The establishment of the Estonian Science and Technology Center Nobel got well-known supporters
In Estonia, the shortage of specialists in the field of technology – engineers, technologists, etc. – is growing year by year, which inhibits economic growth. Entrepreneurs, professional associations and employers acknowledge that business growth programs do not guarantee the competitiveness of the sector.
The Estonian Electronics Industry Association, the Estonian Electrical Industry Association, the Estonian Information Technology and Telecommunications Association, the Estonian Chemical Industry Association, the Estonian Machinery Industry Association and the Estonian Printing and Packaging Industry Association made a public joint appeal to the Riigikogu Culture Committee to support the establishment of the Estonian Science and Technology Center Nobel.
The new vision documents – “Estonia 2035”, “Estonian Research and Development, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Plan 2021-2035” and “Estonian Education Development Plan 2021-2035” – set sectoral goals. However, despite the strategies, there is no common understanding of the role of labor market participants and the responsibility of educational institutions in developing skills.
The Estonian Science and Technology Center Nobel brings young people together with employers and creates a basis for the use of intellectual property for the benefit of their country.
Estonian children’s knowledge of natural sciences is very good, yet students do not see themselves working as a scientist or engineer in the future. Therefore, a more holistic and broader view is important in making the field attractive. The Estonian Science and Technology Center Nobel is designed as an environment where school students meet scientists and engineers, where the continuity of technology culture is displayed. Through the exposition and activities, young people are introduced to Estonian success stories, thus inspiring them to choose specialties in the field of engineering and technology. The aim is to show that it is possible to make developments in Estonia that affect the world and are an opportunity for self-realization in this field.
The Estonian Science and Technology Center Nobel presents the products of Estonian companies to the general public, contributing to the innovation activities and export growth of Estonian entrepreneurs. The Estonian Science and Technology Center Nobel also collects, preserves and introduces the heritage reflecting the development of Estonian engineering and technical thought, which has not been systematically collected and poorly preserved due to the lack of a central memory institution. The center helps to create and raise awareness of the identity of Estonian engineering and technology.
Cooperation between scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs is a prerequisite for innovation and a guarantee of a sustainable state. The field of technology is part of culture in science, the economy and society as a whole, which also needs to be protected and preserved.
