions spread strategically over several days, allowed for in-depth exploration of topics. The "AI in Business" workshop series, held annually from 2022 to 2024, evolved into a prominent AI and business conference in Estonia.
Forty research training workshops were organised to address critical research gaps, tailored to the needs of TalTech and the expertise of partner institutions. These events aimed to enhance understanding and strategic capabilities in areas like technological and data innovations, international collaboration, policy development, strategic economic planning, and research and data analysis tools.
Five outward and six incoming short-term missions were conducted to enhance collaboration among key staff. These missions facilitated valuable networking and brainstorming with external partners, expanding professional networks and providing strategic insights.
The Action supported the career development of early-stage researchers by organizing international doctoral schools, a hackathon, and facilitating their participation in international training events.
It also included proposal-writing training and workshops that led to six successful proposals, enhancing the sustainability of the TalTech team. Additionally, two research management workshops and a study visit to AALTO for seven staff members were organized.
The Action disseminated the knowledge acquired to TalTech staff, the Estonian research community, policymakers, the industry, and relevant international stakeholders. 7 presentations were made in high-level conferences and 16 publications published.
The project co-organised the major innovation conference, "Local Innovation Ecosystems for Global Impact," held in Tallinn for four days in June 2024, featuring several TalTech Industrial sessions.
For all publications, see ETIS
For project announcements, see LinkedIn
Progress beyond the state of the art
The Action has significantly enhanced TalTech's research capabilities, particularly in advanced data science tools for business strategies and economic policies, and has developed specialized expertise in machine-learning-based international trade analytics. This specialization is vital for identifying new export opportunities and mitigating risks in international supply chains, especially during disruptions, making it crucial in the global economy.
The collaboration has yielded research that is both economically and socially impactful, thereby enhancing policy effectiveness. TalTech has emerged as a regional research hub, strengthening capacities and fostering the career progression of early-stage researchers. By concentrating on emerging research domains and advanced methodologies, the project has positioned TalTech and its partners at the forefront of Europe's industrial strategy and policy analysis. Moreover, a focus on executive training has broadened the application of TalTech’s innovative research to the business community, fulfilling the project's primary objectives and securing a lasting influence.
Additionally, the project's collaboration with industry associations, large companies, and SMEs has ensured that its research outcomes are both theoretically robust and practically applicable, promoting socio-economic development in Estonia and across Europe. Active participation in high-level international conferences and collaborations with some key European policy actors has ensured that the developed research competencies not only address current policy needs but also shape future industrial strategies and regional development policies.