Rail Baltica Business Network Estonia (RBBN) and the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications organized a seminar at the Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol on October 11th, 2018. The main focus of the seminar was to discuss how Rail Baltica accelerates innovation and the economic development of the entire region and how will citizens and communities’ benefit from RB in the Baltic States but as well in Finland and Poland.
The seminar was opened by Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia Ms. Kadri Simson: “Rail Baltica is the largest investment into the Baltics and at the same time it is the largest joint development of the three countries. Year 2019 will be very significant for the Rail Baltica project – it is a year when we can look more securely into the future and make further plans. Soon will be clear the funding opportunities for the European Union’s new budget period. We believe that the project will receive the planned support and it will be possible to move forward in time.”
“Throughout history railways have been the founders and leaders of innovative solutions and when compared with road transport, it is an environmentally-friendly solution. In the case of Rail Baltica, we are looking forward to innovative solutions,” Simson added.
Kaspars Briškens, business development manager of RB Raili AS, emphasized in his presentation that Rail Baltica must be planned with a long perspective and that the implemented solutions should be up-to-date also in 20 or 30-years’ time. It is therefore of the utmost importance that entrepreneurs should be involved in the whole process and that they would come up with the necessary innovative solutions. According to Briskens, Rail Baltica is a powerful accelerator for sustainable economic development, and Rail Baltica has estimated benefits of at least 18.2 billion EUR to the whole region.
CEO of Omniva Mr Ansi Arumeel introduced how Rail Baltica also contributes to the development of e-commerce: “The e-commerce visionary Jack Ma spoke about the vision that a consumer needs to get his goods in every corner of the world within 72 hours, and Omniva has decided to go along with that vision. Thanks to Rail Baltica, consumers are able to get their goods faster and they also have the opportunity to send their goods faster around the world.”
According to Mr Ott Lumi, member of the board at the Rail Baltica Business Network, the network will continue to organize meetings of businesses from different sectors and of people who deal with the Rail Baltica project on a daily basis. “Such brainstorming events allow us to better understand the role and potential of Rail Baltica and to introduce the project more widely,” said Ott Lumi.
The non-profit organization Rail Baltica Business Network Estonia was founded in 2015 to provide entrepreneurs an opportunity to contribute to the Rail Baltica project and to analyse and promote the business potential of the new railway. Currently the business network has 23 members and one supporting member.
