Estonian Embassy in Copenhagen opens eighth Estonian Business Hub
On 1–2 June, Mariin Ratnik, Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Denmark’s capital Copenhagen, where she officially opened the newly renovated premises of the Estonian Embassy and the accompanying Estonian Business Hub. The undersecretary was accompanied by an Estonian business delegation.
According to Undersecretary Ratnik, Estonia and Denmark are close allies that share common positions on all major foreign and security policy challenges.
“Moreover, our countries are connected by historical and cultural ties, cooperation in cyber security, defence and education, and increasingly by economic relations,” Ratnik said. “The opening of the Estonian Business Hub in Copenhagen will further strengthen economic ties between our two countries by providing Estonian companies with a venue to showcase their activities and organise business meetings.”
The Copenhagen Business Hub is the eighth of its kind. Previous Estonian Business Hubs have been opened in Berlin, Singapore, London, Riga, Washington, Seoul and Paris. The establishment of the hubs was financed through the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, NextGenerationEU.
“Located at Estonian embassies, the Estonian Business Hubs provide information on Estonia’s business environment, technologies developed by Estonian companies, e-governance solutions and cyber security, while also promoting Estonia as an investment destination. The hubs offer our businesses a representative venue for meetings and events, as well as support from embassy diplomats in establishing contacts and entering the local market,” Ratnik said.
Mari-Liis Küppar, member of the Management Board of Enterprise Estonia and head of the business delegation, emphasised the importance of business diplomacy.
“Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we are committed to ensuring that Estonia’s business diplomacy is strong and effective. Business Hubs are one way of supporting companies in entering or expanding into international markets,” Küppar said. She added that high-level business delegation visits are equally important. “They send a clear signal of the Estonian state’s support for the international ambitions of our companies. Wherever businesses and industry associations have commercial interests, Enterprise Estonia works together with ministries and embassies to help open doors and create new contacts.”
The business delegation accompanying the Copenhagen visit included representatives of Nortal, Helmes, Datel, Proekspert, Miltton CIO World, Entigo, Askend Estonia, Askara Solutions, RiskSight and the Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications (ITL).
As part of the visit, Undersecretary Ratnik also delivered a presentation on cyber security, followed by a discussion entitled “Under Pressure: Fostering Digital Societies in an Era of Disruption and Influence Campaigns”. She also gave a lecture at the Danish Foreign Policy Society and met with her Danish counterpart, Undersecretary for Development Policy Ole Thonke, at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
YouTube playlist featuring virtual tours of the Estonian Business Hubs.
Photos from the opening of the Copenhagen Business Hub.
Contact details and information on the Business Hubs: www.vm.ee/ebh.
Original article: Estonian Embassy in Copenhagen opens eighth Estonian Business Hub | Välisministeerium