Estonian Enhanced Dialogue: round 2

Signe Ratso, Deputy Director General for Research and Innovation joined Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia, at the national Research and Development Council. Discussions included strategic national choices and opportunities in the Horizon Europe programme and beyond. The Council members include, among others, Kristen Michal, Minister of Climate, Kristina Kallas, Minister of Education and Research, as well as Tiit Riisalo, Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology. 

Beyond her presentation at the Research and Development Council, Signe Ratso met Sandra Särav, Deputy Secretary General for Innovation and Technology at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, and Piret Lilleväli, Deputy Secretary General for Strategy and Innovation at the Ministry of Climate, and Tarmo Soomere, President of Estonian Academy of Sciences.

The event was a follow-up of the Enhanced Research and Innovation Dialogue between Estonia and the Commission that started exactly a year ago.

Moreover, a trip to Horizon 2020 project SWEETWOODS was arranged. Peep Pitk, Chief Development Officer of Fibenol presented their demo plant and the prospects of forest-based bioeconomy in Estonia. The biorefinery paves the way for Fibenol’s parent company, Graanul Invest (the biggest wood pellet producer in Europe) towards higher value bio-based products.

Background

Enhanced dialogues with EU countries are a new, bottom-up channel of cooperation with the European Commission. These dialogues aim at creating a country-tailored approach to foster Research and Innovation in the participating EU country. They are organised on a voluntary basis and built around topics matching the interests of the country.

More information

Enhanced dialogue with EU countries