Study trip to Tallinn: On the trail of digitalization

The destination of the 2023 study trip of the Smart Products & Solutions Master's degree program was Estonia's capital Tallinn. Prof. (FH) Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Schmiedinger, PhD, Vice Director of Studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Kufstein, accompanied the eight students. A walking tour through the beautiful streets of the old town marked the start of the week-long trip. The well-preserved Gothic facades and picturesque city walls seem to contrast with the digitalized and modern city - but this impression is deceptive. Following the city tour, the students were given a first insight into political and economic aspects during a visit to the Austrian embassy in Tallinn. After a guided tour of the embassy premises and a typical Estonian buffet, the group visited a trendy restaurant in the Telliskivi district in the evening.

FINLAND AND THE IMPRESSIVE LIBRARY IN HELSINKI

The second day of the trip took the group to neighboring Finland, more precisely to Helsinki, which is around 90 kilometers away by ferry. A walking tour through the Finnish capital provided charming information about the city and its history, the Finnish education system, the Finns' love of saunas and why pictures are attached to the houses instead of street names for orientation. The tour concludes with a visit to the Oodi Library, an impressive building that functions as a central meeting place and social hub. Borrowing books is only a small aspect of this library - there are many more meeting rooms, workstations, rehearsal rooms and much more available to visitors free of charge.

TALLINN AND ITS UNIVERSITY

Back in Estonia, the third day began with a visit to the University of Tallinn. After an introduction to the School of Digital Technologies, the students toured the university's labyrinthine corridors. A highlight of the tour was a visit to the rooms of the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (recording room for film soundtracks and rehearsal rooms). The coworking space Lift99, the birthplace of Unicorns, a start-up company with a valuation of over one billion US dollars, proved to be a lively place full of ideas and energy. An exciting insight into the start-up community in the Baltic countries.

ESTONIA'S DIGITAL SKILLS / COMPETENCIES

Estonia presents its digital skills / competencies at the e-Estonia Briefing Center. Almost 100 percent of administrative procedures can be carried out digitally in Estonia. At the heart of this is a citizen card, which is used for identification. The citizen card also fulfills other functions: Insurance card, bank card, public transport card, etc. In addition to the high degree of digitization, Estonia pursues a transparent approach to data. For example, after entering the license plate number of any vehicle, all known information (e.g. age, condition, etc.) can be retrieved. Another service is the display of all traffic accidents on Estonian roads, which is also publicly accessible. The afternoon was dedicated to the Latitude59 start-up conference. This conference brings together founders and investors. Successful start-ups are presented and relevant topics are discussed. The day ended with a visit to an escape room, where the group was able to put their creative problem-solving skills to the test.

Start-up CONFERENCE Latitutde59

The nine spent the end of the study trip at the Latitutde59 conference and were inspired by the start-up feeling.

The trip showed the students that digitalization can be used appropriately in a public authority environment. The driver in Estonia is efficiency - a relatively small country with an even smaller population needs efficient processes, which is why the automation and digitalization of processes is obvious. Digitalization in Estonia is not at odds with ancient history and historical sites - on the contrary: digitalization makes life easier and creates space for cooperation.

Links:

• Master in Smart Products & AI-driven Development (ehemals Smart Products & Solutions)