The SUBMARINER Network in Estonia

The topic of blue bioeconomy in Estonia is gaining more attention. The draft Estonian Maritime Spatial plan states that the long-term vision for the Estonian marine area must include Good Environmental Status, diverse and balanced use of space, and that it promotes the growth of the Blue Economy. The Blue Economy or (Blue Growth) is defined as a sustainable maritime economy that includes all maritime-related sectors: tourism, renewable energy, aquaculture, fisheries, biotechnology, exploitation of seabed resources, etc. The “Estonian Bioeconomy Strategy until 2030” is currently under preparation by the Ministry of Rural Affairs.

The draft foresees that Estonian opportunities in blue biotechnology need to be assessed. In research, it is necessary to concentrate more precisely on the research potential of Estonia in blue biotechnology - resources, researchers and entrepreneurship, and the opportunities / developments for the future based on it.

Developments related to blue bioeconomy are divided between the Ministry of Finance (the national Maritime Spatial Planning authority), Ministry of Rural Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.

Key Facts

Population: 1,3 million (as of 2020). Population density in Estonia is 30.3 people per km² making Estonia the third sparsely populated country in EU.
Area: 45 227 km²
2222 island and islets
3,794 km coastline
Close to 1500 lakes, largest lake being Lake Peipus with 3,555 km²
It takes about 20 minutes to start a company online. 98% of companies are established online.
The Estonian tax code holds the 1^st place in the OECD Tax Competitiveness Index (2019). 98% of tax declarations are filed online.
15 counties & 79 municipalities
According to OECD’s PISA results, Estonian basic education is the best in Europe and in the top 3 globally.
Main industries: engineering, electronics, wood and articles of wood, textiles, information technology, telecommunications.