Education and Science, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Innovations, Technology

Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

The Estonian head of State noted that the Baltic Sea has become an inland sea for the European Union that could be called Mare Nostrum by the union – just as in history the Romans called the Mediterranean Sea.

He pointed out that many of the countries on the shores of the Baltic Sea are small on the global scale and from the point of view of science developed in this region, competition within the region should be avoided.

“The European Union Member States should make a decision, for example, that if one part of developing gene technology is best done in Tartu, all experts of this field in the region will come to Tartu to work on it,” he said, adding that the Chalmers University in Sweden could be a research centre for another area.

Speaker of Riigikogu Ene Ergma urged in her opening address the countries of the region to create a Baltic Sea Technology Institute. “I have not yet come up with any ideas on where it should be situation, but the important aspect is our ability to join forces,” she explained. Ergma noted that all research concerning modern technology is extremely expensive and the number of persons who are capable to work in this area is not high.