The Estonian capital Tallinn is grabbing the world’s attention for its rapidly-growing advanced information technology industry and vibrant startup culture. At the heart of this development, in a site of a former Soviet Union factory located next to the Tallinn Airport, is Ülemiste City.
The smart city project, a joint venture of Estonian property developer Mainor and Technopolis (which provides and manages office spaces in the Baltic and Nordic regions), accommodates 400 companies with more than 10,000 employees, 15 percent of which represent foreign nationalities.
“It was all designed with this internationalization in mind. We hope that it will continue to grow in the future,” Technopolis Ülemiste CEO Gert Jostov said.
Ülemiste City not only provides physical space for companies but also nurtures a community that supports the internationalization of Estonian IT companies. Aiming to become a one-stop shop for foreign companies wanting to operate in Estonia, the International House of Estonia was opened in the area, which provides consultation and public authority services.
“Our focus is on getting more permanent residents into the campus,” Jostov said.
Around 20 percent of the Ülemiste City masterplan has been completed and the priority is the completion of infrastructure that will add integrated residential options alongside the commercial side of the campus, which will be ready by 2020.
As it lays down the technological and physical infrastructure of the area, Technopolis Ülemiste looks towards nurturing an organic community that serve as a model for the city of the future.
