One of the highlights of the week was the international networking event at restaurant Chat in Tallinn, where Ukrainian, Estonian and Georgian entrepreneurs came together with programme participants, mentors and partners. The evening helped carry on the conversations that had started during the day – in an informal yet content-rich atmosphere.
It is often in such settings that ideas are born which later turn into real projects.
This intensive week in Estonia showed that the greatest value of a study visit lies in bringing knowledge, contacts and inspiration together in the same room at the same time. International guests saw real-life examples of how Estonian companies stay competitive. Participants also gained a strong insight into Estonia’s digital state and business environment, while graduates of different programmes (ECM, Creative Service, Unite for Trade) had a chance to connect with each other and explore opportunities for future cooperation.
ECM programme final week: from theory to practice
The ECM programme reached its final stretch in Tallinn. The week started with a study visit on Monday, followed on Tuesday by the last module workshop in our training room, led by Uwe.
On Wednesday, participants defended their final projects – an opportunity to connect months of learning with concrete strategies and solutions they will start implementing in their home markets.
After the official part, the day continued in an inspiring setting:
- a visit to the e-showroom on Valukoja Street
- the programme graduation event in the evening at Metropol Hotel’s restaurant Chat
- followed by an international networking evening that brought together all programme participants, our team and guests from Estonia, Ukraine and Georgia
These encounters showed how important it is to put new knowledge straight into conversations and collaboration ideas – not keep it only on slides or in notebooks.
Ukrainian entrepreneurs experienced the everyday life of Estonian companies
For the Ukrainian entrepreneurs, the week focused on very practical interaction with Estonian businesses. As one participant aptly put it: sometimes one well-chosen visit can be worth more than a long presentation.
BLRT Group: how to connect different services into one whole?
The visit to BLRT Grupp gave Ukrainian entrepreneurs a clear picture of how a large industrial company operates, bringing together:
- ship repair
- metalworking
- logistics
- and international cooperation
The discussions covered production, work processes and how different services are tied together into one logical and efficient whole. For the participants, this was a strong example that a company’s growth does not rely only on a strong product, but also on thoughtful organisation of work, solid partners and consistency over time.
Many thanks to BLRT Grupp for hosting us and to Roman Vinartshuk, whose support made this visit possible.
ESPAK: customer experience is born in the details
The next stop was ESPAK – an Estonian-owned company operating in the highly competitive construction materials and home goods market.
For the Ukrainian entrepreneurs, one key message stood out: customer experience is not created only by big strategic decisions. Just as important are the small, carefully designed details:
- clear navigation in the store
- a broad and well-curated assortment
- a convenient and logical shopping journey
- the ability to make the customer’s choice easier
ESPAK was a great example of how an Estonian-owned company keeps a constant focus on customer needs and the development of the sales environment in order to stay competitive.
Many thanks to ESPAK for the warm welcome and for sharing their experience so openly.
Põhjala Brewery: brand as an experience, not just a logo
The visit to Põhjala Brewery reminded participants that a brand is not just a logo or a product. What stood out most was the company culture – the way Põhjala’s story was consistently visible in:
- its people
- spaces and details
- the pub and visitor experience
- the production tour
When a team truly believes in what they do, visitors can feel it.
And of course, the opportunity to taste Põhjala beer helped illustrate how flavour, story and experience are woven into one coherent whole. The key takeaway was this: a strong international brand grows when quality, people and company values move in the same direction.
Many thanks to Põhjala Brewery for hosting us.
e-Estonia: the digital state as a coherent system
One of the most impactful stops of the week was the e-Estonia Briefing Centre.
This visit helped Ukrainian entrepreneurs look at digitalisation more broadly than as a collection of individual e-services.
Three key ideas emerged:
- The strength of Estonia’s digital state lies not only in technology, but in how different solutions work together as one coherent system for entrepreneurs, citizens and the state.
- Digitalisation helps reduce time spent on administration, simplify processes and support business growth.
- Estonia is not standing still in its digital development – the next step is to build AI-based solutions, such as Bürokratt, to make public services even more user-friendly.
As one participant put it, the e-Estonia visit was a true “wow” moment.
Many thanks to the e-Estonia Briefing Centre and Enterprise Estonia for hosting our participants.
Individual meetings: when a first contact turns into a cooperation idea
The most important moments of a study visit do not always happen in the official programme.
In addition to joint visits and workshops, each Ukrainian entrepreneur had the opportunity to meet Estonian companies and potential partners from their own field.
These conversations offered a chance to:
- test ideas against real market feedback
- ask direct questions from local experts and entrepreneurs
- understand if and how cooperation could move forward
Feedback showed that these contacts were much more than a polite exchange of business cards.
Participants reported:
- new international contacts
- online meetings already agreed
- concrete cooperation ideas – from organising B2B meetings in the Baltics to joint client projects
Many thanks to all participants, Estonian and Ukrainian entrepreneurs, mentors and partners who made this week so content-rich and full of energy. The result is not just photos and memories, but also clear next steps towards new collaborations and projects.
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