International business and education network creates a shortcut to new talent for all companies in Ülemiste City and finds and describes innovative approaches and the study methods. The network help to raise the quality of studies: support lecturers in the study process and ensure wider knowledges to the students.

In the situation where there is a large labour shortage in the IT and smart work sector, next meeting of the international business and international education network called ‘Challenges of keeping the talents’ was organised under the leadership of Ülemiste City, the largest business city in the Baltics. It brought together companies in the city with business and innovation, digital media and urban planning students, as well as university researchers from different Nordic and Baltic countries.

The aim of the network created by the Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences and company Mainor Ltd., is business, educational, and research cooperation with Nordic and Baltic higher education institutions to create new solutions for the city and education of the future, to share international experience, and to learn from the best how to find, attract, and keep talents in different fields.  

‘It is becoming increasingly difficult to find people who do smart work not only in Estonia, but also everywhere else in the world, and this trend is unfortunately continuing. With the help of the business and education network, we can offer companies the cooperation with international universities and thus create opportunities for finding new talent and cooperation for the companies in the city. This is a unique opportunity – in essence, potential employees will be brought right here to companies within the framework of the Nordic and Baltic higher education programme,’ said Kadi Pärnits, Chairperson of the Management Board of MainorLtd., which manages Ülemiste City.  

According to Kadi Pärnits, several new projects have previously been made available to the city through the network partners, and Ülemiste City has received diverse feedback on various services and initiatives in the city. ‘In cooperation with the network partners, several new initiatives have been born, which we have already started to develop – such as the programme of the health ambassadors of the city or the creation of start-up services. Companies in the city have been able to recruit apprentices and employees. Business cooperation has started between the companies of the city and Oulu University of Applied Sciences and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences,’ Pärnits listed some success stories of the network.

The first meeting of the network this year took place in Ülemiste City on 25th – 27th of May. The meeting focused on the challenges of keeping the talents. In previous years, the topics of the meetings have been, for example, the development of creative entrepreneurship, the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation, and the implementation of work-based learning in companies. In the current meeting attended 33 students and 14 lecturers and researchers from seven countries.

Within three days, there were the meetings between companies, students, and lecturers, as well as joint discussions, open lectures to share experience and knowledge, seminars, a hackaton, a business speed date, and other thematic activities.

Until today, a total of almost 200 students, lecturers, and researchers-experts in the field have participated in the meetings, and 150 more join the project in 2022–2023. A total of 30 companies have participated in the project.  

This time, the following universities were involved: Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences, International School of Tallinn, University of Iceland, Arcada University of Applied Sciences, University of Stavanger, Aalborg University, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, Vilniaus kolegia/University of Applied Sciences and the organisations from Ülemiste City: Helmes, Topia, ABB, International House of Estonia, Move My Talent, Eurora, Nordea, Mona, Fredo, Health Founders, the non-profit association Kõnnime koos, and Ülemiste Health Centre.

The project is funded by the Nordplus Horizontal programme of the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education of the Nordic Council of Ministers.   

Ülemiste City, the largest business city in the Baltics, is being developed by the public limited companies Mainor, Mainor Ülemiste, and Technopolis Ülemiste. The 36 hectares of the city offer 150,000 square meters of office space, which is home to nearly 500 companies and where more than 14,000 people work, study, and live.